As a committed “hardcore” type of gamer (yay Ninja Gaiden 2!  Boo Horsez Magical Marshmallow Journeys), the fact that I had this game on my must-buy list was a big step out of my comfort zone.

But the previews I read about 5th Cell’s wonder-game had me craving it and so it resided just below Uncharted 2 on my most-anticipated fall gaming list.  Does it live up to the hype?

For the most part, the answer to that question is a big fat juicy yes.  I am constantly surprised and amused by the way Scribblenauts allows your imagination to go berserk.  It really is stunningly rare for the game not to understand something I write (and when I get the “Did you mean” list there is invariably stuff there I don’t even recognize).

You likely know the drill by now: you control a guy named Maxwell, who’s plopped in the iddle of different environments that require puzzle solutions.  To earn the “Starite” and a level completion, you summon anything you want by typing it in the keypad.

Wings, jetpacks, walls, freeze rays, helicopters, velociraptors, dragons, plumbers, mechanics, zombies, vampires, vampire hunters, monster trucks, submarines, whatever you want, write it and comes to life.

It’s a simple concept that is just bananas in its execution.  One could spend hours just monkeying around with the object creation on the title screen.  The actual levels are fun, though, playful, inventive and well-tuned towards using your imagination.  I did use plenty of go-to objects (pro-tip: the wall, runway, wings, cable and wall are invaluable) but the game rewards you for coming up with new stuff.

The lowlights are well-documented–lack of precise touch control, dificulty in equippin g items, cheap deaths–but I found ways to work past them.  Simply put–the strengths of this staggeringly innovative title far outweigh the weakness.  Definitely give this a spin.