Bookworm Adventures
Doesn’t sound like much of a game title, does it? Bookworm Adventures? Boooring.
Actually, that’s not the case. Bookworm Adventures is an addictive wee game developed by Oberon Media and Popcap Games and available from zone.msn.com for $19.95 or as little as $6.95 if you’re on one of the MSN Games Discount Program. Want to try before you buy? Download a free trial and have a look-see.
Gameplay
The aim of the game is fairly straightforward. Beat up the bad guys… by spelling words with the letter tiles provided on the 4×4 board beneath the battle. The longer the word, or the harder (as in, using difficult letters like x and z) the more damage dished out to your opponent. As you progress through the game your damage and health increases, you pick up objects that can give you advantages in certain areas and you earn different colored ‘jewel tiles’ that boost damage and dish out other benefits when used.
Smashed 'em, bro!
You play Lex, a green bookworm in the Great Library, called into action when Cassandra the Oracle, a famous figure of Greek mythology, sends a message through a book. She’s in trouble. Fortunately, Professor Codex, the guardian of the Great Library, has a magic pen that can transport Lex into the pages of the book so he can effect a rescue.
And so he does, or will do, with your help, across three different books, fighting a multitude of literary and historical figures, from Alexander the Great to Dracula.
The game is challenging, particularly as you begin to face higher level opponents. The majority of the game is turn-based, meaning you take a turn to spell a word and attack your opponent, then — if they’re still standing — it’s their turn. If you die you don’t have to start over completely; you just need to redo the level that you died on. At the end of each level there are bosses to battle against.
Within the game, at certain points in your journey you have the opportunity to play mini spelling games against a friendly opponent who rewards you with potions and jeweled tiles. The better you do the more you get. These little games are just as fun and challenging as the main game.
Technical
The graphics are excellent, as is the sound. The animations of Lex delivering a knockout blow are especially good. There’s a fair amount of humor throughout the game too.
There’s no multiplayer option, but there is a host of un-lockable features as you progress, including mini spelling games and, once the main game is completed, an arena battleground where you fight all the bosses you’ve faced. This is not turn-based, but time based. You have a certain amount of time to spell a word (or lots of words) before your opponent attacks. Rinse and repeat until you win, then it’s onto the next one.
An educational game that’s fun to play, and just as fun if you’re already educated.
There are other downloadable add-ons to the game, though none near as large and complex as the first. There are three, which are each chapters in an on-going saga. These will be reviewed all together at a later stage.
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Kick butt — with words. The bigger the better. Work that vocabulary | ||||
Game: Bookworm Adventures | Developer: Popcap Games