Block Summoning Game Idea...

...This is the right sort of place for this thing, right?

Anyway, this is an idea I had a while back about an interesting play style I thought make for a decently-fun, medium-length game. I'm looking for suggestions about the abilities, ideas for puzzles, or general information as to what would be good and not so good about this style of game. It's fine to say you'd never play anything this dumb; that's why I'm posting now. This is just a bit of research so I can make something that will be enjoyable. That is distinct from advertising. And if you're interested in maybe eventually helping design or sprite for this, that's always welcome.

So, on to the concept... (Anyone heard of the Cane of Somaria?)

Game begins with the player as a random Wizard's Apprentice-like character, somewhat of an idiot. Anyway, your master is captured by a hoard of nefarious and diverse beasties. You attempt to cast a petrification spell on their boss, but it misfires and turns your fellow apprentice bud into a statue. You set out to free your master, the only man who can un-petrify anybody, armed with the statue, your master's raven, and The Staff.

By swinging the staff, the character can do a multitude of actions with your stoned buddy. As you progress through caves, towns, dungeons, and wilderness, you gradually learn more spells, held by mob monsters. The raven follows, provides hints and instructions, and is a generally obnoxious. Gameplay consists of both fighting enemies and solving puzzles, both with the stone block.

Abilities learned:
Summon - Initial ability. The block is summoned directly in front of where the staff is swung. This crushes most enemies to death. Lovely. Also depresses floor switches, but this limits offense. (Switch released when Summon is recast)
Pull - The block is attracted to the staff. It can run over certain enemies, or squish them between squares of wall between you and the block. Can depress wall switches. Continuous power.
Push - Like Pull, but allows for crushing enemies between block and wall with you on the same side. Continuous power.
Lesser Hover - The block floats a few feet of the ground. Recasting drops the block, allowing to squash enemies beneath the statue. Also used to propel the block across cliffs and gaps.
Lesser Exchange - Swap places with the block. This is used mainly in puzzles, but also useful for escape routes and the like.
Lesser Float - The block becomes buoyant, and can float on streams. Used pretty much only for traveling by river, and occasionally allows the block to float up an updraft from the rare fan. Recasting triggers it off, causing the block to sink, or if it is in an air current, to crush anything beneath it. (Including the fan...?)
Frag - The block explodes. Damaging to you if you're nearby. Nice when combined with Lesser Exchange, to lure enemies in, swap out, and then blow up. Not useful in puzzles, and block must be re-summoned to be recast.
Greater Exchange - Cast this on enemies. They then switch places with the block. Used to drown enemies if the block is in water, etc. Another one with puzzle use.
Greater Hover - The block continuously rises, potentially transporting you up cliffs. Or crushing certain enemies against the ceiling. Continuous power.
Magnetics - The block is locked at the distance and angle to you, as in your relative location remains the same, even as you move around. For puzzles mainly, in remote navigation of the block.
Flare - The block lights on fire. Very useful combined with Push. However, this will damage you if you Pull the block in to you. Extinguish the block on recasting.

Game ends when you accidentally crush your master and then end up learning the un-petrify spell yourself from the last boss monster. Your friend then proceeds to yell at you for floating him down rivers, lighting him on fire, blowing him up, pushing him into walls, plugging holes with him, and smashing his head into the ceiling. The end.

Thanks for your time. Comments?