10 Classic Games That Worked Perfectly on Mobile

With all the amazing graphics, realistic physics, virtual and augmented reality that games today can treat us, we still have a place in our hearts for the games we played in simpler times when they were all about pure game design, ideas and player’s fantasy. Luckily, today we don’t even need any emulators because there are plenty of re-mastered games that were optimized and released for mobile platforms.

Pong

Forty-something years ago, it all started with Pong. A grandfather to all videogames is back right from the 70s to your smartphone. This game may seem overly simple and unsophisticated, yet even now, it is as addictive, as it used to be. Pong is an ultimate classic and an absolute must-have for all who is interested in the history of gaming, values old school stuff and the minimalistic aesthetics, or simply looks for some entertaining casual play.

Pac-Man

No list of classic games would be complete without this iconic dot-gobbling arcade. There are various mobile incarnations – Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man 256, Championship Edition DX – which all maintain the spirit of the original and will win the sympathy of adults and kids alike. Ms. Pac-Man, though, is the most faithful translation into mobile, without any frills added, available in landscape and portrait modes. You can also choose between the swipes and d-pad controls. Whether your device is iOS or Android operated, you can pick your own favorite version of Pac-Man to enjoy, though you may still miss the feel of a real joystick.

Tetris

Just as Pac-Man, this iconic game of endurance and coordination probably have taken hours and hours of your childhood. Did your parents use to take your Game Boy away and send you upstairs to finally get you doing your homework? I bet they did, just as you probably block the apps on your kid’s phone now as the last remedy. During the three decades of existence this simple and ridiculously addictive game have been released on nearly every video game console and computer there is, as well as on rather unexpected devices such as graphing calculators, TV-sets, and even oscilloscopes. It would be weird if it were not available for your smartphone as well. Though for the first few minutes you might compulsively (alas, to no avail!) fumble for a ‘Rotate’ button with your thumb, you will soon get used to the touch mode and find that controls are pretty streamlined for a touch-version of this legendary tile-matching puzzle.

Sonic the Hedgehog

The game everyone who was a kid in 90s fondly remembers has been faithfully remastered for mobile environment (both Android and iOS). The timeless jump-and-run platform game now comes with refined and expanded side-scrolling design with larger stages and even more focus on speed. In every other aspect, it is the same good old blue hedgehog, dashing forward, dodging obstacles, defeating bosses and saving the world. The touch screen controls take some time to master, but it does not spoil the fun and the wave of nostalgia from the original levels. Moreover, there is a possibility to use hardware controllers for hardcore old-schoolers.

Final Fantasy

There are many titles re-mastered from this strategy role-playing series by Square Enix and they all play like the originals from the 90s, with their traditional gameplay, brilliant soundtrack, turn-based combats of fighters and mages, intriguing stories and all the core experiences, that have been left untouched and suit mobile platforms (both iOS and Android) but perfectly. I also must mention games’ beautiful art (although purists may lament the modernization of the cut-scenes). The only drawback of this feast for eyes and mind is its comparatively high tag.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider I is a decent mobile incarnation of the original title with somewhat enhanced graphics, touch controls, and two chapters added (the publisher claims they are original chapters that were by some reason omitted in the 1998 release). All the other aspects of the game remained deliciously authentic and unedited – searching for hidden treasures of Atlantis, hopping around and solving puzzles, fighting off the dinosaurs, wielding the dual guns – all in low-resolution textures. Yes, please! Both iOS and Android device owners can have this treasure trove of childhood memories in their pockets.

DOOM

Doom has revolutionized the videogame industry and since its arrival, it was all about first-person horror shooters. The mobile release will hardly win hordes of new fans because it has no 3D-models, stunning graphics or other eye-candy stuff, but instead, with its unchanged feel and haunting soundtrack, offers hours of nostalgia for the devoted shooter veterans who caught the early 90s. If it were not for Doom, there probably would never be Call of Duty, Halo and other appraised titles in this niche. Having Doom on your phone is like storing a piece of history, and it is awesome.

R-Type

This list must contain at least one space shooter and R-Type is a perfect candidate. Mobile version keeps the original spirit of this classic horizontal shoot-‘em-up intact. The changes, however, have been introduced. Apart from the obvious (by which I mean a swap of joystick for touch controls), now you have a possibility to set the difficulty level, which is a big news, because now you stand a chance against the waves of alien starships in this insanely challenging old-school game.

Baldur’s Gate

This beautiful role-playing game from Bioware in Dungeons & Dragons style gives you 60+ hours of exciting gameplay. Just as in good old days, you customize your hero’s characteristics, recruit loyal allies and lead your party to explore the world of Fearun, full of adventure, mystery, artifacts and riches to loot. It is suitable for almost any mobile platform. However, to do the justice to the game’s large maps and excellent graphics I would recommend playing it on a tablet. On a smartphone, the interface might become somewhat cramped, and dialogues are difficult to read because the text is tiny. On the other hand, you can still enjoy well-written quests, compelling characters, D&D combat mechanics and all the new content added to make this classic even more fascinating.

Crazy Taxi

Another title of Sega’s fast-paced classic. The core gameplay is all about speed: you drive around in your cab get passengers to their destination as fast as you can because your reward depends on it. The crazy bit here is that your customers will be okay with taking a shortcut through a coffee shop or another annoying obstacle. Almost forgot the icing on this cake: it come with a bundle of addictive mini-games. This all-time great arcade is available for Android and iOS.
Now the whole history of gaming is on your smartphone. Maybe your kids will appreciate them as well. Or maybe they will just wonder how their old folks could possibly find those pixelated simplistic games with flimsy controls worth a second go. Well, this is going to be an insightful experience anyway.

Sources:

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