I will give Hasbro Interactive a lot of credit. It seems that every one of their computer adaptations of board games seems to make you want to play it on the computer rather than with the actual board itself. Scrabble is no different.

The game itself is set up exactly like the board game w/ the objective being to score the most points which are earned by creating words in the Scrabble dictionary out of tiles on the board. The game board itself also includes premium tiles which can add to the score.

This version allows for up to 4 players. You have the ability to play against the computer or a remote opponent either on another part of a network or in MSN's Gaming Zone. The computer itself (called MAVEN) has 5 varying degrees of difficulty.

In the gameplay mode you have the ability to play a word, pass, shuffle the tiles on your rack to see if you can find a word, or exchange all tiles. You also can ask the computer to give you a hint as to the best word possible out of the tiles on your rack. This can be especially useful at the end of the game if there may be a word that you may not have thought of w/ that stray G or Q tile. You can also ask the computer to define the last word played as well as have the computer show you possibilities of arrangements on your rack. You also can select whether you want to auto-pick the tiles or pick the yourself.

Overall, my typical 2-player games w/ the computer lasted no more than 15 minutes & were always a lot of fun. This game is well designed, easy to learn & fun to play. My favorite thing actually is the end graphic when you choose the quit option. The game board rotates & then explodes before dissolving out as you return to the Windows desk top. This is definitely a keeper for all Scrabble enthusiasts out there.

Recommended: Yes