The Incredible Machine 2

The Good
The silly comic-book graphics are really neat on this game. When you get something to work, it's usually with a lot of motion and racket.

It has a built-in tutorial that shows you how things work, as you immediately start on the first puzzle. On one side of the screen will be a functioning puzzle with the same pieces, and on the other side will be your puzzle with missing pieces. With a working example, you can quickly see what pieces you need to make it work.

Eventually though, the tutorial section ends, and you are on your own. That's when it can get difficult. There is a hint feature though, that will offer up tips if you are getting stuck. What it will not do, is tell you exactly how to place the puzzle piece.

The game comes with several songs to play as you try to solve the puzzle. The tunes are all pretty cool. I like the "Unplugged" tune best of all.

It's really really rewarding when you get everything to work and your puzzle operates, especially on the more difficult ones.

The Bad
Some of the puzzles are really tedious. For example, you might have to get a mouse to move to a particular place. The placement of the cheese to lure him might have to be in a precise place for the timing of the puzzle to work... So although you have solved the puzzle, you might have to spend several minutes moving a part a few pixels over (or up or down) to get the puzzle to actually work, sso that you can move to the next puzzle. It can get frustrating.

The Bottom Line
Addictive and playful. Also a thoughtful and gentle game.

The Good
Add "The Incredible Machine"(TIM) to the list of certified puzzle classics such as Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Baku Baku. Using the concept behind the famous Rube Goldberg contraptions, TIM throws out hundreds of puzzles you need to solve by putting together everyday objects(and some far-out ones) in odd arrangments.

While the game has no real story, all that matters are the puzzles. From deceptively easy to hair-pulling, mouse-smashingly difficult, TIM will keep the puzzle-fanatic entertained for hours.

This version is basically the same as the previous iterations, adding only new puzzles and objects. But as they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

The Bad
There's really nothing negative to say about the game. There were no bugs I experienced and the game plays smoothly on even the lowest of machines. Perhaps the one tiny complaint I could make about the game is that the puzzles are somewhat imbalanced. Out of the 200-odd puzzles available, you'll probably make your way up to 190 in a decent amount of time, only to have 191-200 be impossibly difficult. I never managed to finish the last puzzles, mostly because they seemed less about using the right objects to complete the puzzle and more about using the wrong parts in the oddest places.

The Bottom Line
Easily one of best puzzlers to come out in long time, and it can be found in most bargain bins for less than $10. Look for it's sequel, "Incredible Machines: Contraptions", in stores.