Rube Goldberg meets Flash Friday

October 9, 2007 3:35 AM

Launchball: Think a stylised, fluoro version of The Incredible Machine. And when you finish the level, it reveals a science fact -- which you can pretend to read and claim it's educational...
posted by robcorr (36 comments total)

There goes my afternoon.
Why couldn't you have saved this for Friday, damn you?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 4:07 AM on October 9, 2007

Niiiiice, though the illusion of education is ruined by the timer.
posted by DU at 4:41 AM on October 9, 2007

very fun, thanks :)

wish it was a little harder though..

hm, might have to hit underdogs and download incredible machine...
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 4:52 AM on October 9, 2007

I considered waiting until Friday, le morte, but this cheered me up after a crappy afternoon at work so I thought I'd share, in time for hump day.

Now I'd like to see something like this (or better still, a new TIM) for the DS.
posted by robcorr at 4:55 AM on October 9, 2007

They do get a little harder later on, but the Science Facts(tm) are very tiresome. If you need to be reminded that Isaac Newton is related to gravity you need to be considered a burden on society (assuming you are an adult).
posted by DU at 5:02 AM on October 9, 2007

It's intended for kids, DU.
posted by influx at 5:21 AM on October 9, 2007

Well, I think it's aimed at schoolkids, DU. Which also explains the difficulty.

Has anyone tried the "build your own" section?
posted by robcorr at 5:27 AM on October 9, 2007

you guys might like this totally awesome but unrelated game trailer. Echochrome
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 5:31 AM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

That was fun.
posted by oddman at 5:39 AM on October 9, 2007

Looks great, Dillon. Almost makes me regret trading in my PSP for a DS. Almost.
posted by robcorr at 5:40 AM on October 9, 2007

Great. This game has been down for the better part of three weeks after Digg destroyed it. Now it's going to get hosed again.

Thanks a lot.
posted by backseatpilot at 5:43 AM on October 9, 2007

You're welcome, poopy pants.
posted by Brittanie at 5:50 AM on October 9, 2007

ARGH! Why you do temped me with useless games at work.... don't you know if my boss saw me playing a game what he would do to me?!?!?!
posted by Mastercheddaar at 6:16 AM on October 9, 2007

I've never heard of the Incredible machine, but this thing is great fun. Anyone have a link to the incredible machine?
posted by Pastabagel at 6:49 AM on October 9, 2007

Pastabagel, here's a link to a description of The Incredible Machine.
posted by onalark at 7:02 AM on October 9, 2007

Thanks, onalark. The incredible machine looks like lots of mechE goodness.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:15 AM on October 9, 2007

If you follow the link to the Home of the Underdogs on the page onalark linked to, you can download and play The Incredible Machine as well, provided you're running Windows or have a DOS emulator.
posted by cerebus19 at 7:33 AM on October 9, 2007

I have a version called "The Even More Incredible Machine" and spent many long hours playing it.

Thanks guys, now I'll have to go dig it out...
posted by DMan at 8:19 AM on October 9, 2007

as if i don't already have too many distractions!
posted by neuph at 9:03 AM on October 9, 2007

I'm stuck on the volcano and feeling dumber by the second.
posted by atchafalaya at 10:20 AM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

There's an intermittent bug on the volcano level. if you have less than 3 horizonal escalators and 5 diagonal, reload the level.
posted by aquafiend at 10:35 AM on October 9, 2007

The incredible Machine plus DOSBox for "teh win". (On Mac, Linux, Modern Windows &c.)
posted by Luddite at 10:46 AM on October 9, 2007

I have wasted a large chunk of my day playing this. Thanks robcorr. I'm finding the user-generated ones to be more difficult than the standard levels. For Pete's Sake has me well and truly stuck after 25 minutes of trying to solve it.
posted by electricinca at 11:23 AM on October 9, 2007

I lucked out on 'For Pete's Sake', i finished it in less than 20 minutes, but the average solving time is an hour and a half...having trouble loading the rest in flash.
posted by schyler523 at 12:22 PM on October 9, 2007

at the checkout seems to be broken. I can't make the conveyors go in the right direction.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:25 PM on October 9, 2007

wait, nvm. me=tehdumbghey.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:53 PM on October 9, 2007

Woo! I finished 'For Pete's Sake' in 7:06!
posted by robcorr at 5:27 PM on October 9, 2007

Fun. I want more levels.
posted by Hicksu at 5:45 PM on October 9, 2007

Cool!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:12 PM on October 9, 2007

OK, wtf is up with Pinball Wizard in the extras section? That's the only one I can't beat.
posted by pmbuko at 8:51 PM on October 9, 2007

4:03, For Pete's Sake. Bring it.
posted by pmbuko at 8:56 PM on October 9, 2007

pinball wizard, as far as i can tell from the level design is actually impossible. perhaps they forgot a few peices, or maybe they are just trying to frustrate strangers..
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 10:45 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

If you guys like this game and The Incredible Machine, try Armadillo Run. It's basically the same idea, but more freeform and with better physics (e.g. materials have limited tensile/compressive strengths). One of my favorite games.

The demo is only 1 MB and lets you play the first 16 levels.
posted by hjo3 at 5:02 AM on October 10, 2007

on Pinball, try setting the 'switch' blocks to different start status...by clicking on them once you have placed them where you want them...I assure you it is not impossible...
posted by schyler523 at 5:36 AM on October 10, 2007

Okay, I'm stuck on "the light fantastic". If I stick a block in the middle, I can get the fans on, but the ball can't make it up. I can't find a way to bounce the light around properly without putting a block in the middle. Help, anyone?
posted by Arturus at 7:20 AM on October 10, 2007

I'm utterly stuck on The Hairdryer. Arrrrrrgh.
posted by sarcasticah at 9:51 AM on October 10, 2007