IM3 Puzzles

Every Impossible Mission game has included multiple puzzles to solve, whether to proceed in the mission unlocking new areas or just to earn more useful bonus codes. It has always been a tradition of the series not to be a mere platformer.

IM3 is no exception, featuring a certain number of puzzles to solve and many sub-games. Here's an overview of them.

Riddles in the dark

Dr. Atombender's genius has conceived some puzzles to challenge the intelligence of the agents, who must figure out solutions on their pocket computer or when entering secret bonus rooms to play sub-games. 

Puzzles to progress in the (impossible) mission

Passcodes to the next module

To gain access to the next module the agent must find out a four digits sequence checking combinations while scrolling each number (among the many numbers found) until the blastdoors open. The numbers can be collected analyzing furniture and objects in the rooms.

Chip puzzle

The second objective of the agent in each module is to trigger the countdown leading to self-destruction of that section of the space station just before moving to the next one. Unfortunately, each self-destruction terminal has been deprived of its mainboard that has been divided in 16 fragments of printed circuit scattered and hidden in the furniture, as usual. This puzzle is something the Professor enjoyed very much adding to his space station: the hazard to give intruders the chance to destroy every module solving a jigsaw puzzle gives thrills to the twisted, digitized consciousness of Elvin.

DNA sequence puzzle

Gaining access to the main control center - where the gamma ray cannon is located - is even harder. Prof. Atombender has coded his own DNA sequence in the central security system. He has hidden throughout the space station 36 fragments of his genetic code and the agent must find and recombine them. Following the patterns of guanine, adenine, thymine and cytosine, which form the typical double helix of the DNA, one must recreate all the correct matches, in their correct orientation and then the correct order of each sequence until the image of Elvin forms. Tricky, but not impossible.

Sub-games to obtain helpful codes

While the agent search the giant space station looking for secret codes, puzzle rooms can be found along the way, one per module. Playing the contained mini-games gives out bonus codes which can be used in the terminals of the rooms in order to snooze robots, reset platforms, speed up search times, turn on lights, gain infrared goggles, etc.

The first one is a wicked labyrinth that must be solved in eight different levels of complexity in a few seconds to gain each time more and more random extra bonuses.

Another mini game is a lethal version of the classic "Tic Tac Toe". Victory grants an extra hour of time to continue the game before life on Earth is destroyed, while defeat means immediate death (and ten precious minutes lost). It can be found three times with increasing difficulty and, if the first time the A.I. lets you win easily if you're smart enough, the third time it's virtually impossible to outsmart it (Elvin loved the classic movie War Games from 1983 and demanded a faithful reproduction of the infamous Tic Tac Toe from the WOPR gamelist).

Then we have a unique puzzle, the 'Sound Pong', where a good musical ear is required: just like in the old Pong game, where a paddle was used to bounce a ball, here one needs to respond to a note with the same note, then hit back with a note of their choice.

Then there's a mathematical minefield puzzle conceived to test the agents' ability to play with numbers while time is shrinking; this one grants extra bonuses too.

Later in the mission, if intruders are fast and intelligent enough to access the main control center, it is rumored that Professor Atombender himself (or at least the virtual image of his consciousness) decides to challenge them in a frightening chess game. Playing on a giant holographic checkboard against an evil genius while the doomsday clock is ticking and just minutes separate us from an extinction-level catastrophe on Earth isn't exactly the most comfortable experience. But shall we actually play the whole game? Some spies doubt that's the case.