Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary: 2008 - The first App Store hit and Java's last hurrah

If you're keeping up with our Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary celebrations, you'll know that today we're taking a look at 2008. It's a year that sticks out in my head for one reason: the Beijing Olympics. Not only did I watch every event despite not caring one jot for the Olympics before or after, but I also spent an unnecessary amount of time playing the video game. I honestly don't know why. It wasn't very good. 

Outside of my one-off interest in track, field, and swimming, other interesting things were going on in the world of media. The excellent Dark Knight made its way into cinemas, effectively making the role of the Joker a poisoned chalice for anyone daring to step into Heath Ledger's shoes. Some would say Joaquin Phoenix managed it; no one's saying Jared Leto did. For my (very) little money, though, Mark Hamill's performances as Batman's greatest adversary are the best. 

In music, Coldplay released Viva La Vida. The only album the band has released that's good in its entirety. Before that, they could only manage the odd decent single. I make no apologies for that opinion, Coldplayers. Yours sincerely, a bitter Keane fan. It also saw Poets of the Fall's third album, Revolution Roulette, come out, bringing a slightly harder edge to their sound in a couple of the tracks. 

And in gaming, aside from Beijing 2008, Bethesda finally released something that wasn't Elder Scrolls rubbish with Fallout 3, an RPG that my brother and I played endlessly. It also saw the launch of the slightly underwhelming GTA IV, where you spent most of your time swatting away invitations to go bowling or stagger around drunk after going to a bar. Plenty of folk also whiled away the hours slaying zombies in Left 4 Dead. Are those mindless horde-based games still kicking around? I miss playing them. 

But what about mobile? Well, as we mentioned in our 2007 edition, the iPhone had arrived, albeit without the App Store. However, that was quickly rectified in 2008, meaning that touchscreen gaming had finally arrived. Despite that, it wasn't the final nail in the coffin for Java just yet. Not everyone could afford the ludicrous price for an iPhone, after all. So, let's check out what people were playing in 2008. Two for Java and two for iPhone.

Diner Dash 2

While the thought of working in a diner or café isn't overly appealing for most people, especially if you're an introvert like me, there's something about the stresses of serving customers in good time that makes for a compelling loop. And that's exactly what Diner Dash 2 was about. You rushed about giving everyone their orders quickly and accurately, eventually entering a delicious flow state when all of the mechanics properly clicked into place. 

The Oregon Trail

Starting off as an educational game way back when, The Oregon Trail was a story about traipsing from Middle America to the titular Oregon. It's effectively a battle for survival as you try to arrive in the promised land with as many of your fellow travellers alive as possible. That meant keeping an eye on various bars alongside completing minigames that represented hunting and gathering, among other vital chores. 

Spore Origins

And onto our first iPhone game. Spore Origins saw you creating a ecoystem made up of little creatures that straddled the line between cute and slightly creepy. The gameplay was simple: gobble up smaller organisms so that you can grow big and strong. Once you've swallowed enough, you'd move on to the next evolution. 

Rolando

But it was Rolando that truly made the most of the iPhone's capabilities. Your task was to guide a little ball through a level to the exit. However, rather than using buttons, you used the iPhone's built-in accelerometer to roll him about. On top of that, you'd swipe with your finger to create bridges to help him cross perilous paths. It was an ingenious game that gave me a nostalgia hit merely thinking about it. While the time for accelerometer controls has passed, I can't help but let out an unbecoming squeal of excitement whenever something new includes them.