User Reviews (1 - 11 of 32)

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Don't know how to rate

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 26
Date: December 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I wish I could really rate Crazy Machines 1.5 but I can't...because I see the package says it's just for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP so I can't use it on my Mac. I didn't read the specs on-line before buying because I thought it would play on a PC or Mac just like the first version. I hope a Mac version is available sometime, and I hope version 2 is available on Mac as well. Crazy Machines is too good to limit to PC users only.

Watch out for the system requirements

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: February 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Be sure to double check the system requirements using the Viva Media web site before you buy!

The 1.0 version had a bug where it would not start even though it installed properly, for which the developer issued a patch.
This version (1.5) has the same problem, but NO PATCH is available. When I emailed Viva Media about the situation, they responded that I didn't have enough graphics memory. Too bad those requirements are NOT spelled out in the Amazon listing!

Buyer beware!

It crashes but it's fun

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My 8 and 9 yr. old kids did the first 25 of 101 puzzles in about one hour. The puzzles do get more interesting as they progress.

2 issues: on an XP computer, the games does not seem to want to run unless someone is logged in as an Administrator. With regular accounts, the kids got some error that Microsoft wanted to see. After I allowed them to use my account, the game crashed anyway but that happened after about one hour.

Also, there is some annoying guy's head that pops up and says useless and annoying things. I suspect there's a way to turn it off but it's not obvious because there is no manual. Which begs the question: why need a huge, thick plastic box for one CD and 2 pages?

This version has new items, and is easier than the other, on average

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: October 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The first part is completely easy. It tells you to fix a problem that is 95% fixed, just place two pipes, for example. It also has primary colors and is definately designed for kids.
The second part is harder, more like the first game. It goes along, has new items, like a mouse, frog, mallet wheel, a board wheel, and a new soundtrack, which I like. Adults/older teens will like this part better.
Revised three times.

Not as easy as it led to believe

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I read the reviews for this in November, and thought it would be great for my 8 1/2 and almost 7 year old boys. They tried it out for a couple of hours, and became frustrated. The packaging did not come with any explicit instructions on how to approach the activities.

It took me a couple of tries to figure out what to do, and then explain it to my sons. Maybe I can get them back on it after things calm down a bit from all of the Christmas excitement and we can figure it out.

Not your standard video game ...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a fun game for those who like building things, following the logic of mechanics to their conclusion, snd don't mind trial and error exercises. The interface is clunky, but usable.

It's a buy at the current Amazon low price.

Still Fun -- Liked the first one better!!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: July 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Seems a bit easier in some cases.. a bit not well thought out in others. Still fun as heck!!

great brain game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love adventure and puzzle games, this one is one of my favorite puzzle games! Very challenging but not to hard. Loads of fun will buy the next game.

Great, mind growing fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Bought this for my 9 yr old daughter and 6 yr old son. Found that I enjoyed it as much as they do. We have not found that the game required really precise positioning of items to solve the puzzles, as some have mentioned. But we've mostly been making our own machines anyway.
One small gripe: discovered that in Win XP Home, Limited Accounts are not able to run the game. Since many homes probably set up Limited accounts to minimize the damage young kids might do the operating system, etc., it's odd that the game doesn't run from these. So the kids have to log on to my account or my wife's to play it.
On the plus side, that does allow us to control access a bit more, and the game is a bit addictive!
We also had to upgrade our system. Our video card was an ancient 32 MB thing and probably not DirectX 9 comaptible.
The rest of our system was fine (800 Mhz Ahtlon, 512 MB RAM), but the cost of a video card these days is about equal to the cost of a new motherboard and RAM, so we went ahead and upgraded.
The game also crashed once on my laptop. I'm guessing I need to fine tune some video settings. Other than that one time, it has been stable.

Fun with slight install issue....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: February 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Software is great. My kids, age 6 and 7, really like it and have learned about some basic mechanical mechanisms. Quite a few entertainment hours for the cost.

The only issue I have is that the software requires the user to be an 'administrator' level account. Not just to install but to run. My kids account is 'limited' for obvious reasons. I run XP Pro.

Luckily, I'd seen a comment about this issue in another posting.

4, not 5, because of this item.

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