Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary: Soon-to-be classics and stellar ports

We've reached 2014 in our trip down memory lane as we continue to celebrate Pocket Gamer’s 20th birthday. It proved to be an interesting year, too. While the likes of Candy Crush and other now well-established free-to-play games continued to practically print money, we also saw some high-quality ports come to the platform alongside some now-classic mobile-first efforts.

With so much to cover, I'll cut down my usual general cultural throwback ramble. That's an approach that will likely continue, as with each passing year, there are more great mobile releases to mention, particularly in the indie scene, which we're all big fans of here at PG. Still, we can indulge a bit, right?

Personally, I'd wrapped up university, stepping out into the big wide world, hoping I'd quickly find a job that allowed me to write on a daily basis. Yeah... That didn't go to plan. Still, I got there eventually. In bigger me news, Poets of the Fall released their sixth album, Jealous Gods, and played a gig in the UK for the first time. Naturally, I went, and it was wonderful. I've seen them live 17 times since, and don't plan on stopping yet. Roll on September. 

Elsewhere in music, Ed Sheeran took a step closer to becoming the global sensation he is today by releasing his second album, x. It's not the most enticing name, but the songs were good. Coldplay continued to miraculously convince people they were worth listening to after Viva La Vida with Ghost Stories, and One Direction made their fanbase go wild with the release of Four. As you can probably tell from my tone, I like neither of those albums. 

At the cinema, the fantastical was still going strong, with The Hobbit, Transformers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 all performing well at the box office. It was such a big year that Christopher Nolan's excellent Interstellar had to settle for the 10th highest-grossing. Bless him. 

In the world of PC and console gaming, we had some excellent stuff. My personal standouts were Shovel Knight, Bayonetta 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Dark Souls II also launched, and while it's the weakest of FromSoftware's otherwise flawless action RPGs, there's still plenty to enjoy there. 

However, we're here to discuss mobile, and there's plenty to dig into. Too much, in fact, meaning I'll only focus on a few picks. 

Crossy Road

By 2014, many assumed that making an endless runner was a fairly pointless endeavour. Trying to create one that could oust the juggernaut that was, and still is to some extent, Subway Surfers, seemed a thankless task. However, with Crossy Road, Hipster Whale saw an opportunity. What if they took Frogger and made that endless? Rather than running for infinity, you'd be constantly dodging traffic and leaping onto logs, trying to cross a road that actually never ends. At its core, then, it's a high score chaser, and one that's incredibly difficult to put down. You always believe you can get a little further. 

Monument Valley

There are many beautiful games on mobile, and Ustwo's Monument Valley is right up there, with a stunning art style that holds up to this day. It's not just a looker, of course. The puzzles on offer provide some delightful eureka moments, which are further enhanced by the tactile feel you get using the touchscreen controls. Sure, Monument Valley eventually came to PC and console, but its home is definitely on mobile. 

Hitman Go

As I mentioned yesterday, Deus Ex: The Fall was a sign that bigger developers would start to take mobile more seriously, using their IP in a way that suited the platform. With Hitman Go, Square Enix Montreal more than achieved this. It successfully turned Agent 47's antics into a turn-based puzzler, where our bald and barcoded hero is represented by a surprisingly cute figurine.  Your job is to guide him through the levels, completing objectives without being spotted and while eliminating guards. The difficulty ramps up as you progress, and more tools are introduced to your arsenal to help with trickier situations, keeping everything nicely varied. 

Thomas Was Alone

Mike Bithell's indie darling Thomas Was Alone always made sense for mobile. The levels played out in short bursts, and the controls only required a few on-screen buttons. It was no surprise, then, that when it finally made the jump, we were pretty impressed with the port. If you're unfamiliar, it follows the titular Thomas, a red rectangle, as he and his pals try to figure out what's going on. It's an endearing story with a generous helping of humour that I simply refuse to spoil here. 

The Banner Saga

It speaks wonders for the growing potential of mobile that Stoic's brilliant Banner Saga came to phones and tablets before consoles. If you're unfamiliar, it's a tactical RPG, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology, telling a tale of old gods and humanity's struggles to survive in a perilous world. Beings known as the Dredge are taking over, forcing those who remain to strike up uneasy alliances with one another. It's up to you to ensure that your people survive by guiding them through tense turn-based battles and making the right decisions in the choose-your-own adventure-style sections. Be warned, though, it can get incredibly morose. 

And while I could go on, I'd rather respect your time. However, for a few extra shout-outs, 2014 saw Hearthstone come to mobile while Flappy Bird became an inexplicably big phenomenon that I was fully on board with. Papers, Please also launched for iPad, continuing the modern tradition of stellar indies releasing on our humble platform.