January 25, 2005

Smart Box Design Launches a Windows Mobile Version of WordPop!, an Acclaimed Word Game for Handheld Devices

Company also updates WordPop! for Palm OS with new sounds and expanded lexicon

SEATTLE – January 25, 2005 - - Smart Box Design announces it has launched a version of WordPop!, its challenging word creation game, for Windows Mobile devices. The Windows Mobile version features audio and visual effects designed to take advantage of the high-resolution screens and audio capabilities of the latest devices based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 2003 platform, such as the Dell Axim, HP iPAQ and Toshiba e-series devices. The company has simultaneously upgraded the Palm OS version with new sound effects and additional words.

Those who enjoy word games such as Boggle and Scrabble will find WordPop! an addictive new part of their PDA game collection. Players are challenged to create words and use strategy skills to rack up high scores. The game requires players to take a strategic approach to assemble various combinations of words on a game board comprised of randomly placed letter tiles. The object of the game is to clear the board by creating words from the letter tiles. As each word is formed, the tiles in the word are removed and the remaining tiles fall into the vacated spaces and create new word possibilities.

A strategic approach to the game is essential to winning. Players need to plan ahead in order to clear the board and move on to the next round. To increase the number of word possibilities, players can also rotate the board to rearrange the letters.

Reviewers of PDA games are already raving about the new version of WordPop!: "The glory of this game is that it may be played on all different levels by all different ages and skill levels," said Tim Hillebrand, a contributor to Pocket PC Magazine. "The developers of this product all used to work for an educational game company and have transferred those skills to Smart Box Design which shines through in the creation of this fun and instructive program."

"I love word puzzles, and this one is truly enjoyable," exclaimed Judie Hughes, product reviewer with The-Gadgeteer.com, a popular online outlet for news and reviews of mobile technologies. "If you enjoy word puzzles, give this one a try."

WordPop! was designed for players of all ages and skill levels. The breadth of the games’ word list allows players to push the limits of their vocabularies and creates an excellent educational tool for parents and educators. WordPop! has three difficulty levels, Easy, Medium, and Hard, to accommodate both novice and advanced players. Each level also offers a distinctive experience, giving players the choice of playing a relaxing game or challenging their intellect.

Smart Box Design developed WordPop! with a host of options to enable players to keep track of their progress. The game offers a "Best Words" screen, which displays the highest-scoring words created by the player and "High Score" screens to show the number of rounds accomplished and points scored.

"I have been thrilled with the response by Palm OS users to our initial release of WordPop!, and I'm looking forward to watching it become a classic word game on Windows Mobile devices as well," said Todd Sherman, president of Smart Box Design. "The attention to detail that we put into all of our games is truly demonstrated in the newest versions of WordPop!"

Detailed information about WordPop! and a free trial version are available at http://www.smartboxdesign.com.

About Smart Box Design

Smart Box Design LLC, based in Seattle, Washington, was formed in 2003 by game industry veterans who share a common vision of creating exciting high-quality strategy games for mobile users. Smart Box Design licenses, develops, and publishes games for Palm OS and Windows Mobile handheld devices. The company has previously released 9 Men's Morris and Farkle Dice, which are sold worldwide and localized into German.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

e-Mail
tsherman@smartboxdesign.com

Mailing Address
Smart Box Design
2316 Warren Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98109