I was raised on PCs, my father was a computer engineer so there was always a PC around. The first game I really played that I remember was Doom back in 1996. I don’t really play that many console games, not because I believe in being part of the PC master race, a term coined really by Ben ‘Yahtzee’ Croshaw. It’s purely because I’m lazy. I like being able to use the same device to play games, and then be able to work on a document or edit a film without leaving my chair. But by my own standards, mobile platforms like the iPad, kindle fire, and the Galaxy; also work in the same way.
Focusing on the iPad for the sake of argument, I like that I can check my Facebook, then write a document, use Garageband, and then play a great game like Walking Dead. Many people revolt against mobile gaming, but I feel that this isn’t too far from how the general public reflected on gaming back in the 80’s. It is still evolving, and here are my top 10 examples of good innovation and games that prove that the platform has a place right along side, PC, MAC, and console gaming.
Please remember this isn’t a top ten list of best games, it’s a top ten list of games that prove the validity of the medium.
10) Doom
John Carmack, the original technical engineer of Doom also worked on porting the game to the mobile platform, due to the simplicity of the games interface and game-play, longtime fans on the franchise will immediately feel at home and able to adapt to the touchscreen interface in no time at all. Still just as addictive and now you can play the quick pace gore fest anywhere you like, in a lecture, in church, boring family get-togethers, and even during a disaster like your home being invaded by hell-spawn.
9) Angry Birds
Can I get a show of hands from anyone who saw this entry coming? I know there will be a lot but I’m kind of hoping for a global wave of gaming fans. A game the launched the casual gaming market into the first decade of the 21st century, it took some of the control interfaces of Worms and applied it to hurling birds at pigs and structures that would get any architect fired by health & safety boards. The game proved that mobile platforms could compete with platforms like the Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and Gameboy as a casual handheld gaming device.
8) Shadowrun Returns
Shadowrun Returns is a great example of a game, that across all platforms it has been released on it is able to deliver the exact same experience both in visuals and in story & gameplay. The games transition to a touchscreen mobile medium was flawless, making the experience fun on both PC and iPad. Now with a newly added save feature absent from the original release, the game is a must play for any RPG or cyberpunk enthusiasts.
7) Dream:scape
Dream:scape is the Gone Home of the mobile platform. One thing that makes me wonder is video-game should be the term that covers all interactive medium that runs on something like the Unreal engine. Gone Home was a good example of how games could give you a great emotional roller-coaster of a narrative that didn’t involve gun play. Dream:scape has an almost identical formula to its delivery. I spoke a little about how audio logs can tell a story and save developers time and money in my previous article: http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/07/doom-beat-system-shock-system-shock-shaped-doom-3/
6) Doom II RPG
An addictive title, Doom II RPG is one of the best games I’ve played on a mobile platform, it kept me engaged, it had enough of the assets from the original franchise to make me feel welcome in the world, the humor was brilliant and the interface and game-play was very well-integrated to make your smartphone feel much more like a gaming peripheral. Any RPG fan will immediately fall in love with this title. Full of secrets, hacking, character stats, I think the only piece of free advice I’ll give to readers is the following: – The chainsaw can be used to destroy obstructing objects; like chairs.
5) Neon Shadow
Here is an example of an FPS done right on a tablet or phone, with a simplistic story, great action that makes you really feel like you’re in an action arcade like setting, and simple yet really well designed controls. One thing that I felt was really well done was the shooting mechanic in this title. It felt like it would if I was using a mouse to aim or shoot, or a gamepad using the right thumbstick and trigger. Neon Shadow I think is the first game to really get the aim and shooting mechanic down really well. It’s co-op is really fun and engaging on an iPad and you’d be surprised as how much fun you’ll actually have when your opponents face is in yours whilst he or she holds the other side of the pad. Just like in the next entry.
4) Glow Hockey
I cannot even begin to tell you how much of an icebreaker this game is, whether it’s on your phone or tablet, the game is great to pull out at slow small parties and in the pub. Every platform has its social-lubricant game, PC have Audiosurf, consoles have Guitar Hero, and tablets and phones have this. It’s a great game, addictive, gets people very competitive, and will make you contemplate on why Pong hasn’t had a really decent remake yet.
3) The walking dead
Now to be fair, anything on the Telltale Games library will work here, but this is a game I have a lot to talk about. I have only played it on an iPad. During the entirety of the immersion, getting attached to these great, great characters, making all these decisions, staying up in the middle of the night playing whilst the screen illuminated my stubble-ridden face now flooding with tears, it dawned on me. I was holding a piece of art, full of content, full of characters, full of drama, making me cry. I was finally holding a game, that I could present to my parents and peers who weren’t interested in games and say, “it has finally reached the stage where it can be compared to books, and stand a chance.” This game doesn’t just prove that mobile gaming can work, it proves so much, much more.
2) AvP: Evolution
In today’s day and age it’s really hard to be able to point to a good modern Alien or Predator game, oddly enough one of the better games to come out in a long while happened on iOS platforms in the form of AvP: Evolution. It stands as an odd one out in the Alien Vs Predator catalog as it is one of the few games where you don’t get the opportunity to play as a marine. But playing as an Alien or a Predator are both equally fun, the game functions very well as a mobile game, and playing as an Alien and literally throwing a facehugger onto someones face never gets old.
1) Deus Ex: The Fall
This game had a lot of people angry, nobody wanted a Deus Ex game on a tablet, fans love, praised, reinstall at every mention the original Deus Ex whenever it is mention, then they quickly cite Deus Ex: Invisible War as one of the worst sequels of all time, which I personally disagree with. Then Square Enix got the rights to the franchise and gave Eidos Montreal the assignment of carrying on the legacy. Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a great title, albeit still very simplified in comparison to the original. Then they released Deus Ex: The Fall on Android and iOS. Personally, I think it shows the potential of the complexity games on this platform can have, is it the best game in the franchise? Of course not. Is it one the best games on the iPad? No, I doubt it’ll even be in the top ten, but it’s probably one of the most important. Anyone who points at Deus Ex and says “this is how games should be designed!” should really get behind Deus Ex: The Fall and say “This is how iPad games should be designed!”.
Please remember this isn’t a top ten list of best games, it’s a top ten list of games that prove the validity of the medium.