I'm not sure what I was going for with this blog title, but it's too late to change it now! I'm committed!
Seems like I was just half-right last night. Kotaku was planning on multiple attempts to solve one level, but it was just one guy, and he attempted it 16 times before he actually won.
The level, as discussed, was 1-11, and you can find a detailed account of his exploits here. Don't expect any videos or screenshots, though, as you won't find any.
Now you might be thinking to yourself, "Wow, 16 attempts? Have we finally found a level that's hard?" Well, not really, no. The level, which involves killing some bees and fish on your way towards flowery conquest, really is not hard at all. We've seen a bunch of videos of people solving it in pretty simple and typical ways.
The difference here is that the previewer documented EVERY attempt, including failed attempts where he was just getting a feel for the system. For instance, it seems like he didn't know you could drag your creations into the trash to get rid of them. In 4 attempts he tried to kill a bear he spawned instead of simply trashing him. Perhaps, though, you cannot get rid of hostile creatures that easily?
It's a very "real" account of a level, something you yourself might do if you're trying to figure out how the engine and such operates. I won't quote it verbatim but I will grab some interesting tidbits that are in it:
-Bear traps are in, seemingly work as expected, but the bear broke out of it!
-Exterminators are armed and able to kill insects on their own. Neat!
-You can fish successfully, though it seems fish are still alive and angry once they're on land
-Guns seem to disappear after use. Not entirely confirmed on this one, but we've seen bazookas disappear after only one shot, and I have a feeling that might extend to all weapons. Hmm
-Bullets can ricochet? No way! I can't believe the system is that advanced. I'm guessing it just fired the wrong direction...?
-It's really easy to destroy a flower, which fails the level. Go figure, eh?
-Beekeepers flee from bees (doh) and the fisherman couldn't fish (though perhaps he was just afraid?), which is kinda lame
-Throwing corpses to distract a piranha sounds hilarious and awesome
All in all a good read, I'd say. Don't go thinking this is a typical way to solve the level, though. Once you get a grasp on the game engine and controls you could probably beat this level in just a couple of items and probably a single try
However, it is a good look at a real gamer playing the game for the first time, and it's great in the way of experimenting. Also, it makes for an entertaining read, so make sure you check it out.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Could Kotaku be planning a contest of their own?
The stars themselves point to "probably".
This video was updated on YouTube today:
Followed by this description:
"Fly-through of Scribblenauts level, to accompany write-up on the game that will run on Kotaku"
It seems like it's possible Kotaku will be running a similar contest to Edge and Joystiq, where they have the community try to solve a level. Their level of choice is 1-11, in which you must traverse a few obstacles in order to collect flowers.
This story itself might not be newsworthy, but as we've we seen from both the Edge and Joystiq videos, contests like this are a GREAT way for the community to test the limits of the game without actually having it in their hands. Let's hope it is what we think it is!
This video was updated on YouTube today:
Followed by this description:
"Fly-through of Scribblenauts level, to accompany write-up on the game that will run on Kotaku"
It seems like it's possible Kotaku will be running a similar contest to Edge and Joystiq, where they have the community try to solve a level. Their level of choice is 1-11, in which you must traverse a few obstacles in order to collect flowers.
This story itself might not be newsworthy, but as we've we seen from both the Edge and Joystiq videos, contests like this are a GREAT way for the community to test the limits of the game without actually having it in their hands. Let's hope it is what we think it is!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Joystiq challenge...the results! [Last update]
Super Final Update: Yet again Jackson over at GAF clears some things up.
It would seem nothing nefarious was going on. You'll also notice the rather snarky message Joystiq left behind is also gone. I have a feeling there was some mixup here and that perhaps not everyone knew what was going on.
Regardless, now that we know that we should be able to get the video on YouTube and put it back into the post!
Did you enter the Joystiq Challenge I mentioned last week? If you didn't, it's a bit late now, as it's over and they have composed a video of some of their favorite solutions. You can check it out below. Like the IGN solutions I'll also grade them based off of creativity and intelligence. It makes it a bit more entertaining then simply repeating everything said in the video.
Black hole: Pretty hilarious solution, in both its execution and its simplicity. Despite being creative I'd say it's not very original, so I gotta dock some points for that. Overall? 8/10. Good start!
