Welcome to the first in a hopefully regular series covering the latest noteworthy mobile phone games. We’ve dabbled with the idea of mobile and download game round ups in the past, though now we’re going to attempt to do it semi-properly. A couple of months ago the Pickford Brothers referred to us as “yet another website that lumps mobile games reviews together in a round up rather than a page per game”, which we found mildly amusing, seeing as we we’re only just starting our mobile games review round up now and we have given our favourite mobile games full page reviews. There’s nothing wrong with a nice bit of round up though, is there?
So sit down. Stick your hand in your pocket. Grab your phone of choice (assuming it’s an iPhone or Android phone, all you Windows Phone and ironic retro Nokia owners can go piss off), and get ready to download some of these little gems should they tickle your fancy. Unless they’re really shit. We’re not just doing a round up of the most brilliant mobile games are we? Mmm, whatever.
A few months ago Jake wrote a post about the cost per hour of console games vs apps… Jetpack Joyride is one such mobile game that manages to eat away the hours and provide a surprising amount of entertainment for 69p.
Playing’s rather simple – tap the screen to fire your jetpack and hover upwards. Combined with charming graphics, satisfying sound effects and an OCD-like mission/achievements system that rewards you with coins to buy new outfits and jetpacks, it’s really easy to lose a few hours or more just tapping away at the screen like a small-minded imbecile. High praise indeed.
Download on iPhone/iPad (£0.69)
Whale Trail might seem a bit familiar after playing Jetpack Joyride, as it’s essentially the same “tap to fly” mechanic – although in this case you control a whale flying through the clouds collecting coloured bubbles. There’s a bit of a Nights into Dreams feeling to it, as you follow the ball trail, building up a multiplier and occasionally pulling off loop the loops (speaking of Nights, now there’s a game Sega need to re-release for iOS).
The melodic Gruff Rhys soundtrack and cutesy visuals are the main reason for people to take notice of Whale Trail. It doesn’t have the same compulsive “one more go” gameplay of Jetpack Joyride, but it provides a pleasant ride through charming scenery, while it lasts. Actually, it might just be all about the music…
Download on iPhone/iPad (£0.69)
I feel like I’m doing Kairosoft a bit of a disservice by just giving Pocket League Story this “mini review”, though if you’re a fan of their previous games you’ll probably know what to expect here, and hopefully love it just as much. This is basically Kairosoft’s version of Football Manager. It’s so cute and charming though, even sound-minded non-football-fans may be smitten with it.
Essentially it’s still a game of levelling up, watching numbers increase and growing your team, but as you turn your training ground from a dusty patch to a luscious pitch complete with parking and world class gym facilities, you feel a certain sense of satisfaction. The matches are just about right, short and snappy, enough to enhance the immersion without getting too repetitive. Currently only Android users get to experience the fun, but it will almost certainly get an iPhone release in a month or two, just like most other Kairosoft games.
You’ve heard of Minecraft surely? The crafting/mining/lego-style indy game made by one guy that went on to sell almost 4 million copies (and counting). Well, this is the game in mobile form, for Android phones. Having Minecraft in your pocket is rather amazing in its own right. Although, it’s hard to completely recommend this version, as it’s still effectively an alpha (currently at version 0.1.2), and Mojang are charging a rather steep £4.29, when most other mobile games are less than £1 and £2.99 is considered high.
If you have a capable enough Android phone though, this is definitely a game to keep an eye out for. By the time it reaches version 1.0, it could be quite amazing.
The most amazing golf putting game, like, ever! Or at least on the iPhone. Using the power of your finger, you putt balls… into holes! Ok, admittedly one of the Games Asylum writers may have had some involvement with this game. It’s not like we’re on the developer’s payroll or anything. Well, maybe. It’s free though, so you might as well download it if you like golf or trajectory-based ball games. 87 out of 10!
Download on iPhone/iPad (Free)