The Computer Edition of Scrabble Brand Crossword Game
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Critic Reviews 71% add missing review
Amtix! (83 out of 100) (83%)
Once again, here's one of those games that are so much better on the Joyce. With the precision of the fine pixels everything is laid out in a clear fashion and so there is no confusion about what is happening at all. The game is enjoyable as always and with the addition of the help mode it makes it a great pleasure to play. What appeal this will have i can't guess but it deserves to do well.
Feb 1987 · Amstrad PCWAtari ST User (8 out of 10) (80%)
Scrabble is the perfect game for those evenings when your starfighter has blown a turbo, or the dragon has eaten the princess. Just sit back, relax, and wrap your brain around a more intellectual challenge.
Jun 1988 · Atari ST · read reviewZzap! (70 out of 100) (70%)
Nicely presented conversion of a subject which has obvious limitations.
Nov 1988 · Amiga · read reviewST Action (69 out of 100) (69%)
Scrabble falls neatly into the software catalogue somewhere between Chess and Othello. It is a rather slow, but nevertheless interesting, game. Not being a member of Mensa I didn't know the difference between a double letter score and a triple word score, but if I was in any doubt the computer players certainly weren't! The way the machine manages to make words scoring over fifty is quite beyond me. Still, the hint option came in handy (even if I still didn't get the word.). Scrabble is a fascinating piece of software, very well programmed and very user friendly.
Jun 1988 · Atari ST · read reviewGames Machine, The (UK) (68 out of 100) (68%)
Unlike most boardgames, this loses little in its computer translation - and the 16-bit opponent can prove very tough indeed. If you like word games both conversions should prove very attractive.
Aug 1988 · Atari ST · read reviewASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (7.8 out of 12) (65%)
Negativ ist natĂŒrlich wieder der englische Wortschatz zu bewerten, denn der Computer kann nur englische Worte legen. Vielleicht ist dieser Umstand fĂŒr Englischlernende aber wieder ganz praktisch. Doch wer dies schon gewöhnt ist, sollte sich IBM-Scrabble ruhig einmal anschauen. Zwar macht das Brettspiel viel mehr SpaĂ, aber dort kann man nur mit mehreren Personen spielen, wĂ€hrend man bei der PC-Version nicht auf Mitspieler angewiesen ist. Fazit: Scrabble ist eine gelungene englische (im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes) Umsetzung des populĂ€ren Brettspieles.
Sep 1987 · DOS · read reviewAmiga Joker (63 out of 100) (63%)
Insgesamt ist Computer Scrabble eine sehr solide Brettspielumsetzung, deren einzige SchwÀche im Konzept liegt. Am meisten Spaà macht Scrabble nÀmlich immer noch ohne Computer...
Feb 1991 · Amiga · read reviewPlayer Reviews
The Good
Scrabble is a word-building game, which I got into since I joined a club in my late twenties. A computer version of the game was released by Virgin Mastertronic (under their label Leisure Genius), and it is ideal for playing against up to three computer opponents if you canât find anyone to play with you, or you need more practice to get even with a friend who keeps whipping your ass.
Setting up of the game involves selecting the number of players; these can be up to three humans or computer opponents (each computer opponent can have up to eight skill levels), and if you choose to have the latter, you have to decide whether you want to see the computer thinking. As well as this, you can choose whether or not you want to see all your opponentsâ racks. You will then be presented with a well laid-out screen, showing a colorful Scrabble board, the racks on the right, and a close-up view of your own at the bottom. You can also set a time limit for up to five minutes.
Computer Scrabble is faithful to the board game by Hasbro/Mattel, in which players take turns putting original words down using letters on their tile rack, joining another word already on the board. To gain the significant number of points each turn, they can place words down on certain colored squares. During each play, you can swap tiles, pass, nudge your opponent, and forfeit the game; and see the premium squares and tile distribution.
To place a word, you have to enter it using the available letters on your rack, point to the spot on the board where you want the word to be, and select its orientation (across or down). You will also have the opportunity to take it back if you make a mistake. The game records your score, and the computer checks your word against a vocabulary of over 23,000 words. If the word does not exist, that word is challenged. If it is deemed illegal, you lose your turn. Some words in the vocabulary are obscure and strange, and these include azo, oe, za, azon, topi, os, ka, and zoril. There are also recognized words in the Official Scrabble Playerâs Dictionary.
The Bad
Computer Scrabble fails to recognize certain five-, six-, and seven-letter words such as depart, foray, pebble, pivot, smear, theirs, and trooper. Also, if you are playing with a CPU opponent, it cheats by playing a word that does not even exist and you canât challenge it as there is no option for it in the menu.
The Bottom Line
Although Computer Scrabble is faithful to the real game, it has problems with words beyond four letters and tends to place down non-words that you canât even challenge. Although anyone can enjoy this game, I would question why you would want to buy it in the first place when you can join a Scrabble group. Boasting good graphics, all the actions you can perform in a real game are done through menus. Only buy this game when you are certain that you canât find any friends to play with.
by Katakis | ă«ăżăăč (43062) on Oct 23rd, 2021 · Amiga
Contributors to this Entry
Critic reviews added by Tim Janssen, Jo ST, S Olafsson, Patrick Bregger.