Bull and red flag: A great and original idea, though the previewer didn't give it the love it should have gotten. We do get proof that despite the fact the flag was red and yellow, the bull knew enough to attack it. Pretty awesome. I'd be interested to try this solution with other red items, like an apple. Points for creativity, despite failing! 9/10
Grenade: Heh, I really like this one. It's simple and to the point and it looked pretty cool as well despite killing the girl. Or, perhaps, BECAUSE it killed the girl...hehe. 9/10
Steak Baby: I'm not sure what the original suggestion was, but I doubt he wanted to attach it with rope. The previewer should have used glue! We do get "confirmation" that lions can and will eat babies attached to steak. Which, uh, I guess is what we've all been waiting for. It didn't work, but it was entertaining enough. 10/10
Termite: Eh. Not very original (we've seen that solution used wherever there is wood), but it worked quickly and easily. 6/10
Flamethrower: Similar to that of termite. We've seen that suggestion a lot. Not too impressed by it. Apparently fire destroys glass, which is neat. 4/10
Horse and Mallet: I really like this idea, but I think we're all sort of understanding the limitations of the system. Things might mess up and not pan out depending on how the game interprets your command. This could have been a pretty cool solution if the previewer did it over correctly, but unfortunately it's left as a reminder that we shouldn't be thinking this game is the second coming of Christ. 10/10 for the idea alone
Elephant and Mouse: Yet another solution held back by the system. Getting a bit discouraged here! Not sure why it didn't work, as it was a fantastic idea. It seemed perhaps one bottle didn't fully make it off, and when he went to ride the elephant he got too close. Pretty lame. 15/10 for the solution itself because it really was great.
Now it may come as no surprise to you that this was the same guy in the Joystiq podcast I mentioned last week who had some pretty negative things to say. After watching him going through this video I'm inclined to agree his complaints might have some merits.
We can tell some of the failures were clearly his fault. But others? That was the game not cooperating with our imaginations. We cannot fault the game for that because it'd be an impossible task to make it work like everyone wants it to.
But it's easy to hype this game as having infinite solutions when it most certainly will not. You might have solutions fail that should have worked, but due to a glitch in the engine it messes it all up. That WILL happen, and it might happen a lot depending on your playstyle.
I think at the end he got it right: the game will reward you for being creative. It will not reward you for being convoluted. We should all probably dial back out hype and expectations lest we get burned by them.
It was taken down because Joystiq showed too much straight footage which every other site (including Joystiq) agreed to show much less than that. So it gave them something unfair over all other sites that got the preview build. So WB was trying to be fair and told them to take it down.
Conspiracy theorists ftl?
I've watched the video, I didn't see anything "disappointing". The bull went after the red flag.
The elephant clearly and obviously didn't knock all the bottles off the stand, he should have moved it. The dude sucks at using rope. And then maxwell rode the elephant which made him "cheat" by getting to close and knocking them down himself
Almost every solution worked... that should work.
It would seem nothing nefarious was going on. You'll also notice the rather snarky message Joystiq left behind is also gone. I have a feeling there was some mixup here and that perhaps not everyone knew what was going on.
Regardless, now that we know that we should be able to get the video on YouTube and put it back into the post!
Did you enter the Joystiq Challenge I mentioned last week? If you didn't, it's a bit late now, as it's over and they have composed a video of some of their favorite solutions. You can check it out below. Like the IGN solutions I'll also grade them based off of creativity and intelligence. It makes it a bit more entertaining then simply repeating everything said in the video.
Black hole: Pretty hilarious solution, in both its execution and its simplicity. Despite being creative I'd say it's not very original, so I gotta dock some points for that. Overall? 8/10. Good start!
