Solve Your Rodent Problem with Tom’s Trap-o-Matic
December 7, 2007
Tom and Jerry was by far my least favorite cartoon growing up. I mean, I’d already gotten a handle on the predator-prey dynamic from the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Plus Sylvester and Speedy Gonzales provided me with all the cat and mouse hijinks I’d ever need, thank you very much. But most importantly, Tom and Jerry are profoundly unfunny.
So it’s with mixed feelings I write about Tom’s Trap-o-Matic, a game more fun than all the Tom and Jerry cartoons combined. Trap-o-Matic is more or less a flash version of Mouse Trap, where kids use creativity and problem-solving skills to help Tom the cat construct elaborate Rube Goldberg devices to trap that smug mouse, Jerry. Students have an array of launching, rolling and cutting items at their disposal such as a cannon, a hamster ball, and a radio-controlled helicopter, respectively. Work around floor obstacles like furniture and a sleeping dog. Each item has a specific range, so your machine will self-destruct if you don’t align the devices properly. The game is a maddening good time (tip: work backwards from the trap at the end). I got a little frustrated at first, but the thought of one of the irritating title characters getting eaten at the end was enough motivation for me to persevere.
Based on Tom’s Trap-o-Matic, I admit Tom and Jerry are not completely useless. But if I ever play it again I’ll just pretend it’s Itchy and Scratchy instead. -BILL FERRIS
