User Reviews (1 - 11 of 31)

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Works with Windows XP

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 41 / 45
Date: December 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Having read the reviews for other versions of Scrabble for the PC, I learned that most versions of this game do not work well on Windows XP, even though the box explicitly says it does. Well, I am pleased to say that I took the plunge on this newest version and it does run well on XP Pro SP2. Apparently Encore finally rewrote the software to work after getting so many complaints.

I like the game overall. It lets you choose how you want to play, with many options. You can play a leisurely untimed game at Beginner, Apprentice, Intermediate, Veteran, Smart, Elite, Master, or Genius setting; or, alternatively, you can play challenging timed tournament or blitz games. It keeps track of your high scores including the dates. You can also choose whether you want to receive help with words in the game. When the game runs the first time it opens in full screen mode, which I didn't like since I am a multitasker doing other things on my computer while I play. I was pleased to discover I could change that setting in the Options area, so now I can play in a smaller window and surf the web between turns.

good stuff

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: December 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I got this as a Christmas gift for a friend who is an avid scrabble player and she really liked it.

Faulty product release -- no laptop support!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 18
Date: December 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Are you a Scrabble fan who owns a laptop? Then forget this product -- you likely won't be able to install it, regardless of your operating system.

Incredibly, Encore has released a product that only runs on desktop machines. And, more galling, the package doesn't reflect this limitation. So you have to buy the game, try to install it, and when you can't (and it may crash your system; it did mine) you have to go to the web site to find out the publisher's engineers dismissed those of us who migrated to laptop technology. In essence, their lack of support for portables says: too bad.

I'm thinking of a seven-letter, two-word phrase to describe my reaction to this astonishingly cavalier ruse by Encore. Can you think of it?

Good, but disappointing

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 18 / 20
Date: January 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I own two previous versions of Scrabble. Version 1 is called "blue" as it came in a blue box. It was a basic game with online capability. Version 2 was called "red" as it came in a red box. The dictionary was updated, graphics redone and cool mini games were added. This truly allowed you to increase skill.

There is Scrabble Online which I do not own, however this one was marketed as "Champion Edition", so I went straight for it. Graphics are great and you can play a relaxed game or a timed one which can go strict tournament mode (25 minutes total per player) or a timer based on a per-turn basis. Multiple computer levels let you find an opponent that will challenge you but not necessarily intimidate. The dictionary has been updated again to OPSD4 which will mean a lot to the scrabbleholics out there (present company included). To the unfamiliar, words like KA, QI, OI and KI are now valid.

Where this game falls short is in skill building. The minigames are gone. You can get hints when in not in tournament mode, and regardless of your playing preference you will get a pleasant chime when you have made the play the computer would suggest (which, by the way is based not only on score but the tiles you leave in your rack and the scoring opportunities left for your opponent). After the game is complete you can look back through the game history. It would have been nice to see what the computer would have suggested at each turn but this is not an option. A champion (or a budding one) could make great use of such a simple addition. After a tournament match you are ranked according to National Scrabble Association rules. It takes a few games for the rank to become relevant. Of course this is not applicable to true NSA rankings, but it gives you an idea how you might rate.

There is no online option either. For this I suppose it is necessary to purchase the other "Scrabble Online". I suppose Champions are not interested in playing online.

As I browsed the folder where Scrabble Champion Edition was installed, I was suprised to see a "Quackle" licensing readme. For the uninitiated, Quackle is a freely developed program for Mac/Windows/Unix that is considered the smartest computer player available. It seems that Scrabble Champion Edition might little more than a pretty graphical frontend for a freely available program. I have used Quackle and the user interface is lacking in some areas. The notion that I may have bought free program does bug me, however Scrabble is noticeably easier to work with than Quackle.

Pros: Graphically pleasing, multiple computer skill levels, hints in non-tournament mode.
Cons: No online play. No skill building mini-games. No computer suggestions when reviewing games (which is available in Quackle). Is it just a pretty face for an otherwise free program?

For a casual player this could be what you're looking for. If you aspire to tournament level you might find this so-called "Champion Edition" lacking.

Champion Shampion!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this version of Scrabble because of its updated dictionary -- the previous "Complete" edition doesn't recognize "qi" and "za", among others, as words.
Is it me or is the game rigged? When playing a higher level computer competitor, I often end up with a rack full of vowels. This happens so frequently that I'm forced to make several exchanges during the course of the game, thereby entitling the computer to invariably emerge victorious. Harumph! I've always enjoyed the game but my ego's been bruised and battered during what has now become a love-hate relationship.

Dissapointment

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: January 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

After using Hasbro Scrabble Complete for many years I was really excited about a 2007 edition. It was such a dissapointment to see the terrible graphics and elementary platform produced by Encore. I have uninstalled it and went back to my Hasbro edition. Don't waste your money on this loser.

Disgusted with DRM restrictions

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: January 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love Scrabble. I love practicing against the computer, which this games allows me to do. I *HATE* how this game requires me to have the original CD in the drive at all times in order for me to play it. I can't install it and put the cd away. I can't make a backup copy of the CD in case the original gets messed up. I have a laptop with a detachable CD drive, which I rarely carry. I had purchased this product with the intention of installing it on my laptop so I could play when I travel. All the dumb restrictions on this software don't allow for me to use it in what I'd consider to be a very typical situation. Do yourself a favor and skip this product. Don't support crippleware...

Don't buy Scrabble Champion for a laptop

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game did not work on my laptop. An earlier version, Scrabble Complete works fine.

Excellent SCRABBLE!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: January 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a great version of SCRABBLE. I bought one for a friend, also, and we are both delighted with it. I love the dictionary feature, which allows you to look up words by inserting a question mark for the unknown letter, i.e., typing in "?v?" will give a response of all 3-letter words having a "v" as the middle letter. My only complaint is that, although the game is loaded on my computer's hard drive, it is necessary to have the original CD in when you start the game.

Doesn't Run -Minimal redesign of old product with copy protection

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: February 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game does not run without the CD the drive (in this day and age this is ridiculous) - and my copy doesn't run at all. I installed it and played about 3 games. The next day I put the CD in the drive and it wanted to reinstall and the drive kept spinning and spinning. Came out with a copy protection message telling me to I needed the Original CD, contacted the Copy protection people and they tried to help but weren't able to. Now I am stuck with no real way to contact Encore, but I can send the disk back and wait for a replacement in 4 to 6 weeks and see if this helps, which it may not. So I have a useless product, would return for my money back but already submitted for a rebate so am stuck with product that doesn't work.

The game is a very poor redesign of an older version in addition to hokey copy protection software that makes it inoperable

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