The claim behind fall DS puzzle-action title Scribblenauts is that the game will render any kid-safe concrete noun that a player types into it. Today, we got our second crack at stumping it.
When last Kotaku tried Scribblenauts, it was editor-in-chief Brian Crecente trying to stump the game. But with each word he typed into the game — gun, guillotine, iron maiden — the DS game rendered the relevant object. He said he stumped it with "pillory," but, you know, most of us don't use that word as a noun.
Today I tried the game, while getting a quick refresher about how the game will present 220 puzzle or action challenges that all involve helping hero Maxwell grab a star with the help of any object a player can think to write into their DS.
I tried "dog." Success. A dog appeared.
"Unicycle." That worked. Then I put the dog on it.
"Beer." Nope. Too adult.
"Root Beer." Success. Maxwell held the root beer.
Upon a publicist's suggestion: "Night Vision Goggles." Success. Maxwell put them on and the screen tinted green.
"Tabasco Sauce." Nope. Proper name?
"Sun." One appeared with a tether to hang it to the sky.
"Bear" then "Tiger"... Both appeared. They fought. The bear won as the tiger disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Honey." The bear ran to it.
We tried a level that put Maxwell on an island and required him to reach a star by going over, through or under it. We input "Submarine," but we accidentally let the game give us a sandwich. We attempted it again and got a sub that shoots torpedoes.
We tried a level that puts Maxwell in a desert with a man who is parched. Another reporter suggested "Lemonade." That worked and he handed over a star. We tried it again. I suggested "Rain Cloud." It appeared over his head, and rain fell. That worked too.
UPDATE: Just remembered a few more with the help of my notes — "Stress" was too abstract. The name of the producer's daughter rendered a little girl. "Rapper" made a rapper. In a level with a cat stuck on a roof, "Superhero" just stood there with his cape. But "Ladder" let Maxwell rescue the feline. "DS" didn't work. But "Video Game" got me a Gameboy-looking thing.
Scribblenauts ships this fall from developer 5th Cell and publisher Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment. So far, the game works. Next time we check this game out, readers, we'll need a word list from you.