Scrabtastic!!!
Written: Jul 11 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Options, options, options, and fast games (no more waiting for Aunt Bea)
Cons: None, really
The Bottom Line: If you like Scrabble, and find yourself often without a willing playing partner, grab this game. It is cheap and the play is fast.
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| choppyburn4's Full Review: Scrabble for Windows |
Think of it this way: A popular board game, on your computer, with opponents waiting at all times for you to choose to play them at your whim, and they don't take 10 years to put down a word only to get 6 points for the word "case". That is what you get with Scrabble for Windows. The closest thing to board game heaven since Monopoly itself.
The setup of the game is easy. Pop the CD in, and Microsoft takes you through the installation. You know the procedure: click next, click next, click yes, and you are ready to play. (But beware: On our computer at home, you can only play in 256 color mode, which can be changed under "My Computer", Display)
Entering the game's main page, you are given the option to play with anywhere from 1-4 human OR computer opponents. There is also an option for playing online, which I have not utilized. You can choose the level of skill of your computer opponent. So, for example, I may choose to play by myself against a computer opponent with a skill level of "intermediate". The skill levels range from novice to expert, or whatever they call expert.
Inside the game is when the fun begins. Features that you would normally have with the board game are all here in the computer version. You can shuffle your letters, pass your turn (if you end up with 4 A's and 3 E's), or exchange your letters (which I would do in the preceding situation).
The graphics are not overly important for a game like this, but are very adequate. You can choose different backgrounds, such as a cityscape, which appear behind the game board. There are some neat special effects, too. For example, if you put down a gibberish word, it is challenged by the computer, and your word vanishes from the board. (At this point, you put down "and", curse, and move on with the game).
Scrabble for Windows also features some important guides. The word lister option allows you to see ALL, and I mean ALL, the words that your letters can make. The "Hint" option gives you top scoring words from your letters and tells you where to place them on the board. Some would call using these features "cheating", which it is, but if you want to become better at the game and beat your aunt Bea on the real board at the next Christmas gathering, the feature can come in handy. Other features in the guides section are: Tiles remaining (number and type), along with a full game recap, which is an in-depth look at how long the player took for a particular turn, what they put down, the score, and the capital of all the former Soviet-bloc nations.
MORE FEATURES: A dictionary helps you define asinine words that the expert computer places down and you say "if that is a word, I will smash this computer with a sledgehammer". Most of the time, you will have to go get the hammer.
Tile information tells you all the values and quantity of the different letters, good for a refresher or for a beginner unfamiliar with the game.
A high scores list will keep you going after your mom's score, like it did for me this summer when I returned from college. I played for 2 and a half hours, beating her score, and then trying to top 400.
The help section gives important information concerning rules, the object of the game, and other pertinent information.
Perks of the game:
Automatic scoring- No multiplying the triple letter score for you! This speeds up the game considerably.
Another game quickener is the fast play of computer opponents, who after your turn, immediately put down their word. No more waiting 30 minutes for Aunt Bea to find the perfect place for "case". (OOOHH, you got 9 instead of 7. BRAVO!!!!!!!!)
Another great feature- The addictive nature of the game. I find this to be an important feature of a good video game. Once you start, it is hard to stop, especially with those high scores staring you in the eye.
Thriftiness- This game can probably be found for $10 or less in a retail store and for even less on eBay.
If you are in the mood for a board game such as Scrabble, when the urge hits, this game will not disappoint. All of the features serve to enhance the game's fun factor, and the Windows version is a suitable alternative to a Scrabble addict without a regular playing partner. I have not tried playing with a friend or family member, however, and could see possible problems in concealing letters in a multiple player game. But I imagine that could be overcome with all the great features in this game!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
choppyburn4
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Location: ND
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 4 members
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