There’s nothing quite like a Rube Goldberg machine. Perhaps my days of playing Mousetrap when a wee little Ophelea, or The Incredible Machine during college have endeared me to the concept, but the idea of making the simple complex just gets me all tingly inside. There have been a few PC games over the years that have tickled my fancy, but the Nintendo DS is the perfect platform for this type of puzzling and fun. Mechanic Master is perfect for getting in a little puzzling, learning a little physics or for satisfying those cravings to squoosh aliens.

Who wouldn’t want to squoosh aliens? Especially purple blobbish aliens — they’re the best kind! Like Mousetrap, Mechanic Master (MM) has a point to all the silly contraptions: The Earth has been invaded, and it must be saved! Besides, it can be fun to knock the little aliens off ledges, fly them away in helium balloons and smoosh them!

MM is a bit kooky in its styling. The menu isn’t a traditional menu: There is the Earth (where solve puzzles to remove the aliens and free humans), the invading alien planet (where you take revenge on the aliens), the satellite (where you create your own puzzles) or send a puzzle to a friend. Read the instruction booklet on this one; it helps.

Puzzles begin simply enough: An aerosol can and alien sit upon a platform; with only a tennis ball, you must remove the alien. Drop the tennis ball on the aerosol can and spray the alien off the platform. Voila! Gears, buttons, lighters, force fields, buttons, clothespins, alien ships, gear bands, robots, magnets, beach balls, buckets, balloons — the list of items is endless and at times, causes giggles. Of course, you won’t be burdened with the entire retinue at your disposal. Only a select few items are available to solve each puzzle and rid the Earth of the Purple People ... uh, catchers.

Each new item that is introduced isn’t explained. This would grow rather tedious considering the sheer number of items. Simply hold the stylus over the item and a brief description of its function and with what it will interact is shown. Icons of the items are included to help clear up any confusion because, quite frankly, I don’t know what some of these things are! The good news is, they appear to conform to the laws of physics as we know them on Earth. Although a timer is included with each level, there is no impetus to finish within an allotted period of time. It is only there to best oneself.

If you brave the elements and fly to the invaders planet be prepared, for it is a cold, inhospitable environment. (We now know why they invaded.) Though the puzzles are no less complex, you will have only two tools at your disposal to remove the purple monstrosities from their home: the ability to draw lines in any shape you need; and portals — but only when allowed and in the quantity given. In the green portal, out the blue portal (you may have heard this one before? Only, you have to draw the portals in a useful size.

I’ve tried my hand at making my own puzzles. There’s elegance to a true Rube Goldberg machine. What makes it wonderful is that it solves a simple problem in a complex way. What makes it fun is that it is not so complex as to be cluttered. I haven’t found this balance.

It will be some time before I finish the multitudes of levels on both game types and determine how to build a fun but challenging puzzle I can send to a friend (no second cart needed, yes!). I love these puzzles. When I don’t want to throw my DS at the wall in frustration, they keep me engaged for hours. My kids love them, too. The entire “aliens invade Earth” theme just gives it that extra little push that says, “dweebie.”