Marble me this!
The Incredible Machine series of physics-based puzzlers is a true classic set of games which anyone with an interest in stretching the old gray cells should seriously consider adding to their collection. Marble Drop is a similarly themed title which isn't quite so good as its inspiration but which is still well worth a closer inspection. It combines some cleverly designed puzzles with an easy to use interface to make an enjoyable bit of puzzling action. The idea here is that you are presented with various sets of twisted contraptions and must drop differently colored marbles into them with the aim of getting them in the appropriate bin at the bottom of the screen. As the marbles race down the screen, they will trigger various events such as springs and cannons which alter the layout of the screen and so you'll need to think carefully about where you send your marbles. There are fifty levels on offer here, and while they start out pretty straightforward, the addition of new elements means that things get more difficult quite quickly, and the later levels will provide even hardened marble veterans with quite a challenge. Marble Drop isn't as entertaining as The Incredible Machine but it still makes for an entertaining diversion. The presentation is simple enough that you can get playing without any difficulty, with a nice interface and an uncluttered screen. The puzzles are interesting and certainly challenging, but it's obvious that there's a lack of variety here which hurts the game's long term appeal. For short bursts though, this makes for a good time.
