Yesterday I bought two games for the DS, and due to my habit of always beginning with the game I think I'll like the least, I decided to try out Scribblenaughts before Mario and Luigi's inside story (First Impressions for that one is probably coming tomorrow). Also, after watching Beauty and the Beast the other day and for some strange reason not enjoying it as much as the sequel, I tried without luck to find the sequel on YouTube. When I failed, I suddenly got an impulse to check out a Japanise anime series I read about some months ago. The series is called "Romeo X Juliet". Anyways, let's begin with my Scribblenauts impression.

The first thing that struck my mind, was how clumsy the control scheme felt, and as I completed the tutorial and world 1 and 2, this is one of my biggest issues. Also, since my styIus is pretty well-used, I have some problems tapping small objects, which can be frustrating when I'm attacked by a bee and am trying to tap it to shoot it. It is also very annoying when at one level I tried to shoot a security camera, but missed, and thus Maxwell walked towards that spot, and straight into the security guard.

One more thing that bugged me, is that the items you summon forth doesn't always act logically. On one level I was supposed to kill some rats but not hurt the dog. I thought it would be a good idea to call forth a cat. If it managed to kill the rat before the dog killed it, I would have achieved what I was supposed to. However the cat neither attacked the rat nor was attacked by the dog. I also found that using bugspray on a bee is completely ineffective, which I don't quite understand.

The puzzle levels strike me as very dull. Some of them are way two obvious. I mean, you have three kids in haloween costumes and the hint is "trick or treat". Of course you give them a candy. The action levels are way more fun, and this is where I can see the charm of the game. It really is fun to try to get the star in creative ways, and I also find some of the most illogical interractions to be so hilarious that they actually add to the experience.

On to Romeo X Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a story that never really appealed to me the way it has appealed to the rest of the world for tenths of generations. As you might remember from my Hunchback of Notre Dame blog, I said I prefer the tales of Kafei and Anju over Shakespeares master piece. A lot of it is due to the fact that I don't believe in love on first sight. Maybe the reason why the anime series suddenly captures me so much, is that I resently got a major crush, and now I can suddenly identify with the characters more. I understand what it is like to have a person on your mind the whole time, feel like that person is the most important part of your life,and know that you can't be with that person. Suddenly I'm engaged in the story like never before.

Romeo X Juliet is set in a more RPG-esque environment. The city is called Neo Verone, and there are flying horses there for some reason. There is also major changes to the plot line. The Capilets used to rule the city until one day the Montagues invaded their castle, and only one person was rescued, the two-years-old girl Juliet. As she grows up, she is told by her family to dress like a boy, and everyone calls her Odin. Whenever she asks a question, they reply that she will know everything on her sixteenth birthday - which is fast approaching at the start of the series. Juliet is not allowed to go into town without premission, but she sneaks out frequently, dressed up in crimson red, and fight against injustice. She is known on the streets as the Crimson Whirlwind.

It is fascinating how they spice the old story up with more action. It also leads to more character development than in the original script. One of my problems with the old masterpiece, is that the only impression I get of the star crossed lovers is that they are beautiful and poetic. Juliet's eager to fight against the nobles' actions against the poor makes her a much more interesting character. After having seen two episodes, I can't wait to see how the story develops.

As for animations, the combat looks very RPG, however there aren't as many people with too crazy hairstyIes/haircolours. They have done a marvelous job when it comes to hair animations, and the way clothes move in the wind, and all in all I find the graphics good, though the colours are rather boring at times. The onlysmall complaint I have, is that when the characters are taken aback, they reactin a veryexxagerated way (not as exxagerated as in Pokemon, but still). The surprised sounds they make and the spastic movements just make me roll my eyes, but the fact that that's the worst thing Ican say about the series, is a good sign.You owe it to yourself to check this series out if you haven't already.