Top 10 indie games we want to see on Xperia Play

Plenty of indie developers who would usually create games for the PC are delving into the world of mobile gaming, with some absolute classics having already landed on iOS and Android.

The problem is, some of these games don't translate particularly well as far as controls are concerned - switching from a mouse and keyboard to a touchscreen can make for a rocky transition.

Of course, that transition can now be so much more simple thanks to the gamepad that slides out of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. No longer must we put up with experimental ports and lacklustre control schemes.

We've been racking our brains, trying to come up with the best indie games for PC that we think would work wonders on the Xperia Play. Here are our favourite 10 for the job - let us know if you can think of any other great examples.

Knytt Stories is a bit of a legend in the indie scene, with developer Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren earning quite a name for himself as a result.

The game features a series of platforming adventures that revolve around exploration and puzzles, as the player controls Juni through a beautiful and mysterious world. She can grab special power-ups to help her overcome specific obstacles, and must save the world from an evil corporation.

A version for Xperia Play would work wonders, since the game is perfectly suited to the gamepad controls. The PC version comes with various add-on levels that could easily be bundled into a mobile version.

How did the dinosaurs become extinct exactly? Wonder no more - Dino Run shows us how it all happens, with a giant wall of death wiping out all the dinosaurs on the planet.

You are one such dinosaur, running as fast as his little legs will carry him in a vain attempt to survive. There is a variety of obstacles along your path, and jumping, dodging, and pelting past other dinosaurs is key to survival.

The single-player options are fun in themselves, but the multiplayer takes this prehistoric experience to another level, as you go online and race against other user-controlled dinos. This is where the phone's 3G capabilities would come in especially handy.

It's arguable that, while the PC has a whole horde of side-scrolling shooters to invest time in, the mobile market hasn't exactly seen a barrage of great shmup titles.

Hydorah is the perfect example of a PC shooter that could be easily brought over to the Xperia Play - it's tough, it's gorgeously pixelated, and it would make long bus rides feel far too short.

With 16 levels to overcome and huge bosses to take out, Hydorah can take a good few hours to beat. We'd most definitely put down a couple of quid for a handheld version of this indie classic.

Originally released in 2004, Cave Story took a while to build up a fanbase, but is now known as one of the best indie titles of all time by many gamers - and rightfully so.

This expansive, exciting platformer has now seen a variety of releases on lots of different Nintendo platforms, ranging from the Wii to the DSi to the 3DS. Given that it's available on these handheld platforms, an Xperia Play release is surely not out of the question.

While the tight jumps and need for precise controls mean that this classic wouldn't really work on touchscreen devices, our Play is just itching to go with its physical buttons.

Forget zombies: pirates are where it's really at. Dubloon follows a seafarer who stumbles upon a great treasure, which is then ripped out of his clutches. He assembles a crew and sets out to get the treasure back, RPG-style.

Turn-based action? Check. Characters with special combat abilities? All there. A seriously long and hilarious storyline with tons of items to find and areas to explore? Yep, yep. yep.

Essentially, it's the kind of RPG that you'd start playing just to check out what the fuss is all about, and then suddenly realise it's 4am and there's a weird game show on TV. A mobile version would mean you can continue onwards from the comfort of your own bed.

If you find yourself easily frustrated by difficulty spikes in games, you'll want to turn back now. I Wanna Be the Guy is one of the most difficult games ever created, and will make you cry before you even leave the first screen.

As The Kid, you have to navigate a series of rooms filled with spikes, crushing objects, and other assorted nasties. You will die many, many times over, as the game purposely works to kill you at every turn with little warning.

Ever since its release in 2007, the game hasn't seen any ports to other platforms, which is a huge shame. Touchscreen controls would never work, but an Xperia Play edition would definitely bring a huge smile to our faces, followed quickly by a look of pain and anguish over and over again.

Hero Core is a Metroid-inspired adventure that features multiple rooms to explore and enemies to destroy. However, the main character floats from room to room, rather than have his feet firmly on the ground.

There's also another big twist. To complete the game, you must destroy Cruiser Tetron, a huge monster who is terrorizing the world. You can fight against this evil boss at any point, as he is always available - but, until you've collected sufficient power-ups and upgrades, you have no chance of beating him.

We'd be happy to see a mobile version of Hero Core on any iOS or Android device, as even touchscreen controls would work great, but a version optimised for the Xperia Play would make us tremendously happy.

Any keen iPhone indie gamer will be aware of Jumpman - or iJumpman, as the iOS version is known. The game features visuals that completely throw the player off, making simple platforming tasks suddenly very difficult indeed.

As you run around each room, you can see the upcoming levels in the background, teasing you with their increasing difficulty. The blocky, sometimes psychedelic visuals also attempt to put the player off at every turn, making the going extremely tough.

The iPhone version proved that the game works on a mobile device, so now we'd love to see it take advantage of those awesome gamepad controls.

How about a good old-fashioned dungeon-crawler crossed with multiplayer elements? Dungeons of Fayte offers such an experience, with up to four players coming together to destroy the Bone Lord.

In between dungeons, you are also given the chance to roam around the central town, honing your skills and purchasing items that will aid you in your quest.

We would kill for an online multiplayer version of Dungeons of Fayte on Xperia Play - an experience that would steal far too many hours from our lives and potentially cause the output from Pocket Gamer Towers to grind to a halt.

Let's finish this list off with a great little computer-hacking simulation, courtesy of developer Gregory Weir. Exploit sees you taking on a corrupt government, hacking bank accounts and computer files to expose their lies.

Each level houses a grid, through which you must access the root node to win. This involves bypassing a number of security features, disabling certain elements to make others available. It's all about precise timing and careful consideration.

The Xperia Play's combination of touchscreen and buttons would suit Exploit down to the ground, for it would give players the choice of how best to tackle the high-intensity situations.