Hidden Runaway was an odd experience for me. It isn't frequent when I get the chance to replay a really great and solid game from several years in the past, but in a completely different and new way. Put simply, Hidden Runaway is a hidden object version of Pendulo Studios' 2001 (2003 in North America) game, Runaway: A Road Adventure, or the first half of it anyway.

Hidden Runaway has the same visual style and overall ambiance of the older title. Both the locations and the characters look the same, in fact, they are the same. Hidden Runaway lifts video and locations straight from the older game. Basically, those who played through A Road Adventure will work their way through the scenes by completing hidden object screens instead of standard point-and-click adventure puzzles. The result of the hidden object screens is typically the same movie clip found in the old game. The only difference this time around is that there is no voicework. Instead, all of the characters have word bubbles for their dialogue.

The rest of the game's sound seems right though. I can't say for certain that it is the same music as the original game, since it's been a long time after all, but I can't see why BulkyPix and Pendulo wouldn't use the same music like they did the videos. Either way, the mood of the background music and sound effects feels right in all of the game's locations.

Like I said above, Hidden Runaway is Runaway: A Road Adventure, just with a different gameplay style. This time around, Brian and Gina's first encounter is a hidden object game instead of a standard adventure game. The in-game excuse for this is that the now separated couple have been called in to tell their story so that a movie based on their history together can be made.

Like the old game, Hidden Runaway starts off with young Brian accidently hitting Gina with his car, not realizing that she was running away from some very bad men. He starts to realize what he has gotten himself into while waiting for her to wake up in the hospital. One of Brian's earliest first tasks is to confuse a hit man into thinking he should shoot up a dummy in a different hospital bed instead of killing Gina.

Where A Road Adventure did this by having you scrounge around the hospital room for the necessary decoy pieces, Hidden Runaway presents you hidden object screens that result in the required inventory item.

Where some hidden object fans might start to shy away here, at least those that don't like having to use adventure-styled mechanics to solve puzzles, they really shouldn't. In order to keep Hidden Runaway as hidden object as possible, the game tells the player exactly what inventory items go where. It does this by letting you tap on the place where the items will come together and showing you exactly which components need to be put where, so there is little adventure style problem-solving involved. That being said, Hidden Runaway does offer a few puzzles and mini-games, but I’ve seen far worse in the most basic hidden object/adventure game blends.

As a hidden object game, Hidden Runaway has a ton of screens for you to search through, but not everything is spelled out. I will say that this was one area where I felt Hidden Runaway was a bit lacking. Instead of simply telling you the name of a lot of the items you are searching for, it tends to present you with crossword puzzle phrases. So, instead of saying that you should look for a brain, Hidden Runaway will tell you "Zombie Food." To make matters a little more difficult, you will see the same items in many different screens, but it could have a drastically different name attached to it.

While not saying the names of objects out right makes Hidden Runaway a bit harder, it feels like it is an artificially imposed difficulty. I feel like Hidden Runaway would have been dead on as far as toughness is concerned if it didn't take that particular route with naming the objects you are looking for. That being said, by alluding to the objects instead of naming them right out, it did allow Hidden Runaway to make some amusing pop culture references, something the rest of the Runaway series is known for.

Unfortunately, since Hidden Runaway is a hidden object game, not understanding the pop culture reference could mean not finding the item it represents. In the other games, if you didn't get the reference, the worst that could happen was that you simply didn't get the joke.

Hidden Runaway's reforming of Runaway: A Road Adventure is something you simply don't see too often. The closest you might find is a game that comes out on multiple systems and the Wii or DS versions come out as a completely different game than the Xbox 360 or PS3 titles, but they all have the same story. In the case of those multi-console releases, the different versions are often seen as lower quality. In this case, Hidden Runaway is more of a reimagining, or to use a TV term, reversioning, of the older game. As a result, Hidden Runaway isn't just a port to another system. I've seen way too many old adventure titles get re-released on iOS and they don't always transfer well to make it a good experience. Instead, you can tell that the developers wanted an experience that has the feel of the original game, but in a way that works on the iPad.

That being said, there were a couple of atypical choices that the developers made that I feel the need to point out. One is that while the game lets you use the pinch-to-zoom feature for the hidden object screen, it also lets you zoom into the words themselves. While I didn't find this necessary for the iPad, and that's what this review is for, it was absolutely required on the iPhone, but it still felt awkward and small on the iPhone.

I really enjoyed Hidden Runaway from beginning to end. It was great to work my way through those old familiar settings and situations with the characters as they used to be. I am sad to say that Hidden Runaway is only the first half of the original game, but the credits promise a Hidden Runaway 2 to finish up the story. If you are an adventure fan and you've played Runaway: A Road Adventure, then this is a good way to replay it without rehashing the same exact game. If you are a fan of the genre and you didn't play it, then shame on you. You should find it now and play it. Outside of the adventure gamers, anyone who enjoys hidden object games should check out Hidden Runaway. It has some adult humor, but it isn't blatant and even some of the more obvious allusions will typically be over most kids' heads.