Mendel Makes His Escape

Galapagos: Mendel's Escape, developed by Boulder, Colorado's, Anark Game Studios, has been released by Electronic Arts.

Anark calls the main character in the game, Mendel, "an advanced adaptive controller called Non-stationary Entropic Reduction Mapping (NERM) - a unique form of artificial life technology developed by Anark."

Players don't really control Mendel; they coax and nudge him so that he'll learn and adopt the behaviors that will allow him to make it over rivers, past robots, and avoid other obstacles on his path to freedom. Mendel senses his surroundings using infrared light and tactile sensations.

Galapagos also lets players save and export Mendel's brain, which sounds intriguing if vaguely creepy. But, says Anark, it allows "the player to play a familiar Mendel or send a friend one that they have made neurotic."

Galapagos: Mendel's Escape is available for Windows 95 and Mac operating systems.