Bull and red flag: A great and original idea, though the previewer didn't give it the love it should have gotten. We do get proof that despite the fact the flag was red and yellow, the bull knew enough to attack it. Pretty awesome. I'd be interested to try this solution with other red items, like an apple. Points for creativity, despite failing! 9/10
Grenade: Heh, I really like this one. It's simple and to the point and it looked pretty cool as well despite killing the girl. Or, perhaps, BECAUSE it killed the girl...hehe. 9/10
Steak Baby: I'm not sure what the original suggestion was, but I doubt he wanted to attach it with rope. The previewer should have used glue! We do get "confirmation" that lions can and will eat babies attached to steak. Which, uh, I guess is what we've all been waiting for. It didn't work, but it was entertaining enough. 10/10
Termite: Eh. Not very original (we've seen that solution used wherever there is wood), but it worked quickly and easily. 6/10
Flamethrower: Similar to that of termite. We've seen that suggestion a lot. Not too impressed by it. Apparently fire destroys glass, which is neat. 4/10
Horse and Mallet: I really like this idea, but I think we're all sort of understanding the limitations of the system. Things might mess up and not pan out depending on how the game interprets your command. This could have been a pretty cool solution if the previewer did it over correctly, but unfortunately it's left as a reminder that we shouldn't be thinking this game is the second coming of Christ. 10/10 for the idea alone
Elephant and Mouse: Yet another solution held back by the system. Getting a bit discouraged here! Not sure why it didn't work, as it was a fantastic idea. It seemed perhaps one bottle didn't fully make it off, and when he went to ride the elephant he got too close. Pretty lame. 15/10 for the solution itself because it really was great.
Now it may come as no surprise to you that this was the same guy in the Joystiq podcast I mentioned last week who had some pretty negative things to say. After watching him going through this video I'm inclined to agree his complaints might have some merits.
We can tell some of the failures were clearly his fault. But others? That was the game not cooperating with our imaginations. We cannot fault the game for that because it'd be an impossible task to make it work like everyone wants it to.
But it's easy to hype this game as having infinite solutions when it most certainly will not. You might have solutions fail that should have worked, but due to a glitch in the engine it messes it all up. That WILL happen, and it might happen a lot depending on your playstyle.
I think at the end he got it right: the game will reward you for being creative. It will not reward you for being convoluted. We should all probably dial back out hype and expectations lest we get burned by them.
Would Scribblenauts make you buy a DS?
It's not exactly a big secret I try to follow any discussions around the internet involving Scribblenauts. One site in particular, Twitter, allows me to follow both gamers and game journalists alike. Indeed, if you haven't already, you should follow me on Twitter right here ;)
Lately I've been noticing a trend: people are already calling for a port of the game. It surprises me the amount of people who seem to say, "I hope they bring it to _________ because I don't want to shell out the money for a DS!" The most common desire is an iPhone port, though a PC port is a close 2nd. Some even want to see it as an XBLA game, though I wonder just how well that would work.
On the opposite side of the fence are people claiming they're buying a DS JUST for this game. This is quite impressive given Scribblenauts is 3rd party. Typically it's the 1st party exclusive games that push actual systems. Further, the DS has been around for a long time and has an insane install base. The fact Scribblenauts can push even deeper is something Nintendo should be very aware of.
So my question is this: Let's pretend you don't have a DS (and if you don't, then you're already done!). Would Scribblenauts convince you enough to buy a $100+ DS? Would you hold out until you knew of other games you might like? Are you more likely to wait for the game to come out on a console you already own?
This is just an informal brain picking so feel free to just leave some comments at the end of this post.
Lately I've been noticing a trend: people are already calling for a port of the game. It surprises me the amount of people who seem to say, "I hope they bring it to _________ because I don't want to shell out the money for a DS!" The most common desire is an iPhone port, though a PC port is a close 2nd. Some even want to see it as an XBLA game, though I wonder just how well that would work.
On the opposite side of the fence are people claiming they're buying a DS JUST for this game. This is quite impressive given Scribblenauts is 3rd party. Typically it's the 1st party exclusive games that push actual systems. Further, the DS has been around for a long time and has an insane install base. The fact Scribblenauts can push even deeper is something Nintendo should be very aware of.
So my question is this: Let's pretend you don't have a DS (and if you don't, then you're already done!). Would Scribblenauts convince you enough to buy a $100+ DS? Would you hold out until you knew of other games you might like? Are you more likely to wait for the game to come out on a console you already own?
This is just an informal brain picking so feel free to just leave some comments at the end of this post.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Delayed trip!
I mentioned earlier today I was leaving on a camping trip. Well, that's not happening now, as I don't feel very well and have decided to take a rain check. It's been postponed to Thursday.
