Mind-O-Mania

Mind-O-Mania is a really interesting puzzle solving game which will keep you guessing and trying to successfully complete each level to help save the princess.

You are challenged to help your character navigate his way around a room with various dangers via the installation of various bits of equipment strategically placed to do so. You have unlimited attempts to be successful however you are restricted by the clock – when it hits zero, it’s game over!

For successfully completing a level you are scored for the time it took and the number of attempts taken and graded accordingly. As you can be certain this may start out fairly straight forward (and thankfully to the tutorial) you will be able to get the first level without too much difficulty. However, levels will get more and more difficult and will cause you to try every possible combination imaginable to try and help your explorer solve the puzzle and escape to the next level. Ironically, once you’ve managed to solve the level it’s off to the next one, and yep, you guessed it, you’ll be probably brought to tears once more from trying to get through it in the time allowed.

Speaking of time, although you are up against the clock, it’s not the worst thing unless you’re a gaming purist and accept that game over means you should start from scratch. If you prefer, you can play where you left off, or rather, failed, and keep plugging away at resolving the fiendishly difficult puzzle.

The closest way I can explain this game is a mixture of Lemmings and Mario. Unlike in either game you start off with your character in suspended animation waiting for you to put all the different equipment (which can only be used once per location) in place. Only once you’re satisfied with your positioning of your equipment do you give him the go ahead and watch him go! For me, seeing the guy run around as if on some rather special Red Bull whilst being chased by killer bees is definitely very amusing to watch. Even when you know you’ve failed, watching him run between blocks is some consolation for the failure.

The designers have thought of a few nice touches to help you from pulling all your hair out in frustration. Namely there’s a helpful ghost who shows you the way your player should move about the level (without showing you the equipment used), and if you really can’t figure out the problem, you can skip the level and go straight onto the next one. Be warned these special moves can only be used once and therefore should be used wisely (only on completing things successfully you will be rewarded a random card to use).

There is a bit of a personal element which has been brought onto the game via two characters who chat back and fourth rather inanely at times between levels. They usually hint at what equipment does or ways to use it.

To round it off then, it’s unlikely you’ll get to the end in one attempt, and with 57 levels to try and master I can assure you that if you get past the first 10 or so in your first go, you’ll be in the top tier of puzzle-solving gamers. This is definitely for those who enjoy testing their brains rather than causing their thumbs to bleed in a furious frenzy of movements.

Rating 90%

Positives

Tricky but enjoyable

Addictive

Good graphics

You can skip the commentary animations

It really tests your lateral thinking as well as ignoring the red-herrings

Negatives

No opportunity to alter the difficulty setting

The difficulty levels aren’t progressive, one level will be evil, the next a doddle

The way it keeps asking you ‘do you want to continue’ after completing a level is a little condescending