When the first Scribblenauts was about to be released for the Nintendo DS, there was much fanfare and anticipation for a game that supposedly grants a degree of freedom to create anything out of thin air to solve problems. The gameplay did deliver the fun, despite the shortcomings brought on by certain limitations and the intrusive camera. Its sequel, Super Scribblenauts, had tweaks and improvements that made the experience much better. Despite not fulfilling its fullest potential, it was still quite a hit for 5th Cell Media. They’re not trying to replicate that success with Scribblenauts Remix for the iOS.

This does seem like a perfect game for the App Store. It should make good use of the touch screen interface and keep players occupied with lots of puzzles and other levels where they can goof off and put monsters against each other or something. There is just so much to do in Scribblenauts, and this new installment features various improvements that make gameplay even smoother and more fun to play with. Of course, it does become another puzzle game again once the novelty does wear off for the player, but it’s still fun along the way.

As always, the great thing about Scribblenauts is how you can solve problems with almost anything you have in mind. The sheer amount of stuff that you can create from the notepad is just insane, so trial and error is the core of the gameplay. You can try out whatever items you think can help solve the current problem or just incite a few chuckles as you put out house fires with cans of gasoline and sticks of dynamite. This sandbox gameplay did well for the Nintendo DS, and it can definitely work for the iOS.

Also, you get to summon things that are basically your equivalent to a panic button. You can call forth dragons, phoenixes, and even Cthulu from the void to incite chaos. Then there’s the ultimate deus ex machina in the game, which is the black hole. Nothing beats the black hole in this game as it sucks everything up, including your character if you’re not careful. There are also the wings, which you can wear if there are obstacles along the way and you have absolutely no idea how to cross them. Of course, it’s better if you find other solutions as you can unlock achievements and such. But if you’re cornered and stomped, it’s nice to know that you can just go crazy and use the cheesy items.

It must be noted that the flaw with this series has always been the adjective system in that it has a lot of ambiguity. Whether you have to use a verb in its present, past, or present participle tense to use as an adjective is not uniform at all due to the nature of the English language. This flaw is not entirely the fault of the game or the developers, but it’s from how head-scratching our language is. Perhaps it does add more fun to Scribblenauts in the end, so no need to fret unless you’re going for those first time achievements.

If you want a game with plenty of possibilities, then this game should definitely fit your bill. It’s a little pricey, but it’s very much worth the money you spend on it due to the sheer amount of possibilities available in the game.