Crazy Machines 1.5 Reviews

• Great addition to an already fantastic game!.

  
  By A2OP0BOS738SXY on 2007-03-17
  This version actually contains two separate games: "Inventor's Training Camp" and "New From the Lab." Like the original Crazy Machines, each consists of a series of puzzles (e.g., "put this ball in that box") that you have to solve by devising Rube-Goldberg-like contraptions using various equipment at hand (e.g., belts, gears, motors, explosives, etc.). They are great fun--both for adults and children.
  
  "Inventor's Training Camp" is exactly what it sounds like--a set of easy challenges to help beginners learn about various elements in the Crazy Machines lab. In addition to the elements from the first version, it add things like a frog that hops when you touch it, a mouse that runs when you hit its tail, a teapot, colored blocks, and a top hat. The interface has more primary colors in it than the original "Crazy Machines" and some of the icons are different. But basically it works like the original game. Overall, the "Training Camp" it is a great way to get oriented in how the game works. If you have not played the game before, this is the place to start.
  
  "New From the Lab" has the same look and feel as the original "Crazy Machines," but it also adds several new elements (these new elements are different from the new elements in "Inventor's Training Camp"). These include a timer switch (good for time bombs), a wheel with five paddles, an old-fashioned phonograph (that plays a funny "la la, la la, la la" tune when powered with a belt), a wrecking ball, and wheeled carts. The new devices really do add a lot to the game-play experience.
  
  Both of these games have a "My Lab" mode where you can just tinker around with the elements. More interestingly, you also can create your own puzzles for other players to solve. Thus, you can indefinitely add on to the 100 or so puzzles that come with the game. You also can export your custom-made games to disk and play them on other computers. I can see how this could be very, very fun for friends to exchange their own custom-made puzzles. My son and I already have just started doing this for each other.
  
  This is a wonderful, wonderful, family computer game--one that I wish were around when I was a boy. My five-year-old son and I have spent, literally, scores of hours playing various versions of the Crazy Machines franchise together. It really is a game where parents and children can play as equals. It does not promote violence (OK, there are lots of explosive devices, but nobody ever gets hurt--except the robot). And it is not typical children's software pabulum. I think it really does teach problem-solving skills, too. Countless times while playing, my son declares "Oh, I have an idea!" and then tests his idea out to see whether it will solve the problem. And, in the process, he is learning things about gravity, electricity, steam, fire, light, and mechanics.
  
  As for recommended ages, 5 to 95 would be a good range. My 5-year-old son had some problems with the interface at first, but now is a pro and can--and does--work the puzzles by himself. Parents with small children should put in the time helping kids learn it, as it can be frustrating at first. Also, some of the puzzles require the ability to read instructions, which may be a challenge for beginning readers.
  
  I have some complaints about the game, however.
  
  First, it is habit-forming. I am a 36-year-old lawyer. I have a five-year-old son. I don't know who is more addicted to the game. Each of us spend, literally, hours a week on it. We look forward to Saturday mornings when we have a long block of time in which to play it (while my wife is taking daughter to dance lessons).
  
  Second, it does not appear to come with an instruction manual or on-line help system. The game can be a bit bewildering at first. This might deter some users from pressing forward, which would be a shame. Even seasoned users can find the lack of instructions to be frustrating. Only recently have I happened upon shortcut keys ("x" for zooming in and out, "s" for starting/stopping the experiment, "v" for adding/removing shadows, "t" for testing the experiment in "My Lab.") This is particularly frustrating in the My Lab area when trying to devise your own puzzle. It takes a while to learn how to establish the objectives for your experiment (hint: adding a flag to an object creates a goal for the experiment, as does dragging collision-target arrows for movable objects to a blue "target zone" box). If there were an instruction manual--even a short one--it really would add to the enjoyment of the game. (On the other hand, enterprising users can just view the absence of a manual as yet another puzzle to solve . . . )
  
  Third, it crashes with much more frequency than it should. I am running it on two Windows XP computers that have more than adequate horsepower: one is a Pentium IV and one is a Core2Duo. Both have oodles of RAM and capable graphics cards. Yet it crashes about once every hour or two of play. Not a huge deal, but annoying when it happens.
  
  Fourth, I find the professor (who chimes in with comments at random times) to be annoying. Happily, you can shut him up by disabling the professor option in the settings screen.
  
  Overall, however, I highly recommended Crazy Machines 1.5. For existing Crazy Machine addicts, buy this. It will help to pass the time until Crazy Machines 2 comes out (supposedly at the end of 2007). The additional elements are worth the price. For new users, I would recommend buying both 1.0 and 1.5. Heaps of fun. If you are not entirely convinced, buy 1.5 and start in the "Training Camp." You will be an addict soon.
  
