If you really enjoy spending your evenings at home, sitting in front of your computer playing games that give your brain some good exercise, you should take a look at the Incredible Machine 2. It should fill the bill nicely and provide you with hours of fun.

	One helpful feature in the Incredible Machine 2 is the tutorial. If you are new to the game it should prove very helpful. The tutorial is a series of forty rather easy puzzles that familiarize you with the many "parts" that can be used and how they function. Many will find the tutorial time well spent, so don't just assume that it is a bypassable step. Another interesting option is the puzzle building program. In the event that you have polished off all of Sierra's puzzles, you can build some of your own. The game does offer assistance in building your own program, but at times it is none too helpful.

	On the whole, this game doesn't involve a great deal of on screen motion. But, many of the parts in the parts bin do move. The moving parts are animated very well and provide numerous pleasant and hilarious sights. The graphics are great and the background screens (although they are non-moving) are superb. The game features some wonderful sound effects, too.

	A two player mode is available, but still could offer more. In the two player, head-to-head mode, both players are working on the same puzzle. It is fun in that you can block your opponent by placing an object in his path. One operation can be performed per turn in a forty-five second time frame. One small addition that I might have made would be to have the option to work on separate puzzles in two player mode as well. The game is certainly not lacking without that, but it would have been a good addition.

	If you are concerned with a possible lack of difficulty, forget it. The game difficulty does progress with each group of levels. On the other hand, the game doesn't start out ridiculously hard. Oh there will be levels so difficult that you may need a break before the solution will jump out at you. But with a little time and patience, you should be successful.

	Probably the best overall aspect of the game is that while being unbelievably fun, the game does offer some educational content too. It will allow people to stretch their imagination beyond belief to find some ridiculous method in which they can make toast or open the can of cat food. The silly, yet incredibly fun solutions seem nearly endless. The Incredible Machine 2 will keep you thinking and will often times have you laughing while en route to solving some ridiculously silly puzzle. Positive brain exercise and fun in the same game, I like that!

	You really can't find much at fault with the Incredible Machine 2. However, it will probably go unnoticed and played by many for fear that it is some petty little game. Fear not, for this game is a great deal of fun when given the chance.