Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary: 2010 - Candy-gobbling monsters, slicing up fruit and the iPad

We're currently on a trip down memory lane here at Pocket Gamer as the site celebrates its 20th anniversary. Today, the focus is on 2010, which turned out to be a pretty big year in the mobile world, with Apple taking over the market one stellar device at a time. It was also the year I hopped on board, too, only not with the iPhone. I'll leave that there to build some semblance of suspense. 

But first, we'll set the scene, although given the many great mobile games that were released in 2010, we won't dwell on it as long. My main cultural memory is undoubtedly the World Cup in South Africa. I remember it for two reasons. One, the Vuvuzelas drove me a little mad since they sounded like a swarm of bees trapped in my TV. And two, the tournament football, known as the Jabulani. It had such an unusual flight pattern after being kicked, leading to some spectacular goals and a few goalkeepers with egg on their faces. Diego Forlan loved it, though. And good for him. 

Toy Story 3 was the highest-grossing film, while Christopher Nolan's Inception blew people's minds with its mind-boggling approach to a heist flick that involved delving into dreams. Speaking of which, the singles from Katy Perry's Teenage Dream were getting all the radio play, leaving actually good albums, like Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, to enjoy the finer things in life: a Grammy. I jest, of course. I love both. Also, Poets of the Fall released the delightful Twilight Theater and appeared in Remedy's fantastic Alan Wake.

And that brings us nicely onto console and PC, where there were plenty of future greats. Mass Effect 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Red Dead Redemption were released. It wasn't just the AAA boys and girls releasing hits, either. In the indie scene, we had the likes of Super Meat Boy and Limbo, two must-plays if you haven't already. The latter is even available on mobile now!

The literal biggest addition to mobile gaming in 2010 was the iPad. And it seems strange looking back that the idea was met with such derision. Many saw it as an oversized iPod touch and nothing more. It's hilarious in hindsight, given how much more enjoyable playing games on the iPad was compared to Apple's other devices. Although incidentally, the iPod touch was my foray into iOS, as I teased earlier, and I played a lot of great stuff on it over the years without issue. 

But it wasn't all Steve Jobs and his crew. 2010 also marked the debut of the Samsung Galaxy S, a then-new contender on Android that's still going strong to this day. Windows Phone 7 also arrived, receiving a much more muted reception. Despite that, I eventually picked one up, pulled in by the allure of getting Gamerscore on the go. However, in truth, I played basically nothing on it. 

And what were we playing in those days? Lots of things, actually. There are a couple of names that you'll almost certainly know if you're a long-time mobile fan. So, let's dig in!

Cut the Rope

I adore the original Cut the Rope. While I didn't buy it when it first launched in 2010, I couldn't stop playing it when I eventually did. It was a simple physics-based puzzler on the surface, though packaged in such a delightful way, with the main character Om Nom being painfully cute. It's a franchise that's stood the test of time as well. And if you want to learn all about its ups and downs, check out the interview I did with the folks over at ZeptoLab.

Flick Kick Football

Games are often referred to as time-wasters, a derogatory term that normally makes me slightly irked. However, in the case of Flick Kick Football, it's entirely justified and in no way offensive. You're given a ball and have to flick it into the goal from various distances and with different numbers of defenders. It made excellent use of the touch screen controls, tasking you with swiping and curving the trajectory of your shot. It was perfect for playing in short bursts and during boring school lessons. Not that I ever did that. Obviously.

Fruit Ninja

Another great entry in the non-insulting time-waster genre was Fruit Ninja, a name I've no doubt you're familiar with if you've been alive in the last fifteen years. It remains another brilliant use of touch screen controls, tasking you with slicing fruit into bits with a swish of your finger. While that all seems overly straightforward, it's the feel of chopping those unsuspecting kiwis and melons that keeps you coming back for more. 

Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is an interesting series. It was something of a beloved unsung hero back when it first launched, leading to people demanding a sequel that, ultimately, it seemed no one actually cared about after it finally arrived. That's not to take anything away from the Mirror's Edge iPad entry, though. Played from a side-on 2D perspective, it saw you using Faith's parkour skills as you ducked under boxers and down ladders, alongside occasionally booting a guard in the face.