Item management is a big part of Return to Mysterious Island. The original’s item system was complex, so I was curious to see how it translated to the iPod Touch. It’s retained most of its functionality with a few twitchy spots. As you explore the island, you pick up random objects in the grand tradition of adventure games. Items can not only be used on their own but also combined with other items for different purposes. For instance, you can create a lighter by combining a jagged piece of metal with a piece of sandstone. This you can use to relight an abandoned firepit and cook some edible items to restore Mina’s energy. Combining and reusing items makes up a substantial part of the game play.

Luckily, this works well on the Ipod Touch. Two boxes in the lower right corner of the screen show what you have picked up and what you are currently holding. The item screen is approximately 20 slots stretched over about eight screens. To combine items, just drag one item over another in the item combination area. For example, combining a knife and coconut results in a still showing Mina carving the coconut, and then you will be left with a husked coconut. In a more complex example, you can combine worms, a piece of metal, a thin vine, and a long piece of wood to make a fishing line. Completed items can be dragged into a box in the upper right of the screen, placing them in Mina’s hand.

The inventory system works well, but it’s not easy to control. It’s difficult to select the right item and drag it to where you want to go, and switching between screens in your inventory is more difficult than it should be. You switch screens by flicking your finger at a sphere marked with two arrows, but there’s no indication of whether you’re going right or left. I once spent five minutes trying to get back to the first screen of the inventory because when I moved my finger right the screen moved left. This part of the game suffers from the lack of a mouse. A few bugs, more annoying then crippling, water down the experience. The game jammed during a certain action, so I’d have to close and reopen the game. I didn’t lose any progress, but it was a pain. Also, when first starting the game, Mina’s initial speech replayed over and over, causing me to restart.

Despite the occasional bug, RtMI is still a good game with a nice transfer to the iPod Touch. Gamers wanting some old school point and click adventuring on the go should pick it up.