MouseMaze
by Simbsoft,
Price: $14.95
Reviewed November 2003 by Tony Peak
MouseMaze, by Simbsoft, is fresh take on
the Sokoban concept. Your objective is simple, guide the
mouse to the exit. -- Yet, your task is difficult. To reach
the exit you’ll have to push stones, jump over stones,
match symbols and collect food for energy. In the MouseMaze,
it’s all or nothing… Either you finish the level
or you try, try again.
The important thing to understand about
MouseMaze is that it is truly a puzzle game. This isn’t
some action puzzle adventure. It’s all about solving
the maze in the correct order and number of turns. The difficulty
is high, and the learning curve is steep. The first few levels
may give the impression of a cakewalk, but things get much
harder very soon. It becomes very easy to get stuck on a
level and frustrated. There are absolutely no in game hints,
or any way to tell where you’re making a mistake. It’s
completely pass or fail, though there is an undo feature.
The graphics are well rendered and the
maze itself is a pseudo-3d field of tiles. Everything blends
quite well, even if it did leave me wondering why a hotdog
is the same size as a pizza. Every now and then the view
makes a passage or cluster of blocks hard to judge, but it’s
nothing severe. There’s no in game music, but the sound
effects are pleasant.
Enjoyment of MouseMaze really boils down
to how much you love a brain twisting puzzle with no mercy.
For me personally, it often proved to be more frustration
than fun. When you get stuck, you’re stuck. It might
as well be a brick wall until the solution is found. Even
then, it’s just another puzzle waiting. There is not
without hope though. The developers are looking into creating
a new version that allows you to start at any level you choose,
and hopefully we will get some hints for those gamers who
are still banging their heads against the wall. Good thing
is they are wearing helmets.
Playing Hints and Tips
-The food is essential, but not always
all of it.
-Stay calm, and try again later if need be.
-Don’t setup a mock maze and trap a real mouse inside to see what
it would do.
-Don’t throw your Pocket PC at a wall |
