Product Reviews

As Pocket PCs become more capable both in processor power and storage capacity, a number of relatively sophisticated PC games are being ported to Windows Mobile devices. The latest example is Mean Hamster Software's version of Myst, the groundbreaking graphical adventure game from the mid-1990s. You'll need almost 30MB of storage space for Myst, but it's a faithful

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reproduction of the original, with every scene, sound effect and music clip present and correct.

The object of the game is to explore the virtually deserted mystery island of D'ni, solving puzzles along the way to find your way around and bring the story to its conclusion. There's no combat - just peaceful interaction and lots of head-scratching problems to solve as you navigate through this photo-realistic fantasy world. Myst's heavy emphasis on puzzle solving won't be to everyone's taste, but a little perseverance usually pays off, enabling you to progress gradually without getting too frustrated.

The 240x320 graphics naturally aren't quite as sharp as those on the PC-based original, but stylus control works better than a mouse when moving around and pointing to objects on the screen, making it better than the PC version in this respect. A Pocket PC version of Riven, the first of several sequels to Myst, is currently in development.