  
  

• Why wouldn't you buy this?

  
  By A11EXFO14WEJM1 on 2007-07-16
  Negative:
  - You will need a good graphics card (newer computer) to be able to run this software. My 2001 laptop doesn't even run the program. A 2004 laptop runs it, but crashes often. Performance significantly improved after I changed the settings on the options screen to show graphics at a low quality (shadows off, bilinear, and low resolution). My 3-year old desktop with an upgraded graphics card (256 MB memory) plays it well, but the program crashes once in a while. Works much better when you run the program in a window (instead of full screen).
  
  Positives:
  - Uses mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, and electrical engineering concepts in a very broad scale (not actually realistic) to solve interesting and entertaining puzzles. Really gives children (and adults) a good mental exercise.
  - It is much more entertaining to not solve the puzzle, but do something else to see what happens. For example, you have to put two boards together so that a robot travels on the boards. However, you should try putting some gap between the boards and see the robot crashing to the ground. It is amazing how the programmers have built this sofware.
  - Most annoying things (professor and background music) can be easily disabled, but other noices such as steam whistle tooting can not be disabled. So, when things are crashing around and hitting each other, it could get very noisy. Of course, you can stop all that by muting your computer.
  - There are 101 puzzles including 5 (or so) tests for you to solve. My 8-year old child has solved some 90 puzzles in just one day. I got to help only occationally. After every test, the player gets a certificate/degree. My child was really proud after receiving the doctorate degree. Additionally, you can create your own problem and then solve that problem and save it. So, the fun and learning never ends.
  - It is addictive, but in a good way. In my opinion, it is good to engage in assembling things and solving problems.
  - Strongly suggest buying the software as it is a good investment in overall development of a child.
  
  
  

• It crashes but it's fun

  
  By ADLVFFE4VBT8 on 2007-03-28
  My 8 and 9 yr. old kids did the first 25 of 101 puzzles in about one hour. The puzzles do get more interesting as they progress.
  
  2 issues: on an XP computer, the games does not seem to want to run unless someone is logged in as an Administrator. With regular accounts, the kids got some error that Microsoft wanted to see. After I allowed them to use my account, the game crashed anyway but that happened after about one hour.
  
  Also, there is some annoying guy's head that pops up and says useless and annoying things. I suspect there's a way to turn it off but it's not obvious because there is no manual. Which begs the question: why need a huge, thick plastic box for one CD and 2 pages?
  
  

• An ingenious and addictive game

  
  By A11PBPI5WWFJX1 on 2007-04-08
  Crazy machines 1.5 is a thinking game that kids (as well as adults) will enjoy. It challenges a person to use a variety of common everyday items (such as boards, ropes, balls, candles, gears, pipes, etc.)to accomplish a given task set before him. My son, age 8, is totally addicted to this game. We first started with the previous version called "wacky contraptions" and both my son and I were hooked. We have almost solved all the challenges within the "wacky contraptions" version and were delighted to discover the 1.5 game. It is a great learning tool teaching problem solving techniques. What's fun about the game is how each item reacts within a given puzzle. For example, a motor drives a pulley system that rotates an electric generator that powers an array of devices that will get an item from point "A" to point "B" thereby solving the puzzle.
  The training section consists of simple challenges meant to teach how each tool works. My son rifled through this only because he was a veteran of the "wacky contraption" version (I think he went through most all the 100 training puzzles within roughly an hour).
  The "new from the lab" section offers more challenging puzzles. My son now finds himself spending a lot more time per puzzle in an effort to solve them.
  Oh, did I say that this is a very addictive game? We have two computers and my son and I are locked in competition to see who solves the next puzzle first My wife shutters when the signiture theme song begins to play (my favorite theme choice is a peppy one supplied as an option within the control panel).
  This is a great gift and a fun game that the whole family can enjoy.
  P.S. I found out that another version of this game is set to come out in the fall of 2007.
  
  
  

• Great addition to 1.0: kid's can't wait until 2.0

  
  By A3S9O2UHA5922V on 2007-03-27
  My 7 & 9 yr olds loved 1.0. They get a kick out of some of the new things in 1.5 (a mouse & frog, among other things, I've been told).
  
  Anyway- easily a well-spent ~$15. I anticipate hrs of creative use.
  
  
• Insanely fun game, but be warned of potential crashes
  By A3M0PHABYPNH92 on 2007-07-14
  I have been a fan of the original Incredible Machine, and also enjoyed Sierra's "Return of the Incredible Machine" remakes. However, this one takes the cake. With true 3D modeled parts and the integrated physics engine, it makes gameplay much more fun and realistic than any of the other Incredible Machine games.
  
