Top 5 retro games for Xperia Play

The age or the amusement arcade may be over, but its spirit has possessed the Android Market.

The blocky, minimalist philosophy has inspired a number of developers to take advantage of today’s technology to make brighter, better tributes to old favourites.

And thanks to the PlayStation joypad, the Xperia Play is the perfect place for some of these top retro-styled games.

EVAC HD - Review - Buy

In EVAC HD you play as (basically) Pac-Man’s modernised purple cousin. He’s a simple block trying to make his way through a maze, collecting all the dots as he goes. Only this time Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde are replaced with nameless red ‘security’ blocks with sharp teeth that spawn in the dozens if you step over one of the levels' pressure plates.

Add in some other environmental obstacles like mechanised spikes and yellow ‘crates’ to push around and you’ve got yourself a game that’s more than simply an up-to-date tribute to an all time classic. It’s a little bit short-lived, but it manages to make its own mark while remaining faithful enough to what made its inspiration so good.

Pew Pew 2 - Review - Buy

Although it owes more to Geometry Wars than any of the real old-timers, the Pew Pew series remains one of the most competent dual-stick shooters on the market. It’s also one of the most hardcore. The fact that everything is presented as lines and polygonal shapes of various garish colours makes things that little bit tougher.

As a sequel it also includes a few new game modes like the Campaign, complete with boss battles, in addition to the standard Survival and points-hoarding modes.

Radiant HD - Buy

The second entry from developer Hexage (EVAC HD being the first), Radiant HD is a scrolling shooter which feels a lot like a reversed Space Invaders, posing the question: what if you took the fight to them? The enemies are instantly recognisable as the iconic aliens from the 1978 arcade game, but that’s not the only classical reference in this game. There are levels that see you navigate through the fields of Asteroids and enough self-referential banter in the game’s dialogue to keep you chuckling all the way through. And unlike the relentlessly difficult games of the coin-op era, you actually will make it through this one thanks to the upgrades and power-ups you can buy along the way.

Hyperlight HD - Review - Buy On the face of it, Hyperlight HD looks like another Geometry Wars clone – bright colours and wavy grid backgrounds ahoy. But within your first go you’ll see Hyperlight HD’s dual-stick set up turns out to have a twist of its own. To really stand a chance against the alien drones that spawn everywhere, you have to collect tokens to charge your Hyperlight drive which allows you to ram your enemies at speed. This means that instead of firing out bullets like an exploding ammo dump, half the game is spent bashing enemies to pieces and the other half is spent dodging them in search of more fuel. What’s more, the transition to Xperia Play has gone smoothly, with responsive controls that perfectly compliment its twisty, dodging gameplay. Stardash - Review - Buy Stardash is a homage to the era of hardcore Game Boy titles with relentless difficulty and catchy chiptune music. The platforming is pure Super Mario Land, with heads to stamp on and coins to collect in an effort to unlock extra levels. Meanwhile the music is predominantly an upbeat riff on Kirby’s Dream Land. It’s impressive how much Orange Pixel (champion of retro design) has adhered to the Game Boy’s philosophy. It’s truly authentic, right down to the pixellated monochrome visuals. The game also boasts 40 levels – many of which are as hard and merciless as the game’s 1990s inspirations.