Features

Top 5 retro remakes on Java mobiles

Play it again

Top 5 retro remakes on Java mobiles
|

Let’s not kid ourselves here - games are just as susceptible to the aging process as you and I.

A ‘pure’ port of something like Space Invaders just isn’t going to cut it in this modern world of mobile telephones and Compact Disc players.

If it’s not the graphics that will cause offence - it’s the pace or simplicity of the gameplay that will end up disappointing.

Thankfully, there’s a great selection of considered and enjoyable remakes of classic games available to experience on Java mobiles, ranging from the traditional reworking to more controversial breaks from tradition.

Here’s our pick of the top five retro remakes on Java mobiles.

Pang Remixed (Zed)

mobile_best_retro_remakes_pang_remixed_1There have been very few changes applied to Pang down the years, since it first wowed arcade goers back in 1989. The basic concept remains the same for Pang Remixed - pop balloons with your boy (or girl) before they bounce into you.

What Remixed brings to the table is a whole new (and much fairer) progression system, as well as a series of new power-ups that, while never completely changing the flow of the game, do add a little bit of extra spice to the gameplay.

It sounds minor, but when the gameplay was already annoyingly moreish, any excuse to pick up the hookshot one more time is good in our books.

Space Invaders Evolution (EA Mobile)

Let’s face it, Space Invaders the original game is starting to show its age nowadays.

Where once the chunky graphics and steady bleeps were almost like a glimpse into the space age future, now it’s far too basic to hold the attention of all but the most dedicated retro gamer.

Evolution brilliantly caters for not just these players, but also for newcomers, by taking the base gameplay and building on it steadily until the once antiquated game becomes a red hot, no holds barred modern shooter.

Galaga X (Namco Bandai Games)

mobile_best_retro_remakes_galaga_x_1Sequel to the classic Galaxian, Galaga was one of the plethora of games that came out in the wake of Space Invaders’s success at the arcades and added some pretty neat features. For the time, that is.

Galaga X understandably goes a little further than the original game, offering up a fierce shooting challenge that’s decidedly modern in its execution, without sacrificing the spirit of the original.

The balance between finding a safe place to hide on screen from the relentless barrage of enemy ships, and taking said craft out with your assortment of high-tech weaponry remains a compulsive challenge.

Pac-Man Championship Edition (Namco Bandai Games)

mobile_best_retro_remakes_pacman_championship_edition_1Pac-Man Championship Edition is possibly one of my personal favourite mobile games of all-time - it’s just so well suited for on-the-go gaming.

The basic spirit of Pac-Man is still alive and well in this version, however it’s been filtered through a modern lens and (in)arguably been made better than ever, thanks to the increasing pace, the range of options available, and the sweaty palm inducing time limit.

If you even have only a passing interest in the yellow hungry thing, then Championship Edition should be your first port of call, not the original.

Tetris Revolution (EA Mobile)

mobile_best_retro_remakes_tetris_revolution_1Revolution doesn’t quite banish memories of the original game of Tetris as Championship Edition does of Pac-Man, but if you’re after a version of the game on your mobile, you can’t go too far wrong.

Absolutely chock-a-(line)block full of original game modes, and presented in a crisp, cool, neon blue sheen, Tetris Revolution is even harder to put down than the original.

Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).