Scrabble's enduring popularity in one form or another over the past 70-something years is testament to the power of The Word. Everyone uses them - some better (and more) than others - and most folks would prefer to increase their word power, or at least learn how to spell correctly. And so it is that we are once again presented with a portable version of the electronic game that we all know and love so well. Scrabble 2009 has one or two novel little deviations from the norm courtesy of devel ... more >>

Scrabble's enduring popularity in one form or another over the past 70-something years is testament to the power of The Word. Everyone uses them - some better (and more) than others - and most folks would prefer to increase their word power, or at least learn how to spell correctly. And so it is that we are once again presented with a portable version of the electronic game that we all know and love so well. Scrabble 2009 has one or two novel little deviations from the norm courtesy of developer Wizarbox, detailed below.

To start with, there is the original board-type game, wherein you have seven tiles per player, and are charged with scoring as many points as possible by creating a word with said tiles, along with any other letters that may already be on the board. You have the choice of playing against up to three other human opponents or the game's AI. Going up against the game itself can be tailored to your gaming needs and abilities: as a beginner, you go up against a more forgiving opponent, whereas the more experienced a player you become, the higher you can raise the AI for more of a challenge.

There are some brand new features for Scrabble 2009 in the guise of mini games too. These include a Poker-style Hold 'em game, in which you bet against your opponents on the best word you can come up with, and the Tempest variation, a game where you can change the rules as you play! << less