New preview of the "near final" build
This one is courtesy of Vooks. You can check the article here. I'm in a bit of a rush this morning (due to the camping trip) so my highlights section might be a little sparse. Make sure to read the preview yourself to make sure I didn't miss anything!
Highlights
-Another confirmation that corpse + electricity = zombie. Hell yeah. I can't have that confirmed ENOUGH!
-Portal Gun does NOT exist, but rather, spawns a normal gun
-Beam Sword just produced a normal sword
-Rainbow is in as a background object (of course), though Pot of Gold only spawns a gold bar
-Puma, Lightbulb, Turnpike are in.
-On average you can spawn about 8-9 items at once
-President, Prime Minister, and Official all spawn the same object. We also know Democrat and Republican ALSO point to the president model, making for at least 5 words to 1 object
-Nuke kills everything and anything, even in sandbox mode. "Epic Fail" also spawns a nuke. "lol wut" seems to spawn a giant Maxwell head that you can wear...gonna have to see that one in action!
-Scribblenaut produces another mascot like Maxwell, and "Maxwell" produces another Maxwell with a palette swap
-Overall it was a pretty positive preview
Highlights
-Another confirmation that corpse + electricity = zombie. Hell yeah. I can't have that confirmed ENOUGH!
-Portal Gun does NOT exist, but rather, spawns a normal gun
-Beam Sword just produced a normal sword
-Rainbow is in as a background object (of course), though Pot of Gold only spawns a gold bar
-Puma, Lightbulb, Turnpike are in.
-On average you can spawn about 8-9 items at once
-President, Prime Minister, and Official all spawn the same object. We also know Democrat and Republican ALSO point to the president model, making for at least 5 words to 1 object
-Nuke kills everything and anything, even in sandbox mode. "Epic Fail" also spawns a nuke. "lol wut" seems to spawn a giant Maxwell head that you can wear...gonna have to see that one in action!
-Scribblenaut produces another mascot like Maxwell, and "Maxwell" produces another Maxwell with a palette swap
-Overall it was a pretty positive preview
German video shows new level. Also, site news!
Thanks to SmellyWaffles of NeoGAF for finding this one. The video is entirely in German and contains 2 levels we've already seen. However, it also contains what we can assume is the puzzle level of World 10 that was included in the preview build. Remember, the preview build contained 1 puzzle and 1 action level from each world 2-10, and we've already seen the action level of world 10, which was the "suspended over lava" level.
Check it out
Got a couple of things worth mentioning here. First, I love his solution to that "collect the flowers" level. I would have never thought to use "Island" to cross the water, yet it seems so obvious! I also like he used a bird - natural enemy of both insects and fish - to kill the bee and piranha.
Of real note is the level we saw only a fleeting glimpse of: the prison level of world 10. We can infer it's a puzzle level, and it would seem a bunch of convicts have escaped prison and you have to help some police officers in stopping them. It also looks like you'll have to rescue some civilians and break down some barricades. It looks like a really involved and cool looking level.
As for site news, I'll be leaving for a camping trip sometime this afternoon, and I won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday. This is unfortunate as it seems a good deal of Scribblenews will be coming out this week, with at least Joystiq and 1Up releasing new videos. Still, I have faith in my two fellow contributors to pick up my slack.
But if you're wondering where I am, don't worry. I didn't quit again ;)
Check it out
Got a couple of things worth mentioning here. First, I love his solution to that "collect the flowers" level. I would have never thought to use "Island" to cross the water, yet it seems so obvious! I also like he used a bird - natural enemy of both insects and fish - to kill the bee and piranha.
Of real note is the level we saw only a fleeting glimpse of: the prison level of world 10. We can infer it's a puzzle level, and it would seem a bunch of convicts have escaped prison and you have to help some police officers in stopping them. It also looks like you'll have to rescue some civilians and break down some barricades. It looks like a really involved and cool looking level.
As for site news, I'll be leaving for a camping trip sometime this afternoon, and I won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday. This is unfortunate as it seems a good deal of Scribblenews will be coming out this week, with at least Joystiq and 1Up releasing new videos. Still, I have faith in my two fellow contributors to pick up my slack.
But if you're wondering where I am, don't worry. I didn't quit again ;)
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