  Thumbs up for:
  
  - 3D modeled parts
  - A physics engine which simulates realistic object collisions
  - Very challenging puzzles for people of any age
  - Limitless fun constructing your own crazy puzzles
  - Many new and interesting parts, such as a record player powered by rotary motion, a crazy sausage grilling machine, and a new-and-improved blimp
  
  Thumbs down for:
  
  The "Professor" is a little animated old guy who pops in at times to say some random things regarding your (in)ability to solve the contraption. But he really grates on your nerves quite quickly. His phrases are repetitive, and sometimes his presence gets in the way of being able to place parts. Luckily he can be turned off completely in the Options menu.
  
  Also, the game DOES seem to crash regularly on XP - about once every 45 minutes or so. Perhaps this doesn't happen to many users, I'm not sure. But I advise users to SAVE their custom-made contraptions at every opportunity, to avoid losing any unsaved work. Also, there is a method I've found to prevent the system from locking up to the point of restarting: Go into the Game Options and play in Windowed mode, not Full Screen. By doing this, you will only get the "Program has encountered an error and needs to close" message - Your entire computer won't lock up.
  
  All in all, a very addictive game with some minor problems.
  
  
• Gotta Get It!
  By A1NZKVUMYDX0O on 2007-05-29
  My kids spend hours on this stuff. Really gets them thinking, using logic, math, and science principals. Great for adults who love to tinker, like that grandfather or father-in-law.For anyone whose ever disassembled something to try and fix it!
  
  
• crazy program
  By A2IOKHIKREEGP9 on 2007-05-08
  I bought for my grand daughter and shee has spent endless hours building the crazy machines.
  
  
• Excellent educational software
  By A1YJORFLLDV73H on 2007-05-21
  If you have a child that you are interested in learning physics and problem solving skills, this is a good program. My 8-year old daughter enjoys the puzzles.
  
  
• Great Fun
  By A201WQDRAHM99O on 2007-09-24
  I play this with my 6 year old twins who love it. We have just completed all 101 of the training ones. I got this as opposed to 1.0 because of the training set and am glad I did.
  The others are a lot trickier but they enjoy the challenge and applying their ideas.
  I think there is a junior addition to this which I will have to get.
  Good fun challenging game for all the family
  
  
• Don't know how to rate
  By A3B0XDV0HOJLCY on 2007-12-31
  I wish I could really rate Crazy Machines 1.5 but I can't...because I see the package says it's just for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP so I can't use it on my Mac. I didn't read the specs on-line before buying because I thought it would play on a PC or Mac just like the first version. I hope a Mac version is available sometime, and I hope version 2 is available on Mac as well. Crazy Machines is too good to limit to PC users only.
  
  
• Great game
  By AH4UWA53QRF1Q on 2007-11-17
  I've just spent 3 days playing this with my almost-6-year-old. He loves this game. If it wasn't for the reading, and the occasionally REALLY tough puzzle, he would have done this by himself.
  
  
• Not your standard video game ...
  By A3IM8U84XCFTZK on 2007-07-29
  This is a fun game for those who like building things, following the logic of mechanics to their conclusion, snd don't mind trial and error exercises. The interface is clunky, but usable.
  
  It's a buy at the current Amazon low price.
  
  
• Not as easy as it led to believe
  By A32D7RH08639UL on 2008-01-07
  I read the reviews for this in November, and thought it would be great for my 8 1/2 and almost 7 year old boys. They tried it out for a couple of hours, and became frustrated. The packaging did not come with any explicit instructions on how to approach the activities.
  
  It took me a couple of tries to figure out what to do, and then explain it to my sons. Maybe I can get them back on it after things calm down a bit from all of the Christmas excitement and we can figure it out.
  
  
• Watch out for the system requirements
  By A2MJ0G8C9P2OFK on 2008-02-10
  Be sure to double check the system requirements using the Viva Media web site before you buy!
  
  The 1.0 version had a bug where it would not start even though it installed properly, for which the developer issued a patch.
  This version (1.5) has the same problem, but NO PATCH is available. When I emailed Viva Media about the situation, they responded that I didn't have enough graphics memory. Too bad those requirements are NOT spelled out in the Amazon listing!
  
  Buyer beware!
  
  
• great brain game
  By A1VIL90LVRGNDT on 2007-08-28
  I love adventure and puzzle games, this one is one of my favorite puzzle games! Very challenging but not to hard. Loads of fun will buy the next game.
  
  
• Great thought provoking fun
  By A2F6X63FI8HAN0 on 2007-09-21
  This game is not only fun to play but is a great way to learn science and physics principles. Figuring out how things work and then applying that knowledge to solve fun and interesting problems has kept me and my children playing this game for hours. We all love it!
  
