Merriam Webster's Spell Jam

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Merriam Webster's Spell Jam

by Amanda Nettgen
(USA)

Click here to download Merriam Webster's Spell Jam on a FREE 1hr trial from BigFish!

Game:
Merriam-Webster's Spell-Jam
Download it from:
Big Fish Games (1hr trial)
Footprint score:
3/5

Quick verdict

There's a fair chance that if you rate word games as your favorite category for PC play, you aren't too shabby when it comes to grammar, either. Merriam-Webster of dictionary fame invites all people who are good with words to participate in a sort of spelling game show.

What's it about?

Although the graphics give this game more of a kiddie feel, the words contained in Merriam-Webster's Spell-Jam are definitely not for the elementary set. You can select from Game Show, Competition or Practice modes when you get to the futuristic menu screen.

Game Show is of course the main mode and where you'll probably find yourself the most when flying solo.

You start by picking your character from a handful of boys and girls; it really doesn't matter who you choose, as all male avatars share the same voice box, and so do the females. Next you'll be prompted with your difficulty level: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. I recommend playing all three in time for challenges old and new.

Once you've hit the stage, the setup is as follows. To the left are your newscaster hosts, along with your round stats and money meter. In the middle lies your entry area and click-keyboard (although you can still use your actual keyboard for speed).

Also here are the options of repeating a word, getting its definition, having it in a sentence, and obtaining the origin. To the right stands your cute self and with you, a series of limited helpers.

Click here to download Merriam-Webster's SpellJam on a

FREE 1hr trial from BigFish!

The hosts alternate uttering an American word for you to spell. You must do as well as you can to proceed through the levels and climb the tiers of rounds. After each set of ten spellings, progress is saved so that when you run out of resources and right answers, you’re only reset to the beginning of your last successful cycle.

In Game Show there are ten rounds (100 words) in all, but don't feel bad if you never make it to the end. It's an enriching experience for your mind.

Pros and cons

+ The audience will clap and you'll even compliment yourself ("Yay!"), giving it a true game show feel.

+ Your character literally spells out each letter as you type it, just as a real human would do.

+ A horde of interesting power ups are at hand, from multiple choice to showing only the vowels or consonants.

+ The Competition option allows you to compete with up to five fellow friends, or the in-game avatars (although I don't recommend it).

+ Practice mode is a great, lengthy tool for brushing up on commonly misspelled words and more.

- The judges mumble at times, often leaving you unclear of what the heck you're supposed to be spelling. Also beware of homonyms.

- The Game Show mode sometimes bugs and does not save your previous game, leaving you with no choice but to start anew.

The verdict

If you're looking for a smart game that also has a bit of personality, give Merriam-Webster's Spell-Jam a try. It seems like it would be a nice activity for a parent-child duo of a gifted nature.

Click here to download Merriam Webster's Spell Jam on a FREE 1hr trial from BigFish!

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Merriam Webster's Spell Jam

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Nov 02, 2009
Rating

Windows mobile smartphone version
by: Anonymous

Hello there,

Great game. It's really addictive. However, I was wondering if there is a smartphone version of the game. It would really be great to have the game on the move.

Thanks
Sando