New IPs are a rarity given the state of the gaming industry. Original ideas are usually pushed to the side in favor of sequel X or remake Y, while a fresh idea or take on a genre is relegated to a downloadable title or indie game. But every once in a while, we'll get a game that is truly original and pushes the idea of what a game is forward. Scribblenauts is one of these titles and is a game that I had the most fun with in a long time.

In Scribblenauts, you play as Maxwell, whose goal is to collect "Starites", little gold stars that are gained by solving puzzles or traversing action levels. You do this by typing or writing nouns into his magic notepad, which then produces the object into the world for your use. At first, this may sound like a flawed system, but the game will literally conjure any noun you can think of, and some internet memes too. This system gives way to your imagination being the only obstacle in your way to solving the puzzles. Anything you can think can be used.

The game is split up into different worlds that feature two sets of levels: Action and Puzzle. Action levels have you traversing the level or obstacle to get the Starite. These usually entail trying to pass a tornado or finding your way through a maze of dirt and steel. Puzzle levels present a puzzle that needs to be solved before the Starite will appear, such as giving a teacher what she is missing or protecting a sandwich from hungry ants. Both types of levels give you a short clue and focus you on a point of interest before the level starts, to help get your brain working on a solution. Sometimes these clues are too vague or do not offer any sort of clarification at all, but with a game this imaginative, you really don't need them.

The solutions are truly endless, and even though that same phrase has been said about a myriad of other games, it really is true in Scribblenauts. I solved one puzzle using a shrink ray, bomb shelter, and black hole all on different occasions. This is where the fun and amazement comes from. Even though you can use one item to solve multiple levels, the true fun comes from going back into that level and trying different items to achieve different outcomes. The game even acknowledges this, barring you from using the same item when you go back into a level, challenging you to find another solution and be creative. I solved another puzzle using a box to hold down a switch, while my girlfriend shouted to use a peacock to hold down that same switch. 

The creativity doesn't stop at your puzzle solutions. The game acts like a giant toy box, providing you the tools to both create your own levels, change your character, or unlock music and extra goodies to play with. You do this with "Ollars", the game's currency which is gained from solving levels in innovative ways or using the least amount of items. You also use Ollars to gain access to new worlds and levels to progress through the game and there is over 200 levels to test your imagination. If you get bored of this, you can even create your own levels and share them over Nintendo WiFi. It's going to be cool to see what new puzzles other plays can come up.

Only technical problems hold Scribblenauts back from true pantheon granting greatness. You control Maxwell by tapping anywhere on the screen, but he'll get caught in items or geography in the level, leading to frustration. It's odd that they didn't allow him to be controlled with the D-pad, which is used for camera. The camera also poses to be a problem and will follow you too closely instead of sticking to where you placed it. The sometimes fickle nature of your items is maddening as well and I would have problems attaching a rope to a box due to the oversensitivity of items or have a character I spawned walk in the opposite direction I needed him too. 

Outside of these technical issues, Scribblenauts still proves to be a fresh and innovative experience. The word recognition system at work here is something that you can't help but be in awe of and the thousands of solutions to the game's puzzles will keep even the wildest of imaginations running in what they can come up with next. Get it, play it, and you can then finally settle the debate if God can beat Cthulu.

Score: A-