Return of the Incredible Machine, The: Contraptions

$29.95, Win, Mac OS (CD-ROM)

Teaches: physics, logical thinking, programming, mechanics, energy

CTR Review

Want to make a nitroglycerin mousetrap? How about a gravity-fed, rocket-launching alligator trap? This third and best-ever edition of The Incredible Machine contains 128 fun parts, all of which can be freely combined into amazing Rube Goldberg-like inventions, or used to solve a series of puzzles which range in challenge level from easy to incredibly difficult. The end result is a wonderful mechanism for children to playfully experiment with some powerful physics concepts like gravity, timing, gear ratios and more. After you sign in, you can jump directly to the first of 250 puzzles (twice as many as in previous editions), go into a workshop where you can create your own invention, or play a new "head-to-head" mode where you race against another player to see who can solve the puzzle the fastest. Our testers, who ranged in age from seven to 41, all loved the program, but noted some weaknesses. While the hints in the tutorial level are helpful, they can also get annoying. One tester who solved every puzzle (it took two weeks of hard work) reported the ending to be anti-climatic. It is important to note that you can't advance to new puzzles until the earlier levels are solved, and while younger children will be able to solve some puzzles, most content is appropriate for kids age 12 and up. The graphics, sound effects and overall quality are excellent. Your progress is automatically saved, and the workshop gives you tools to create incredible puzzles. In addition to being fun and engaging, the program would fulfill many school science objectives dealing with mechanics. Note: See Hoyle Puzzle Games 2003.