  
• Fun for Children
  By A1CWDYWLUAEMPG on 2007-10-05
  I purchased this for my two oldest grandchildren ages 6 and 4. They needed help getting started but soon learned how to play the game and they absolutely love it. It challenges their minds. Money well spent.
  
  
• Facinating Fun
  By A3NLSPSECZMDKY on 2007-12-12
  Purchased this because I have a 6 year old who loves puzzles. He needed about 10 minutes of guided use to learn how to navigate and from there he has spent hours with this game and goes back to it almost everyday. The training camp is fun and challenging while the laboratory is funny and fun. The teenagers in the house have enjoyed this but not as much as I have or the 6 year old.
  
  
• Given as a Gift, and Can't Get that "Old" Kid away from his Computer
  By A36A1ZYZH8568P on 2007-12-19
  I gave this as a gift to an engineer who's into such things (I can't figure out anything mechanical). According to his fiance, she can't tear him away from it, and it's been four months since his he got it. I love to see what he's come up with, the new Rube Goldberg contraptions he's created. They're really fun and funny and creative. I guess I'm a viewer, not a doer.
  
  
• Great fun!
  By A1VU3EJVKT1RBP on 2008-01-12
  We purchased this game for my 8yr old and he loves it! He spends a long time trying different combination to accomplish the tasks. He loves both Crazy machines and Crazy Machines 1.5.
  
  
• Great, mind growing fun
  By A2T5I96HVX4BS0 on 2008-01-12
  Bought this for my 9 yr old daughter and 6 yr old son. Found that I enjoyed it as much as they do. We have not found that the game required really precise positioning of items to solve the puzzles, as some have mentioned. But we've mostly been making our own machines anyway.
  One small gripe: discovered that in Win XP Home, Limited Accounts are not able to run the game. Since many homes probably set up Limited accounts to minimize the damage young kids might do the operating system, etc., it's odd that the game doesn't run from these. So the kids have to log on to my account or my wife's to play it.
  On the plus side, that does allow us to control access a bit more, and the game is a bit addictive!
  We also had to upgrade our system. Our video card was an ancient 32 MB thing and probably not DirectX 9 comaptible.
  The rest of our system was fine (800 Mhz Ahtlon, 512 MB RAM), but the cost of a video card these days is about equal to the cost of a new motherboard and RAM, so we went ahead and upgraded.
  The game also crashed once on my laptop. I'm guessing I need to fine tune some video settings. Other than that one time, it has been stable.
  
  
• Crazy Fun
  By AKEWKWYCICU7I on 2008-02-09
  Solving the puzzles is a lot of fun. There is also a learning aspect as you have to understand the physical properties of the individual items and how they can be used to solve the problem.
  
  I think you need to like physics to really enjoy the game.
  
  
  
• awesome classroom tool
  By A38RUJ112S8SZS on 2008-03-22
  I put this on all my classroom computers and my sixth graders love to show me the experiments that they come up with. Very creative and fun
  
  
• Fun and Educational
  By ARH0FZXQJYUWP on 2008-04-27
  This game is both entertaining and educational. The kids have fun with it and it does require and teach problem solving. A lot of basic science concepts in it to be considered educational as well.
  
  
• Still Fun -- Liked the first one better!!!!
  By A2080S6HUXLKCO on 2007-07-30
  Seems a bit easier in some cases.. a bit not well thought out in others. Still fun as heck!!
  
  
• Fun with slight install issue....
  By A18UR90MYVSCKS on 2008-02-08
  Software is great. My kids, age 6 and 7, really like it and have learned about some basic mechanical mechanisms. Quite a few entertainment hours for the cost.
  
  The only issue I have is that the software requires the user to be an 'administrator' level account. Not just to install but to run. My kids account is 'limited' for obvious reasons. I run XP Pro.
  
  Luckily, I'd seen a comment about this issue in another posting.
  
  4, not 5, because of this item.
  
  
• Crazy Machines is fun and enjoyable learning software
  By A2SOPJR1NJ1NUZ on 2008-02-14
  Enjoyable, both I and my son enjoyed it. Some minor interface issues, but overall this is very good software.
  
  
• Crazy Machines
  By A2BOQ8FQIUM529 on 2008-06-20
  I purchased this software for my 8 yr old granddaughter. It was simple enough for her to immediately began playing it and yet I can see that it has complexities for her to learn. I look forward to seeing how she progresses in her 'rube goldberg' creations.
  
  
• Fantastic for everyone
  By A1G1IKDBGOFZ3W on 2008-06-24
  This is a great program - my 13 year old loves it, and it came in very handy earlier this year when my child had to create a Rube Goldberg device for science class.
  
  

• Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide
• PC World
• PC Gamer (1-year)
• Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software

• Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game Win/Mac
• Crazy Machines 2
• Genius
• Gary Gadget: Building Cars (Win/Mac)
• The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions