There comes a time in every adult’s life when we pine for the things of our youth. Cartoons, pointless teenage adventure movies, even classic cars like those recently found in NYC all take us back to those halcyon days when we had no bills to pay and responsibilities that we could count on the fingers of one hand. But nothing takes us back quite so much as retro games.
The success of retro consoles like the SNES Classic and Sega’s Mega Drive Mini proves that when it comes to retro games, we want it all. And that got us to thinking about those smartphones in our pockets. Wouldn’t it be great if we could play a few classics on the commute to work?
Well, it turns out that we can. Here’s what we found.
Space Invaders
Yes, the most classic video game of them all is available on your smartphone. There are many games that try to emulate this classic but none are a patch on the original TAITO version. Believe it or not, this is the version that is available for around $5 on both Android and iOS.
And it’s just like playing the original. It’s got those really bad pixelated graphics that do move a lot more smoothly now and it’s still just as compelling as it always was. The game is proving to be so popular now that TAITO has agreed to launch a board version of the game. How retro can you get?
Casino games
Next, we’re taking a slightly different retro approach. Casino games are the ultimate in retro fun. Spinning reels on the slots, aces high, and betting it all on red 12 — there’s nothing quite like it.
The online casino genre is nothing new and there are tons of operators out there to choose from. However, you need to know which operators can offer a complete range of classic online casino games. We’re talking blackjack, poker, roulette, and maybe even some slots for fun. Most importantly though, is the need for a mobile app so you can play on your smartphone.
Pac-Man
Back to the arcade for our next suggestion. Pac-Man was the game of many a person’s formative years. But the new smartphone version has brought this classic arcade game to a whole new generation. While many gamers are now obsessed with titles like Fortnite, there’s a growing percentage of the community getting into old classics like this one.
It’s free on both Android and iOS and the gameplay is just how you remember it. In fact, it’s even better now as all you need to do is swipe in the direction you want to move. Simple yet maddeningly frustrating.
Scrabble GO
We can’t have a retro gaming post without at least one mention of a classic game that started many a household argument. Scrabble has spawned dozens of copycat games, but we all love a classic original, right?
After a few false starts, the people behind the game finally got it right and you can now play Scrabble Go with other players as a social game. It’s the way it should be, of course, but previous iterations of the game lacked this ability. This new version has a great hangout chat function too which is very handy for teasing your friends for losing!
Sonic the Hedgehog
We mentioned Sonic earlier and we were so happy to find the original Sega classic on both Android and iOS. Yes, we couldn’t believe it either. What’s even better is that it’s every bit as good as the original.
There’s nothing quite like the sound of those rings each time you collect one as you dash through the amazingly detailed levels. If we had smartphones back in the day, we would never have stopped playing this game.
Honorable mentions go to Tetris, Monopoly and Prince of Persia which is also available for both iOS and Android devices.
