Top 10 Games of Summer 2009

Platforms: DS/DSi

Release Date: September 15

Play the write way in this brilliant puzzle-platform game. Let your imagination flow as you help Maxwell collect 'Staries' by writing the names of useful objects onscreen.

Why It's Hot:

Already turning heads with its innovative play mechanic -- write any word you can think of to help a boy reach for the stars -- this is the Little Game That Could. Actually, it's already a winner, too, having nabbed several Game of Show awards from the recent E3 convention despite being up against tons of big, brash, triple-A console games. Hot? Try scalding.

Why It's Not:

The thing about quirky, innovative games is that sometimes they're better as experiments than, you know, games. Will it be fun? With such a lofty premise, Scribblenauts has a lot to prove.

Did You Know?

By the numbers: it took five people six months to research the "tens of thousands" of objects gamers can summon in Scribblenauts. And yes, that includes an appearance by beloved Internet meme "keyboard cat."