Scribblenauts is one of those games that many marveled at when it was first demoed. The idea of the game was that you could write any word into the screen and that item would appear ie. you write the world umbrella and sure enough an umbrella would come down for your character to use. You would then use the items to solve puzzles such as crossing gaps and defeating dragons. The concept sounds ingenious but in practice it doesn’t translate so well.

Scribblenauts really shines in its list of recognized words. The list itself is over twenty thousand. Looking at that number can be rather decieving however as many of the words repeat such as “boat” and “ship”.

The gameplay of Scribblenauts consists of the main character, Max, trying to get through one of two types of stages, action or puzzle, and get a star. In an action stage the stars are out in the open and all you have to do is get to them by platforming and fighting foes. In a puzzle stage the stars are hidden, and a series of clues help to guide you towards it. After completing a stage you are rewarded in “ollars” which can be used to purchase new worlds and avatars. You earned ollars based on how little items you used in each stage and how creative you were, even if the game is not really accurate at measuring the latter. You must complete each level 3 times to clear it, however you are not allowed to repeat words used in other playthroughs. This may sound complicated, but you can just use synonyms to get through.

The graphics of Scribblenauts resemble a drawing of a young child, that is to say, they are scribbles. By no means is this game pushing the limits of the DS. The audio as well is nothing to impressive, with some simple, upbeat whistles and bells. The presentation is moderate at best.

Where Scribblenauts really fails however is in the controls. To move Max, you have to tap the stylus. The directional pad is used to pan around the level. However the stylus is impossible to be accurate with. Too many times you’ll come up with the perfect solution, only to fail because the controls are so imprecise. Its overly frustrating, and ultimately brings Scribblenauts down.

It’s really sad because Scribblenauts is a game you want to like. Its so unique in its concept and yet better controls could’ve made this game much better than it is. So sad.

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And thats pretty much sums up The Legendary Starfy. As Starfy, you jump through stages and use your Star Spin to defeat enemies. The jumping is extremely forgiving (just like Kirby) in that if you misjudge your jump you can easily redirect it. Not that misjudging a jump will get you killed so often. You get access to some special moves by teaming up with the “Mysterious Bunston” which changes Starfy into essentially a different character. When you’re not going through the adventure, theres some mini-games that serve only as a minor distraction.

The story is light and humorous, and something kids would definately like. But that can be said to just about everything about this game: It’s something a kid would like. If you buy this game for a young child, or you love Platformer games just like Kirby, then you would probaly enjoy this game. If you don’t fit into that niche, then this game will be pretty dissappointing.

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As you progress in the game, you unlock more plants to grow as you go along. Another nice thing is that you can change Mama’s outfits and even decorate your garden with the bonus prizes you earn. This is fun when you want to take a break from gardening.

Gardening Mama is another great entry into the series. It’s genuinely fun and probaly just about the happiest game ever. The gameplay is solid, the presentation is solid, and Mama still makes me laugh to this day.
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The gameplay simply isn’t easy to describe. In fact, theres a lengthy series of tutorials that are a MUST in this game. There is a sharp learning curve to this game, make no mistake. The storyline is great, along with the graphics and sound design. Knights in the Knightmare is simply an amazingly put together game, and one you should definately get on your DS.

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Puzzle Kingdoms is a game that takes the concepts from the game Puzzle Quest and expands on them. If you are not familiar with the series, Puzzle Quest adds a RPG style game to the classic Bejewled. You match up gems 3 in a row which can inflict damage, net you some cash, or give you mana to use spells. It’s a strategy game which can become addictive.

Puzzle Kingdom cleans up the feautures you found in Puzzle Quest, refining it with better explanations and clearer tutorials that explain everything to you. It let’s you save outside of the battles (but it forces you to quit which is a minor annoyance..I just restarted quickly and it was no big deal). One feature which remains not so great is the game saving. Auto-saving won’t happen enough, and everytime you want to save it will take you back to the title screen. It’s frustrating to do so, but you must save often.

The gameplay in Puzzle Kingdoms is still great. It forces you to think in order to win, and rarely will you feel that you’ve lost because the computer cheated you. Sometimes, you will find yourself a bit overpowered and have to go back and level up your character a bit. But the game is by no means a grind.

As far as the story goes, it’s nothing too interesting, but it’s not so bad either. The addictive gameplay is really what will sell you in this game. Overall, a great game to add to your collection if you loved Puzzle Quest or puzzle games in general.

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Your main character is custom-made, allowing you decide everything from his stats and skills to his personality. You are allowed two other members in your group, whom are more preset, but earning and assigning their skills is entirely up to you. As for demons, the game follows the familiar path of the series, allowing you to fuse your current demons to form more powerful ones (usually). Once you get the hang of building up a party, this game becomes easy and enjoyable.

As far as difficulty, this game is harder than the average Persona, but nothing impossible. If you enjoy other games in the Magami Tensei series, or havent tried one, or are just looking for a great game, definately give this one a look.

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