Online Scrabble
Ages: Everyone

Thank your Atari, Thank you Atari, Thank you Atari for bringing backScrabble Online. About four years ago, Hasbro made an online Scrabble game -- and I believe that it was distributed for free. Sadly they gave up on their host site and refused any pleas to reissue the game.

Happily Online Scrabble now exists, and in a very enhanced version. As for online, you can use email, Lan or sign on to GameSpy. Atari has really enhanced the game to make best use of the computer. You can indicate where you want to put a word, and with a click or two indicate whether it is horizontal or vertical and the word will be automatically placed on the board. There are game preferences, a personal trainer, record keeping, custom dictionaries, a timer, and if you really want to get into it -- tournament rules.

Online, you can play four games at once or as a single player, play against the computer and choose its level. Your online buddy player will also need a copy of Online Scrabble. There are four mini games Best Player, Scrabble Blitz, Link Letter and Diction or Fiction. The latter one is for aficionados and uses rare and obscure words. For the beginner, there is instruction on how to play the basic game.

This "value added" to Scrabble has made the game easy for beginners to learn, accessible to those homebound or in nursing facilities, and offers unspeakable ease for the traditional players. Buy one for your Grandma -- she'll love you for it.

Reviewed by: Editor - 07/05