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Genre: Hidden object game
Developer: Alawar Games
File Size: 55.6MB
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Requirements: iPhone 3.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone or iPod touch
Age Rating: 4+
Retail Price: $3.99

The Treasures of Mystery Island (TMI) takes the find-the-hidden-object game and adds dimensions and difficulties. How much these add to the game is up for debate.

There’s a backstory, of course, in case you need a reason to hunt around for random objects hidden in cluttered backgrounds. You’re a pilot on a cargo plane which crashes, and beyond finding the objects to repair your plane, you have to get in touch with your company, help the local shaman with a ritual, and reach other objectives which are all oddly dependant on your ability to find the fish on top of the lampshade.

TMI makes the hunt more difficult, though, by breaking each object into pieces. So you’re not looking for a hat, you’re looking for a brim, a hat band, and two pieces of a top. Once you’ve found all the objects on a screen, you’ll unlock other sites on the map, some of which require you to use the objects you’ve found to complete the scene.

The art within the scenarios is very good, and of course the hidden objects blend in well—exceptionally well, considering they’re broken into pieces. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there is a hint button which outlines the piece. The button has a status bar which refills over time.

Fans of object hunts will enjoy The Treasures of Mystery Island and perhaps find it a bit more challenging; you are, after all, given no idea what the pieces of the objects look like, only their general shape and color. If the structure and story of the game are odd, it doesn’t distract from the meat of the game.