I saw this game advertised a few months ago, and I got really excited. As a big lover of old-school PC games, this game immediately reminded me of a similar game I played about 10 years ago (Sid & Al's Incredible Toons). I was desperate to get it, and upon receiving it I played it straight away.

Mechanic Master is a simple idea. You need to alter existing situations, or create from scratch, machines and methods in which to kill (or, more gently, simply remove) aliens. At the same time, save any humans that may be captured by those dastardly aliens! Damn them!

A puzzle game with a difference. Through the first few levels you are provided with tips and hints on the best way to dispose of the aliens (showing you how to successfully use the equipment available to you). As you move through the levels, the contractions and machines you need to create to win become more inventive and more complex. Sometimes with very strange consequences if you get the handle turning the wrong way.

In comparison to Sid and Al (which I loved!) it is good, and makes great use of the dual screen DS. However, I became a bit frustrated with having to pull the screen around to see the entire set up scenario on the screen. I also found that Sid and Al genuinely made me giggle with the absurd use of seemingly everyday items that you used to help Sid (the mouse!) escape from Al (the cat!) - including laying hens, balloons and smelly fish... the less obscure items in Mechanic Master were not as funny for my little mind.

Although I was excited and really looking forward to this game, I found that it didn't live up to my expectations. Yes, I'd go back and play it again - it's one I'll keep for many years - but it's not as addictive as I'd hoped. I might dip into it for a few hours once or twice a year. Bit of fun, but I wouldn't spend a fortune on it.