On every cell phone I have ever owned, I have purchased Tetris. Every single time I do, it barely ever gets played, but for some reason I just can't resist it's siren call. No matter how many times I've gotten a version that plays like complete ass, I keep telling myself the next one will be better. That's the nature of the mobile games of (mostly) the past; A billion different variations of the same types of games, that can vary even more depending on what brand of phone or network you have.
For some reason, I check the "game store" on my phone on a somewhat regular basis. I'm not sure why. There is nothing original there -- at least that I've ever found -- and why would there be? The games that will sell will be the games tied in with the latest movie or big console game release, and the shoddily ported classic games with titles everyone knows. Verizon has a "Top Sellers" category under it's (for lack of a better term) game store, and it is always filled with the aforementioned licensed titles or classic remakes.
Now, with the age of the smart phone, Apple has set out to revitalize this shit pond of the video game industry. Say what you will about their complete lack of interest in promoting the actually good content, but there have been success stories involving original titles, which is far more than we could ever say before. And that, I'm sure, is mostly because of the small groups of the gaming community that have rallied behind this new age of mobile gaming and are striving to promote the quality titles. Gamers are fighting to reclaim this once embarrassing section of their beloved hobby.
Me? I don't have a smart phone yet. I have a Verizon enV, the original, that they don't even make parts for anymore. I do not have Tetris on it, but I do have Scrabble. The most it was ever played was when my friend and I went to a seated concert and passed it back and forth before the show to kill time. I gave up trying to find a version of Tetris where I wouldn't accidentally hit a button after 15 minutes that insta-dropped a piece in a terrible position. It is pretty safe to say I won't be buying anymore mobile games until I've upgraded to a Droid or iPhone. Though, when checking the store while writing this article I noticed they had the original Final Fantasy. I wonder how well that ported over. Hmmmm.
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1 comments:
Mobile games still have a ways to go, yet. (Final Fantasy is a good port for the iPhone, incidentally, as is FFII). The fact that the "hidden object games" and "line drawing games" are now accepted genres is... actually, I'm not sure, because I certainly enjoy Flight Control (the game which originated the "line drawing" genre).
Hidden Object games are nothing but a bastardization and a mockery of what once made adventure games great, though.
Certain developers have got it licked, though. Mobile games should be quick and easy to play, should have some means of competing with friends (be it direct multiplayer or at the very least leaderboards and achievements) and should not try to do too much.
Developers also need to remember that a touchscreen is not a joypad. The lack of tactile feedback is something that many people don't take into account.
Conclusions? I game a bit on my iPhone, often when travelling or waiting for something that will happen in a few minutes. But I've usually got something better to play when I'm at home, or when I have more time available.
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