Mobile phones have gotten fancier over the years. First the developers added cameras, the internet and now most smart phones can now play video games. They’re not budget games like Snake or Tetris either. Smart phones are able to play video games that have the same quality that portable gaming devices produce.
One of the most recent smart phones released is Sony’s Xperia Play. Xperia Play has been dubbed as the world’s first PlayStation certified phone. Not only is it a phone, but it can double as a portable gaming device. The controls are very similar Sony’s other products such as the PSP and the PS3 controller just to name a few.
This means you can finally play PlayStation-style video games with the comfort of a real control scheme. There is nothing more uncomfortable than playing games on your phone using the horrible numbered keypad. The most pleasant thing about the Xperia Play is that some PlayStation Classic games will be heading their way onto the system very soon.
Although there have not been any RPG PlayStation games available yet, it’s more than likely that Square Enix will release some of its Final Fantasy games onto the platform. Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX have all been ported to Sony’s PlayStation Network. The thought of putting Final Fantasy VII (the most popular RPG ever made) on the Xperia Play could help Sony take a hold of the market dominated mostly by Apple.
Zenonia 2 is an old-school 16-Japanese RPG much like the older Final Fantasy games from the early ’90s. The 2D graphics are cute and the game itself is one of the better RPGs available on Android phones. Although the game is heavily inspired by Japanese RPGs, it’s actually made in Korea. Nevertheless, I’m sure it’s a game RPG fans will love playing.
Gurk is a game that will be liked from gamers who grew up in the ’80s. It’s an old-school style video game that is only a mere 100KB to download. Despite Gurk’s very old style of graphics, it’s still in color and a blast to play. There are 24 levels in all and a total of 23 monsters for you to find and kill. Gurk won’t be a game liked by modern gamers, but if you grew up playing the original Nintendo game system, you will fall in love with its old-school style of gameplay.
Another RPG game available on Android phones is Dungeon Defenders: First Wave. The game is an online cooperative action-RPG much like Torchlight and Baldur’s Gate. The game is free to download for most phones. The graphics are in full 3D and looks stunning for a game that costs nothing to download. Up to four players can play together online. It may be clichéd and borrows elements from most other RPG games, however its visuals and multiplayer is what makes it quite fun.
Whether you own an Xperia Play or not, there are tons of RPG games to explore on Android phones. Quite a few of them are free to download, so there’s no excuse for you not to play any of the games here on offer. Let’s hope Square Enix brings more Final Fantasy games to the Android market as that will certainly boost the popularity of the genre.
Damian Seeto
