[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

I’ve got to say, Mobad Games has done a TERRIFIC job with Highlights Hidden Pictures. The music is great, the pinch-pull interaction with the picture is perfect and my younger children love it! Eight puzzles come standard and the layout of this app looks like something you might see on a tablet one day.

I do have a few complaints, it looks WAY to easy to purchase other puzzles with in-app purchasing. You probably want to hang out with your child while they are playing this, just in case they click on the “More Puzzles” icon, and end up buying ALL the puzzles they want. Couldn’t this option be in a “Parents” icon? I’m hoping Apple will set some standards for in-app purchasing for children’s applications. My other complaint? The extra puzzle add-on’s cost as much as the app! The application is priced at $1.99, which I think is a great value for this app. Couldn’t the add-on’s be 99¢?

If you have a child under 8, they will have an absolute blast playing Highlights Hidden Pictures. This is a top-notch, great quality educational title. I just wish the folks over at Mobad Games would have handled the in-app purchasing a little different.

You can buy Highlights Hidden Pictures HERE.

Features:
• Engaging game play with 3 exciting modes to choose from: Practice, Examination and Challenge mode
• 35 levels of game play
• Detailed tutorial to help you learn how to play the game
• Smooth controls to maximize your gaming pleasure
• Unlock bonus rounds (by correctly entering an anagram using all of the letters displayed)
• Global and Local leader boards with weekly, monthly and all-time high scores
• Turn off the game music and listen to tunes from your iPod while you try to beat the clock
• Choose to play with either 6 or 7 letter tiles, depending on the degree of difficulty you prefer
• Choose the color of the background and chalk used
• Your choice of three different word lists: SOWPODS (267,000 British and American words), TWL (179,000 American words), ENABLE (173,000 North American words).

In Practice mode the goal is to make as many words as you can from all of the letters provided, no time limit. Once you’re familiar with how the game works, you can try your hand at the Examination mode. The game play is the same as in practice mode, with the notable exception that now you’re also racing to beat the clock and get the highest score possible in three minutes. Challenge mode allows you to match up against your friends from Facebook or your phone contact list. One is rewarded with points for correct word entries.  But, be aware that you are penalized for incorrect words, as well.  Correctly entering an anagram using all of the available letters will unlock a bonus level, a trivia question with the letters of the answer scrambled.  Simply rearrange the letters to form the correct answer and get some bonus points.

I have long been a huge fan of the Nintendo DS Brain Age game for its word anagram puzzles.  If there is one thing I’m not a fan of with regard to Wordulous, it’s that the puzzles include words not commonly used by the average person (ex: ags or goa — I don’t even know what those words mean, and the only reason I got those in the puzzle was that out of pure exasperation I started randomly entering letters). Yet, even with the added difficulty of uncommonly used words, I still really, really like this game.  And I love the option to compare your scores globally with other users, something that the Brain Age DS game doesn’t offer, to my knowledge — and if I’m wrong on that, do me a favor and keep it to yourself.  My husband will tell you I’m never wrong!!!

You can buy Wordulous HERE.