Lots of Scribblenauts Unlimited details

The August 2012 issue of Nintendo Power contains lots and lots of Scribblenauts Unlimited details. I’ve been meaning to write up a summary of the article for awhile now, but I was reminded once again to do so with the news concerning the magazine’s closure.

In any case, you can find a comprehensive transcript of the details after the break.

General

– Players will learn about Maxwell’s motivations and how he got ahold of his notebook
– Super Scribblenauts let you choose between controlling Max by switching between button and touchscreen controls in a menu
– In Scribblenauts Unlimited, the GamePad lets you use either method at any time
– More onscreen objects thanks to the power of Wii U
– Super Scribblenauts let you have 12 items at once; Scribblenauts Unlimited lets you have around 60
– More realistic water
– New shaders, cool particle effects, and more

Controls

– Analog stick: move Maxwell
– D-pad: cycle through on-screen objects
– Touchscreen: shows same content on TV; lets you write words, interact with objects, aim weapons; move Maxwell and the camera if you wish
– B: jump
– A: action
– X: go through doors
– ZR: zoom in
– ZL: zoom out

Gameplay

– In co-op, one player Wii controls Maxwell and his notebook
– Up to three others can join in with Wiimotes at anytime
– They can take the reins of any object that has been produced
– Game is divided into 30-40 large interconnected themed worlds
– 5th Cell still determining the final number
– Each is fully explorable and has multiple objectives
– Areas include Hyphen Heights, the Metaforest, Underscore Mine, and The Saurus Park
– You can use each area as a sandbox
– Anything you make or events that occur will still be there if you leave and come back later
– Worlds are populated with NPCs
– NPCs usually have quests
– Complete a quest, earn Starites or Starite shards
– 10 shards make a Starite
– Quests that give you shards are typically quick and simple
– Ex: lawn may need to be trimmed, tyrannosaurus needs food dislodged from its throat, child has lost its toy
– Each challenge has many solutions
– Full Starite challenges are longer and more complex, similar to previous Scribblenauts games
– Allosaurus on the Loose mission: bring a person capable of tracking a dinosaur, give him a tool to help him find his prey, place something in the cage to entice the dinosaur, provide a distraction to get the dinosaur’s attention, and then find a way to make it sleep once it has worn itself out
– Date Night mission: help a young man look presentable, hook him up with a gift and transportation, establish a romantic mood, and help the couple with their wedding after the man proposes
– Find quests naturally by interacting with NPCs
– Can also use the Starite View
– This points out the NPCs that have missions for you
– 60 Starite tasks
– 400+ shard quests

Object editor

– Object editor lets you start with any object you want
– Alter it by changing its colors, scaling or rotating its various parts, adding textures, and combining it with other objects (applied in the form of stamps)
– Once your object is actually made, you can determine its behavior with the same scripting tools that programmers use to dictate the actions of regular objects in the game
– Can program your object so it behaves in specific ways when certain events occur
– Give your object a unique name
– Write to conjure the object later
– Upload your object to an online server and share it with friends
– There will be Miiverse integration and multiple search filters to help find and share the type of objects you’re interested in

Story

– Maxwell has a twin sister named Lily and 40 brothers
– Maxwell’s parents are Edgar and Julie
– Both were explorers before settling down and having kids
– Each child was given a special magical gift they acquired on their travels
– Lily received a globe that let her instantly visit anywhere in the world
– Max was given a notebook that allowed him to create anything simply by writing it
– Having these powers made the children a bit spoiled
– Max one day decided to play a trick on a hungry beggar by conjuring and feeding him a rotten apple
– After eating the apple, the beggar revealed that he had magical powers
– He retaliated by putting a curse on Lily that caused her to start turning to stone
– Starites are the only things that can prevent the curse from overtaking Lily completely
– You can only receive Starites by earning people’s gratitude
– Max dedicates himself to good and sets out on a quest to travel the world and collect enough Starites to make things right
– Max uses Lily’s globe to travel
– Players will encounter Max’s brothers while exploring
– Complete their missions to unlock them as playable characters
– Their magical gifts aren’t discussed in the game

Words

– Can use adjectives while making objects
– Adjectives bring about strategic elements
– Ex: slip by a dragon by making it sleepy, causing it to be harmless
– New and updated words
– Can make an arcade game and give it a retro-pixelated look
– A handheld video game makes the graphics pixelated and seaweed green like the original Game Boy
– Max and NPCs can be equipped with with different outfits including a hot dog suit, frog suit. hamburger suit, tanuki suit that lets you fly
– Choose to make your creations male or female for the first time
– Can make a female Abraham Lincoln or female grandpa