Incredible Machine

$35, Win 95, Win 3.1, Mac OS (CD-ROM)

Teaches: science: logic, gravity, air pressure, mechanics, causality

CTR Review

An invention construction kit containing animated parts like pipes, bowling balls, ramps and levers. Using the mouse, a child can freely place the moving parts onto the screen and experiment with chain reactions which might free a cat from a cage, put a ball into a hoop or save the character Mel Schlemming from being eaten by Ernie Alligator. The gravity and air pressure can be adjusted, also influencing the chain of events. Kids can play 150 logic puzzles which vary in difficulty and can be played against time. They can also create and save their own puzzles in Professor Tim's Workshop and then share them with others. Excellent sound effects, upbeat music and clever, appealing graphics are just a few of the good features of this program. Our testers found the puzzles very challenging as they progressed but enjoyed solving them with the help of friends. In addition to being fun and engaging, the program would fulfill many school science objectives dealing with mechanics. Note: see Hoyle Puzzle Games 2003.