A Casual Friday Conversation, or, Screw You Scribblenauts!

David and I were discussing Scribblenauts and I started to express my frustrations and so did he. We both thought the game felt almost unplayable at times due to the controls. I told David I was having trouble writing about it without being dismissive. So he had the idea to have a conversation about it and post that. Click read more to see what we had to say.

David: Hey School, so I've heard you've been having some of the same frustrations I've been having in Scribblenauts.

Ben: Why hello David! Yes, yes I have.

David: Well, what sort of problems what you been having—mainly the “touch screen bullshit makes me want to kill myself” problem?

Ben: Mainly that, yes, along with the lack of any reward, other than personal, from my creative use of a microwave.

David: Yeah, my problems come from when you want to pick something up and you tap the screen but Maxwell fucking walks over there instead.

Ben: And he jumps into a pit of lava,

David: Or a pool full of sharks,

David: Or a canyon of dynamite,

Ben: Or a bunch of spikes,

David: Or Brad’s Castlevania rant.

Ben: Oh, even that is in Scribblenauts, huh?

David: Yep, apparently Brad has made a big enough deal that they added it in. Type in Mercury Steam and Brad pops up to bitch you out.

Ben: I'll have to try that.

David: So another problem I've had is the camera and how it always has to re-center itself, especially when I'm trying to do something.

Ben: Like when you want to create an object out of multiple objects—you have to have a clear area and sometimes that isn't near your character.

David: But the camera always fucks you and you can’t hold it down with the D-pad because it'll just keep going.

Ben: Yep and it is even worse if you miss the piece you were trying to use in the contraption you were making and then Max tries to run to your tap and then a monster eats him out of view of the camera.

David: Again, same shitty problems.

Ben: These are core elements of the game you must do—manipulating objects, navigating the level—and they are the worst parts of the game.

David: Yes and most open to frustration. Also, I feel like I'm cheating because I'm constantly relying on the same items like wings, dynamite or Pegasus. You need those things.

Ben: Helicopter and a rope for me.

David: Its like: "Why should I make a ladder each time I need one, when I can just have a pair of wings that takes care of it for the entire level."

Ben: Also, as an aside, not being able to resize the objects is tedious.

David: Yes, you have to type it in every time.

Ben: Having to summon two ladders just because one isn't long enough or two planks and glue because a bridge is too short. It breaks the logical progression you are supposed to be able to do. But continue on with what you were saying.

David: Yeah, what I would have liked is if you get perks: like after you beat so many levels, you get slots where you start with certain items equipped.

Ben: Instead of typing what you want to summon every time?

David: Every time I start a level wings are the first thing I type just so I can move around easier because Maxwell's movement is the worst part of the game. He can’t jump on top of anything. So for any movement, you have to summon something for him like wings.

David: So continuing on with the discussion: I've found you die a lot of cheap deaths from the hit detection. Like one guy tries to shoot another guy and, whoops, it hits you and you accidentally mess up your objective.

Ben: Even like trying to move around items and you drop one accidentally and it hits his head.

David: So that really doesn’t help.

Ben: It seems like if the object control and character control were separated—that alone would make a big improvement.

David: Yep, I don’t know how they missed that.

Ben: It feels like it had very little testing, Q&A.

David: It seems immediately apparent five minutes into the game. You’d think it's a case of them falling in love with their own idea because the flaws are very very obvious.

Ben: Exactly, focusing too much on the overall concept and not enough on how to apply it.

David: So then, where do we stand? I won't go and say that this is the biggest disappointment of the year but I very strongly share your opinions that the game is nearly unplayable at points.

Ben: Of course, you wouldn't be wrong to say it, everyone had high hopes for it.

David: It has come to the point where I'm going to leave for Japan tomorrow and I'm debating on whether I should bring it or not.

Ben: I am at the same point and today when I had to go out for a bit, I didn't take it.

David: I don’t really feel like subjecting myself to that kind of frustration. Luckily for me, I have the broadcast. That’s where I would play it for people to watch and to chime in with suggestions.

Ben: Right, and I play it sitting on a bench somewhere and it would be a little awkward for me to stop people.

David: I find one of the best moments from the game was from PAX and the internet—watching people play it and seeing what they come up with.

Ben: Absolutely.

David: Scribblenauts, definitely not my DS game of the year.

Ben: Yeah, not even close for me.

David: I think it's going to Layton.

Ben: Yeah, Layton or Mario and Luigi or one of the Art Style games.

David: Oh shit, yeah, I forgot about Pictobits. We’ll see what it is at the end of the year.