Way back in 2004 Nintendo launched the first portable console to feature 2 gaming screens, the lower one being a touch screen. And while I never had a chance to play on the DS, I was always fascinated with the quality of the games it offered and the response it received from the fans.
On paper DS was weaker to PSP (the immediate competitor) but it terms of games that were fun to play it was second to none. DS offered gaming experiences that could match or even surpass any handheld or console device on the market.
DS launched with the intention of creating games that anyone could play. Even if you were not a gamer. Things like brain age and nintendogs appealed to a lot of people outside the gaming circle. And this was one of the big reasons for its massive success. Comparatively speaking neither the Vita, nor the 3DS did as well as their predecessors.In Fact mobiles slowly became handheld gaming device of choice.
Mobile phones have taken this concept of casual gaming to a new level. Online distribution. Free to play games. Being a device that everyone carries with them, mobiles have fully realized the vision of the Nintendo DS, with games that everyone plays.
Mobiles are not without their own faults. As radical as DS was it did not try to get rid of tradition altogether. It still had buttons. Similarly, while Wii was experimenting with motion sensing to make games more appealing to non gamers , the wiimote could also work as a traditional joystick. Nintendo switch, the latest gaming platform from nintendo can transform between the home console and a handheld but it’s still a proper gaming system.
Mobile phones on the other hand, well they can play video games all right. But they are not designed for it, for purists at least. It’s fun touching and poking on the screen for a while but serious gamers miss the physical buttons. A racer doesn’t feel as responsive on a touch screen. Nor does a fighter. Moreover touching on a screen impedes the gameplay. On a portable device screen space is limited. And if that is being obstructed by the finger it can take you out of the experience.
But there is one category of games that stand out on mobiles and have found a natural home.
RPGs, both western and japanese flavors. The games that focus on the atmosphere and story as opposed to the action. The gameplay is slower and more strategic. You won’t die if you are a bit slow to react. You can take your time in between turns. You can pause the game and come back when you’re ready to play. Turn based RPGs are seeing a resurgence on mobile.
While on consoles these games are passed on in favor of big budget titles on the mobile they are appealing. For one you can play them in short bursts. Rather than sitting through a 50 hour RPG you play it 15 minutes at a time. In the subway. Between meals. Before going to bed.
And here you’ll find so many great mobile games. From old school classics like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy to steven universe attack the light. Even when it comes to action there are certain games that translate really well.
Take lego games for example. Whether it’s lego batman, or marvel’s super heroes or for that matter star wars, lego games are mighty fun to play on mobile. Its their focus on light action, tight platforming and plenty of collectibles that make their translation on a portable device seamless. Even when there are no physical buttons.
PUBG and Fortnite have proved that a mobile can be used to play competitive multiplayer games online. Pokemon go shattered records when it was released a few years back.
It’s no surprise really, a mobile still has all the advantages of a handheld console. It may not have buttons, but it’s got better built in social features. Facebook, youtube, twitter all on the same device. You can play and let your friends know about your experience.
Or you can look up on guides if you’re stuck. Or you can simply put your phone on sleep if your tired. The game starts off from where you left. You don’t have to commit to a play time. Its liberating in a way only a handheld can be.
And yet despite all it’s advantages it feels incomplete. Something seems missing. You don’t really get to see the same amount of dedication among the fans for mobile as there was for handhelds in the past. Why is that I wonder?
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