You'd think that in this society, where mobile games dominate the general public market, a hardcore gamer like myself would shun these games and complete HATE them. Well, while I do despise the fact that some of the major gaming franchises that I love have made the jump into the mobile gaming genre, I don't exactly hate all mobile games. In fact, I do play some of them. Why? Well I'm in the god damn military, where most of the handheld gaming consoles aren't allowed. So yes, the sad truth is I have to rely on these once in awhile to get entertainment...at least until I reach home during the evening.
So here are some mobile games to engulf yourselves in. Take these as a grain of salt, as a small step forward for you when you are at some horrible place where you can't play legit video games, be it at work, school, or some other shit.
Trading Card Games
Yeah, you would think that I would love the loving shit out of trading card games, especially the anime esque ones. There are many decent TCGs out there for the mobile, but there's only one that kept my attention for so long, and its "Million Arthur". There's really nothing that it offers a step further than the others, really, its just that I prefer the story, art style, and overall flow of the game. Its a lot simpler and IMO, more attractive than games like say, "Devil Maker Tokyo" or "Darklord Legends". You basically grind and explore areas over and over for more cards, EXP to level up, or faeries to fight...that also give exp. Then there's a story to follow, which can be decent on its own right. What's more, the game throws you tons of events with exclusive unlockables to keep you interested. Its actually a very addictive investment of time, if you ask me.
Music/Rhythm Games
This one is more of a hybrid music/trading card game, but it doesn't matter, you'll spend more time trying to hit notes than anything else, though collecting cards DOES play quite a big role. "Love Live: School Idol Festival" is a combination of a music game, as well as an idol recruiting game under the disguise of card collecting. It's very simple to play, so its hard to go wrong with such a strategy. Gameplay consists of having 9 idols in your team, and having them all laid out in a semi circle formation around your screen. Notes constantly fly to them during the song, and tapping the idols as the notes arrive will let you successfully "hit" the notes. While playing the songs are decently fun (though reaching for their stretch goals is insane), its the unlocking of the idols that make it go that extra mile of making it "fun", especially if you've watched the anime and grown attached to these girls.
"Cytus" is just amazing. It's probably the best free music game out there for mobile devices, and for good reason. The game play is simple and addictive, akin to that of the old "Djmax" games on the PSP or "Jubeat" in arcades. You just tap the notes that appear on screen following a line that moves up and down, a lot like the "K-on!" game for PSP. Its very easy to get into, and before you know it, you'll find yourself engrossed in it, picking song after song, and going for better scores on higher difficulties. While the game is on the easy side compared to most other hardcore rhythm games, it can get rather ridiculous at times and its always those really insane songs that keep me coming back for more. Plus, its excellent exercise for your fingers! Though you might get some awkward stares if you play this on a crowded train, since your fingers are moving so fast.
MMORPGs
While I really don't like the fact that only the slasher and ranger are available to play for free, "Soul Guardians" is actually a pretty decent platformer MMORPG game that can be fun. With combos, decent maps, a sizable player base, and many fun dungeons, you can easily get yourself lost in this game. Think of it as an upgraded version of 2D platforming MMOs like "Maplestory" or "Latale" online. There's a lot to do here, and I've yet to hit the tip of the iceberg, so I can't really say how long this experience will last for you. Having somewhat of a story is a nice plus, though I must say that the story is probably the least of the things you need to look out for.
If anything, I already quit this game, but its worth mentioning since I DID invest quite a bit of time into it. "Brave Frontier" is probably one of the easiest games to play out there. All you do is click on enemies all day and watch your your monsters go ham. Its easy as hell, but at the same time, the fun part of "Brave Frontier" isn't the combat or the brave bursts or any of that shit....its about collecting new monsters. You never know what new ally you can get, be it a dragon, another human type, or even a robot. Most of the rare monsters are pretty badass and let's be honest, we'll just put anything that's badass into the game.
Misc. Games
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Everyone plays this game, and its no surprise why. "Dumb Ways To Die" is what it is, its a dumb game. Its dumb, but its addictive. Its just a quick series of time based mini games where you do what the on screen prompts tell you to. Its usually dumb shit like not pressing a button, trying to cover up holes, or swatting bees off the screen. There's really nothing that would encourage continuous play here, but its just one of those games that you pop up when you really have nothing to do during a very short span of time, like waiting for a train or when you're taking a really quick shit.
I'm actually quite the fan of the "Fantasy Defense" series. Sure, there are tons of good tower defense games out there for mobile devices, but this was the first tower defense game I touched on my android, and I loved the heck out of it. After finishing the 1st one, I was stoked to find out that they had a 2nd one...so I went ahead and gave it a go. While they decided to go for a more pay to play module, it was still a great game that could still be played free (all you need is a lot of patience to grind for gold). With vast improvements over the 1st game, it was quite an addictive experience as well, with more unlockables and upgrades.
There are more amazing mobile games out there that I'm sure I haven't touched on, however, these are just the ones that I like to play. Take note that mobile games are for when you're out there with nothing better to do, never lose your true gamer soul at home! Your consoles need some love too!
Peace.
