If you had asked me six months ago, I would have laughed in your face. Gaming on a cell phone? Yeah right.
Then I bought one (well, a 2G iPod Touch). And I've played around with the app store and had a look at the games available, and the games that are coming out. Sure, the device is missing buttons so it'll never replace a traditional control scheme, but aren't we past the urge to play console games on the go? Isn't that why the PSP has so little interest, what with all of the sloppy PS2 ports?
Anything turn-based, anything requiring simple control schemes, point and click gameplay - hell, anything that uses the DS the way it should be used could easily be ported to the iPhone. Nintendo knows this, that's why they've got the upcoming DSi and its store. It's probably too little too late, though, and too restrictive in terms of the barriers to entry.
Puzzle Quest is out next week for the iPhone, and looks to be the definitive version - the graphics of the PSP port, the controls of the DS game, plus extra content...yes please. I've played it on the PSP and on the 360, and using traditional controls is clunky and awkward as hell. It should be pleasantly easy to play on the iPhone in comparison, and will mean I can finally toss the laggy (albeit fun) Aurora Feint.
Think of all the games that would benefit by the higher resolution screen and greater capacity of the iPhone - games that would benefit from periodic content updates, similar to Professor Layton's downloadable puzzles. Professor Layton is a great example of a game that would be a perfect fit for the platform and its controls. So is Phoenix Wright. After playing Tap Tap Revenge it's easy to see how you could play a version of Elite Beat Agents on the iPhone as well, plus the crazy extra controls that would be possible using the multitouch capabilities.
The only thing I'm not sold on is the accelerometer. There is a fun game called Defend that uses it well, but many games try to do more than they should - moving a character in a platformer, for example, or banking shots in a tennis game. Some games have the right idea in that they keep you on your toes by switching your viewpoint periodically (see the previously mentioned Defend, which is well worth 99 cents). Like great DS games, great iPhone games play to the strengths of the platform.
With Square's upcoming release of previously Japanese-only mobile games, I hope to see some of their DS games as well. The 3D Final Fantasy ports would be quite playable with some tweaks to the controls, and could even have a slight graphical update.
Final Fantasy Tactics would work wonderfully as well. Joan D'Arc too. I'd even pay premiums for those games over the usual $0.99 to $9.99 price range of applications in the store. And hell, my first wish - Puzzle Quest - did come true, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Phoenix and Layton, or at least something in a similar vein. Or Meteos or Lumines. Do all that and I might even be tempted to ditch my DS.
The iPhone is a viable portable gaming device
If you had asked me six months ago, I would have laughed in your face. Gaming on a cell phone? Yeah right.
Then I bought one (well, a 2G iPod Touch). And I've played around with the app store and had a look at the games available, and the games that are coming out. Sure, the device is missing buttons so it'll never replace a traditional control scheme, but aren't we past the urge to play console games on the go? Isn't that why the PSP has so little interest, what with all of the sloppy PS2 ports?
Anything turn-based, anything requiring simple control schemes, point and click gameplay - hell, anything that uses the DS the way it should be used could easily be ported to the iPhone. Nintendo knows this, that's why they've got the upcoming DSi and its store. It's probably too little too late, though, and too restrictive in terms of the barriers to entry.
Puzzle Quest is out next week for the iPhone, and looks to be the definitive version - the graphics of the PSP port, the controls of the DS game, plus extra content...yes please. I've played it on the PSP and on the 360, and using traditional controls is clunky and awkward as hell. It should be pleasantly easy to play on the iPhone in comparison, and will mean I can finally toss the laggy (albeit fun) Aurora Feint.
Think of all the games that would benefit by the higher resolution screen and greater capacity of the iPhone - games that would benefit from periodic content updates, similar to Professor Layton's downloadable puzzles. Professor Layton is a great example of a game that would be a perfect fit for the platform and its controls. So is Phoenix Wright. After playing Tap Tap Revenge it's easy to see how you could play a version of Elite Beat Agents on the iPhone as well, plus the crazy extra controls that would be possible using the multitouch capabilities.
The only thing I'm not sold on is the accelerometer. There is a fun game called Defend that uses it well, but many games try to do more than they should - moving a character in a platformer, for example, or banking shots in a tennis game. Some games have the right idea in that they keep you on your toes by switching your viewpoint periodically (see the previously mentioned Defend, which is well worth 99 cents). Like great DS games, great iPhone games play to the strengths of the platform.
With Square's upcoming release of previously Japanese-only mobile games, I hope to see some of their DS games as well. The 3D Final Fantasy ports would be quite playable with some tweaks to the controls, and could even have a slight graphical update.
Final Fantasy Tactics would work wonderfully as well. Joan D'Arc too. I'd even pay premiums for those games over the usual $0.99 to $9.99 price range of applications in the store. And hell, my first wish - Puzzle Quest - did come true, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Phoenix and Layton, or at least something in a similar vein. Or Meteos or Lumines. Do all that and I might even be tempted to ditch my DS.
Awesome. I completely forgot that games are available for download on the Ipod Touch. Im going to get those for sure.
Word up.
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