Unless the PS4 and Xbox One could prove otherwise, it can be said that this generation is the mobile gaming generation. Mobile games are more popular now (compared to console games) although some of today’s favorite titles have been ported from consoles. Over the years, a number of games have enjoyed overwhelming popularity and created different genres. These games are what we can consider exceedingly fabulous that our generation may not be the same without them.
In such a mobile gaming generation, mobile games are more and more polular in our life. You can see people playing mobile games on their phones in subway, buses, cars, even when walking. Those games might become a symbol of our generation. Now, let’s count what those games are.
Snake
Who could ever forget this old game originally created for devices with e-ink displays? This is the game that arguably pioneered the popularity of mobile phones as gaming devices. Snake was one of the reasons Nokia had the advantage in the mobile phone market. This game was once so popular that it became an important factor people considered when buying a mobile phone.
For those who don’t remember how this game works, here’s a refresher. The game is about a 2D “pixel” snake that infinitely moves across the screen and has to eat dots to earn points and advance to the next level. As the snake eats a dot, it grows longer and as the accumulated points reach certain levels, the snake moves faster, making the game more difficult. The Snake scores on mobile phones were probably the origin of the habit of comparing game scores on devices.
Tetris
Tetris is a building block puzzle game of Russian origin. It debuted on the Game Boy system and has now become one of the most popular games of all time. It has versions across almost every gaming platform created by various developers. There are even online Flash versions of this game with a variety of themes. If you are reading this article on a webpage and you don’t know anything about Tetris, you’re probably a toddler or someone who knows nothing about mobile gaming.
Even now, Tetris continues to enjoy a great deal of popularity. It has inspired various building block puzzle games. Modern versions of this game remain popular on the Android and iOS gaming platforms.
SimCity
This game is the pioneer of city building simulation games. Released in 1989, it was designed by Will Wright and published by Maxis, which is now a division of EA or Electronic Arts. This game has yielded a multitude of editions and spinoffs including the highly popular “The Sims,” which was considered the best-selling computer game of all time some years ago.
SimCity went against the fast-paced action games that once ruled the video gaming industry. It is a game of planning, strategizing, building relationships, and patience. Playing it means devoting a lot of time for the game or at least a few hours over a span of several weeks or months. This is one of the first games that eliminated the dreaded “game over” screen in games.
Plants vs Zombies
Plants vs Zombies did not introduce the tower defense sub-genre of strategy video games but it became so popular that it seemingly became the standard of tower defense video games on the mobile platform. Developed and published by Popcap Games, Plants vs Zombies remains to be one of the most widely-played games at present, especially with the release of its sequel: Plants vs Zombies 2: It’s About Time.
If you are a fresh hand and doubt about how popular it, just search the sales of these plants vs zombies toys. You will be shocked.
Angry Birds
One of the most successful video game franchises, Angry Birds is undeniably popular. Almost everyone knows what this game is or have at least heard about it. This game was originally developed for iOS but is now available across different platforms. Further cementing its popularity, a movie adaptation of this game has been scheduled for a 2016 release.
These games represent different points of what has shaped today’s mobile gaming industry. If you are a fan of mobile gaming, it would be a shame to have not tried these games. Give them a try and experience how a few games can make you realize where most of today’s popular titles derive inspiration.
