Return of The Incredible Machine: Contraptions Review

Return of The Incredible Machine: Contraptions is the final release in the row of puzzle games inspired by Rube Goldberg cartoons, and the predecessors of the Incredible Machine serial. This time around, the objective is to assemble a contraption of parts least probable to be used for such a task, and, well, use it for various tasks. There's everything from catching the mouse, firing the laser, or capturing cats under baskets. Several objects can be selected and incorporated into the contraption to perform a certain operation. In RIM, The Professor challenges you to complete his unfinished devices, and by winning in the competition, get the position of his assistant. There are no less than 250 (!) devices to be completed in the game; they are divided into five categories, each containing 50 contraptions. Each of them, of course requires some major brainstorming to be completed. The newest Incredible Machine boasts improvements in almost every aspect of gameplay, making it stick out from the other games in the serial. The game features an improved physics model and uses advanced graphics with over 100 different parts, which can be used in-game. The riddles are divided into four categories of difficulty, making them intelligible to diverse age groups. There is an option named "helping hands" on the "Easy Level", which provides hints for the solution. There are no available hints once you get to the highest level of difficulty, and the puzzles include many redundant objects adding to the riddle-solving frustration.

When starting the game, a Tutorial is activated by default. It instructs the player how to use objects in the most effective way to solve the puzzle. The tutorial has levels, in which you'll find detailed instructions on each element, as well as device features. Some elements can be adjusted and certain options programmed, such as: gravity, density, mass, and friction qualities. There are up to 50 levels in the Tutorial, but I wouldn't recommend skipping any one of them, since you'll need to know what each element is for.

After going through the lengthy, exam-material-like Tutorial, you should, by all accounts, be ready for the more complex problems. (A graduate, huh? - Ed.) Unlike in the previous IM games, you cannot just pick any problem and "get on it". If you get tangled up in a tough brain-cracker, you can leave it and return to it when you gain more experience. If you do skip a mission, however, you won't be able to view the ideal solution offered by the developers. In order to see developer's solution, you must complete the task by yourself. As you could have guessed by now, the tasks in RIM offer more than one solution. Each riddle begins with a simple goal. The player is required to create a functioning mechanism using the offered elements in the toolbox, and the elements on the screen, in order for the device to execute a certain task. When you are sure the mechanism is complete, you can test it by clicking on the Start button in the upper left part of the screen.

"So, what are these contraptions like?" --- Let's just say they are a lot like those Wile E Coyote uses in his attempts to catch Road Runner... Meaning you will pull ropes through pulleys, drop tennis balls, marbles and billiard balls onto levers that turn on fans, toasters, lasers, engines, cannon, light candles, etc. If the mechanism is well assembled, it will do the job. If not, you will witness funny situations, like the cat falling off the screen, or the little man getting stuck to the ceiling pulled by the antigravity pad...

Each task can be attempted several times, and the assembled machines turned on and off indefinitely. Also, you can re-arrange the elements on the main panel. After the test is complete, all motors and moving parts resume their initial position. The game features an optional mode that enables the construction of personal contraptions. Players have all the elements at their disposal, giving them great freedom, so that any kind of machine can be assembled. Once you've conjured up one, you can save it, and send it to a friend, providing he has the game on his HD. Then, it's up to your buddy to fall off the chair laughing, marveling at the lengths of your stupidity. (Not much of a friend, eh? - Ed.)

The RIM's music, and the sound in general, are of relative high quality. RIM features an appropriate choice of music tracks, since the idea was to illustrate the overall cartoon atmosphere. All moving parts have adequate sound samples, and the game has an additional MIDI music collection you can play at your will.

As for the graphic design, it sure does appear wacky! The layout is simple, and colorful (cartoon style) with The Professor's silly voice, explaining each mission just adding to the game's prevailing mood.

Game interface is simple and designed in a logical (rational) manner. The objects can be manipulated any way you like-they can be rotated and placed in a desired position. Each object has a dialogue box that explains its function (it's summoned with the magnifying glass). Objects that have adjustable options also have a dialogue box, such as Programmable Balls or the egg timer (for setting the time, of course).

The game is intended, naturally, for both younger, and older audiences, which is obvious from the wide range of tasks greatly varying in complexity. The single player mode is fantastic, while the multiplayer, well, just appears contradictory, and confusing. A simpler solution would have been to exclude it completely... Nine friends can play in the hot-seat multiplayer mode. Each player is given a time frame to fit an object on a given mechanism. When the time elapses, the next player takes his turn in tinkering with the contraption unchanged by the previous player's action. The player that first finishes the task wins. The multiplayer hot-seat option makes no sense. It allows the players to see a part of the solution, by analyzing other players' moves. If I'm not much mistaken, that could be considered as cheating.

The game industry has changed considerably during the previous years. Majority of new games rely on high-end hardware and 3D acceleration. Puzzle games are impeded by this and hence rare. What a relaxing vacation it was to forget about the system requirements (or the lack of thereof) and just use your gray matter to reach a goal for a change...