Pop Culture

10 Classic Video Games Worthy of Being Ported to iOS

Mobile devices would be honored.

None

Mobile games are the future for casual gaming.

This assertion isn't really up for debate. It's a fact. As the casual gaming market siphons users away from the intimidating realms of both PC and console gaming, the push for creating quality content available on mobile platforms continues to grow. While bulwarks such as lousy control interfaces are slowly becoming a thing of the past thanks to innovative peripherals, mobile games will continue to attract both consumer and developers.

Considering the relative cost and ease of developing an app compared to a multi-platform release, game creators will continue to release innovative and dope shit for your mobile device. But, that doesn't mean that major publishers should be left out in the cold with only their billions of dollars and massive IP libraries to keep them warm.

Here are, in no particular order, 10 classic games that are long past due for mobile port.

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10. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne

If the success of the XCOM: Enemy Unknown port to the iPad has proved anything it's that isometric real-time strategy titles can work on a mobile device. Blizzard's last numbered World of Warcraft strategy title dropped in 2003, and the world quickly became fixated with Blizzard's MMO the following year in 2004.

World of Warcraft transfixed MMO fans for over a decade and Blizzard's last strategy title was quietly forgotten. A port to mobile devices would remind both casual and hardcore gamers of the series' roots and you know that shit would like on point with new coat of paint for your iPad.

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9. Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy has never been a series to shy away from diversification.

Square Enix has recently ported over/remade both Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy V for iOS with mixed results. Final Fantasy VII is the most popular girl in school for gamers of a certain age, and the outcry for a mobile port has been nothing short of deafening.

While porting FF VII to iOS seems like a direct message from obvious town, Square has stated that if their legacy porting program continues to be popular, FFVII is something they're 'very interested in'.

As long as that legacy program doesn't count Final Fantasy: All the Bravest among its accolades, we should be all right.

8. Doom II

We can't think of a better way to celebrate the venerated shooter's 20 year anniversary than by releasing Doom II on iOS.

The sequel is more polished, more bloody, and elevates everything perfect about the first Doom to even higher levels. Now take all that out and add multiplayer and the ability to liquefy demons in a bathroom stall and you're good to go.

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7. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

One of the most amazing Nintendo 64 titles that was developed by the now defunct Factor 5 studios and published by the also now defunct LucasArts, doesn't bode well for seeing a Rogue Squadron title on iOS.

Since Disney now owns all things LucasArts and EA has exclusive rights to continue developing Star Wars titles, lord knows who owns the licensing rights to the title. Which is just crushing considering how fucking great the game was.

Give this to us on our phones and tablets. Now.

6. Bushido Blade

Sure, visually, this PS 1 title may not have aged the most gracefully, but the graphics were never the most potent selling point on the Bushido Blade series.

Fighting games on mobile platforms can be frustrating experience with shitty, un-responsive controls. Sure, there are exceptions, but the reason Bushido Blade would work so well is because of how simple the control scheme actually is. The game's unique Body Damage System allowed players to cripple opponents or go for outright one hit kills.

Simple controls with a modern visual upgrade would make this a multiplayer killer in the app store.

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5. Wave Race 64

Never going to happen, but it's a fantasy worth visualizing.

As long as Nintendo continues to make portable consoles and guard their IPS like blood diamonds, none of their first party titles are being let out from beneath their overbearing thumb. The idea of using the iPad's gyroscope to control the jet ski is pretty appealing.

If this did happen it would open the door to all of the Zeldas and Marios being released, but like we said: never going to happen.

4. SimCity 4

EA loves money.

Sure all video game publishers love money, but EA is a low hanging piñata for gaming vitriol. EA has had a rough 2013. After once again being voted worst company in America by readers of The Consumerist, their SimCity Online server launch woes, and their continuing Battlefield 4 struggles, EA could probably use some goodwill.

What better way to engender positive feels from gamers than be re-releasing one of the most well-polished and well loved installments of the SimCity series: SimCity 4. Optimized for tablets, SimCity 4 would be a welcome time-suck and a perfect way for EA to smooth over some ruffled feathers.

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3. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

We know that an HD remake of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is in the works. This is known.

What's not known is whether we'll ever see Abe properly treated on a mobile device 'll talk about Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee all fucking day and I'd love to see Abe on a mobile platform. It would look flawless burning out my retinas on my iPad.

2. Fallout

How timely.

It was only this week that we got a (kind of, maybe) confirmation of the existence of Fallout 4 and GOG.com was kind enough to hand out free copies of the first Fallout.

It's just too bad that the first Fallout still needs to be played on PC. Think of how slick a ported Fallout would look on a mobile device. The first Fallout was a masterstroke of role-playing game achievement and the iPad would do it no end of justice if it were ever given the mobile port.

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1. Resident Evil 2

Yeah, it's been long enough.

Resident Evil 2 is unequivocally one of Capcom's most successful and enjoyable entries into the series. The sequel utilized the same mechanics as the original and expanded the RE world by introducing even more puzzles and varieties of zombies to empty bullets into. Update and streamline the controls, give the title an HD update, and let it loose into the app store and Capcom could just print money for the rest for the fiscal year.

I'd buy Resident Evil 2 for $20 in the app store.

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