App Review: EA's Scrabble
MANILA, Philippines - In this cyberspace age when classic sounds like jurassic, EA brings to life a game that has been well loved before the internet boom.
For the pre-internet babies, Scrabble rings a bell. For the Candy Crush kids, Scrabble is a board game where you have to outpoint and outwit two to three opponents by making a word out of lettered tiles that have corresponding points.
No need for a physical board that is twice the size of an iPad. No need to bring out and count the piles of tiles if they're complete.
EA has turned your mobile phones and tablets into a virtual board where you can enjoy the classic game with your friends or random opponents online.
"Scrabble is for everyone," Alison Manel, EA's Scrabble product manager, said in an email to Philstar.com. "As long as you know how to spell, you can play.
EA's Scrabble app is free but there's a paid version which offers single player mode and zero 'annoying' ads.
I've downloaded both the free and premium versions and found little difference since I'm used to playing with ads popping out from time to time. And besides, who wants to play against the computer if you can always play online against your friends or random opponents. But the choice will ultimately depend on your preference.
The Look
You can customize your board and tiles with either the classic design for nostalgia or the modern look. EA has made sure that the virtual board is user-friendly with the players nicely perched on top and the options buttons down low.
The Game
Manel told Philstar.com that this app stayed true to the game.
"It's true to the Scrabble rules, and brand," Manel said.
One of the benefits of playing the game virtually is the fact that you can play anywhere and anytime you want. Plus, there's an option to play multiple games if your opponent/s are too busy to play their turn right away.
You can either log-in with your Facebook and Origin accounts to play with your friends or challenge a random opponent online or for those who paid for the premium version, play against the computer. You can also play it with just one device and pass around to your friends who are physically present.
Virtually, you can interact with your opponents thru a popped out chat box (just prick the thought bubble besides your opponent's name) that comes with special Scrabble emoticons. But I found out that this is only applicable when playing against FB or Origin friends and not on random opponents.
Two of the best features that stood out for me are the dictionary and teacher functions.
With the dictionary, you can always check if you have the correct word in mind before playing your turn.
The teacher function, meanwhile, can help you learn more words that earn more points compared to your latest move which can come in handy in the future.
With that being said, I've played the game against random opponents and have yet to lose a single game. I've tried to play against my Facebook friends but unfortunately, either no one has the gull to compete against me or they're too busy to play.
But don't get annoyed when your opponent/s don't play their turn. You can nudge them for the next 48 hours and if they still fail to make a move, you can force them to quit beyond that time limit to claim the win while the loss will be counted in their record.
Overall, this classic board game is a good app especially for those who are bored and want to challenge or sharpen their mastery of words.
EA has done a great job at staying true to the game.
Click the image on the right to download the SCRABBLETM App for FREE!
