The Top 10 mobile games… EVER

Everyone’s talking about the iPhone these days. You see them all the time- people on the train playing away at Fieldrunners or Solitaire on their iPhones. However, traditional mobile gaming isn’t dead yet, and the iPhone is yet to beat some of the experiences we’ve had on our humble java gaming handsets.

To prove our point, we’ve gathered together what we consider to be the top 10 mobile games ever made. Of course, this will be a contentious list, and there’s a great many games we’ve loved and yet had to leave out, so if you disagree why not leave a comment below.

Some of these games are getting on a bit now, but a many of them are still available on the main carriers’ game decks. If you can’t find a game you want on your carrier’s game portal, why not check out Jamster, Clickgamer or Mobile Games Unlimited.

• Castle of Magic (2008)
  By Gameloft
  
  Castle of Magic wasn’t released to much of a fanfare when it came out, so many people must have missed out on what is one of the best platform games on mobile.
  
  If you owned a console in the 90s, you’ll be instantly familiar with the game. If you ever loved Super Mario World, has a thing for Sonic 2, have fond memories of Doney Kong Country or couldn’t get enough of Yoshi’s Story, you must get hold of Castle of Magic. It’s an enchanting game that’s so beautifully crafted, it deserved to have been released on a more appreciated platform.


• Soul Of Darkness (2008)
  By Gameloft
  
  Although not an official Castlevania game, Soul of Darkness is a superior game to any official game of the series released on mobile.
  
  In fact, it rivals some of the console outings in our book. It’s addictive in a short-term way, but also has the depth to keep you hooked until the very end of the game. Then you’ll still be craving more, sadly. Quite simply a fantastic mobile game.


• SolaRola (2007)
  By Eidos
  
  SolaRola is the game that all developers wish they’d made. It’s a physics-based platformer that’s just about as close to pure joy as you’ll find on your mobile.
  
  You play as one of the blob brothers, called Wiz and Waz as they journey through the galaxy. Although it’s simply a superbly designed action platformer at heart, the genuinely funny story and sheer amount of imagination that’s been poured into this game makes it one of mobile gaming’s very greatest moments.


• Galaxy on Fire II (2009)
  By Fishlabs
  A sequel to Fishabs’ original hugely ambitious 3D space game, Galaxy on Fire II gets rid of almost all the problems of its predecessor.
  
  It’s even deeper, even better looking and offers more scope for going off and just doing your own thing, for hours and hours on end. One of the most epic mobile games- hell, one of the most epic games full stop- Galaxy on Fire II is a must have for anyone who ever wished they could play Elite on the go.


• Stranded (2006)
  By Glu
  
  Stranded is a Lost clone, except that it’s a lot better than the official Lost TV show tie-in that was released around the same time.
  
  An engrossing adventure, it lets you gain new skills, discover an island and even trade items with natives as you uncover a mysterious unravelling story. We’ve been waiting for Stranded 2 for an awfully long time now, and who knows if we’ll ever actually see it released. We’re still hoping though.


• The FMX series (2006- 2008)
  By I-play
  
  We’ve added the FMX series in this list rather than a single one of the games because which one is the best is really a question of taste. We’d argue it’s between the second and third instalments.
  
  It first comes across a tricky and a bit frustrating, but once you get dug into the mud, it’s just about as addictive a mobile game as you’ll find. You get to upgrade your bike, execute tricks and earn newer and faster nitros as you play through the dozens of events.


• Tower Bloxx (2006)
  By Digital Chocolate
  
  Featuring a premise that’s typically oddball for publishers Digital Chocolate, in Tower Bloxx you build a tower by dropping blocks from a crane with a single press of a button.
  
  In fact, you don’t just make a tower, but a whole city full of towers. As you progress, you gain access to new towers that can only be placed next to certain towers, making Tower Bloxx not just a casual one-thumb game but also a strategic town planning game too. Choosing a favourite Digital Chocolate game is like choosing your favourite sweet. Rollercoaster Rush wasn’t trailing far behind, but Tower Bloxx still took the gold home.


• Playman Extreme Running (2007)
  By Real Arcade
  
  Playman Extreme Running is one of the very best free running games on any platform. Featuring Playman’s cute little face, it’s as charming as it is challenging too.
  
  A side-scroller, you jump and run across a cityscape, either racing against fellow parkour contestants or simply trying to rack-up as many points as you can within a certain time limit. Like the best extreme sports games, Playman Extreme running is fast, keeps to a consistent set of game world rules and makes you feel like you’re learning as you progress. Just don’t start believing you’re a free running expert just from playing it.


• Sim City Metropolis (2008)
  By EA Mobile
  
  Strategy games are hard to pull off on mobile. People complain about the small screen, about the fact that they don’t want to stay playing for that long, and that they’re just no easy enough to get into.
  
  Sim City Metropolis casts away all these doubts, providing the best light and casual strategy game on mobile. You work your way from making a little town to a thriving Metropolis, managing between keeping your businesses afloat without making your city a smog-filled hell. It even manages to rope in the visual quality of its big brothers too.


• Peggle (2008)
  By Popcap
  
  We waited a long time for Peggle to come out. It was a painful wait. Thankfully, when it did finally arrive, it was just as great as we’d hoped. With all the charms of the versions from the other formats, as well as the same great ball physics.
  
  If you’ve played just about every other version of Peggle out there, and there are people that have, it may be just about not worth picking this up. If not, there’s no reason not to grab this casual classic. Pure addictiveness.