When it comes to smartphone gaming, a lot of people think that if they want to avoid microtransactions and bad games in general, they have no choice but to stick with emulators. Now, emulating games on your smartphone can be pretty great, especially since a lot of older games have simpler control schemes that are more forgiving on a touchscreen than an Xbox One game would be. There is another option, however. I’m talking about classic games that have been directly ported to smartphones without being watered down. Whether you have an iPhone or Android, check out one of these all-time gaming classics that you can take with you on the go.
Dragon Quest V (DQV)
It doesn’t stop there, though, DQV also introduced a monster-collecting system which later influenced Pokémon and a million other games. The updated smartphone version lets you choose tactics for these monsters as well, from attacking strategies to defensive strategies, and you can even set the tactics to manual and control every monster in your party. The absolute best part of Dragon Quest V for smartphone, though, is that you can literally play with one hand. Need I say more? It does cost $14.99, which initially sounds insane for a mobile game, but remember that this is a full gaming experience that you can easily sink well over 30 hours into.
Download Dragon Quest V for iPhone or Android
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR)
Speaking of beloved, influential RPGs, next on the list is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. KOTOR is one of the most ambitious RPGs of all time, as it took on the massive world of Star Wars and delivered on every aspect. You start by choosing one of three classes, and from there it’s basically up to you. Do you want to become a light side Jedi and save the galaxy? You can do that. Do you want to align yourself with the dark side instead? Go ahead. Do you want to spend all your time gambling with strangers in a cantina? You can do that within 15 minutes of creating your character.
If you used to play KOTOR on your computer 15 years ago, you’re probably already downloading it on your smartphone right now. If you’ve never played it, though, and you love all things (or even one thing) Star Wars, you owe it to yourself to give KOTOR a try. It does cost $9.99 which can seem steep for a phone game, but remember again that this is a full-fledged RPG that can last you well over 50 hours. If you have an Android, though, you can download the game completely free (with ads included, of course) from Amazon Underground.
Download Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for iPhone or Android
Download Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (ad-supported) for Android
Crazy Taxi
Anyone who grew up around a Sega Dreamcast knows the magic of Crazy Taxi. Even if you’ve never played Crazy Taxi but you’ve played The Simpsons: Road Rage, you unwittingly know the magic of Crazy Taxi. Like the title suggests, Crazy Taxi puts you at the wheel of a taxicab that will do anything to reach its destination in time.
You drive around an open world looking for customers to pick up, and once they’re in your cab you have a limited amount of time (depending on the distance) to get to your destination. On the way, you can make extra money by swerving between cars, jumping over cars, and generally causing mayhem (without actually crashing). Unlike the first two offerings on this list, Crazy Taxi is free to download and play as long as you want, as it is ad-supported.
Download Crazy Taxi Classic for iPhone or Android
RollerCoaster Tycoon
Ahh, good old RollerCoaster Tycoon. For years, RollerCoaster Tycoon fans have had to endure multiple attempts at a mobile version of their favorite game, all of which were brought down by greed in the form of insidious in-app purchases. It seems that Atari has finally gotten the memo, as the day has finally come for fans of the original RollerCoaster Tycoon.
For $5.99, you get access to the full original RollerCoaster Tycoon game, no ads included. It doesn’t stop there, though, as you also get access to the full original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 as well. The only things missing from this collection are the expansions: Wacky World, Time Twister, and Tool Kit. You can, however, buy those as in-app purchases (with no other in-app purchases in the rest of the game). If you want the ultimate wave of nostalgia on your smartphone, or you want to give one of the best tycoon games of all time a try, RollerCoaster Tycoon is the way to go.
Download RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iPhone or Android
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Sid Meier’s Pirates! is an iPhone port of a 2004 remake of a 1987 game which was also called Sid Meier’s Pirates! Got all that? From the creator of the Civilization series, Pirates! is a pretty complete pirate simulator which feels like an action game one second, a strategy game the next second, and a simulation game the second after that. Pirates! begins by dropping you around the 17th or 18th century and asking you which nation you want to start sailing with.
Before long, you can go on expeditions, manage your own pirate crew, sail wherever you want to, fight other ships on the seas, board other ships and swordfight their captains, or even go ballroom dancing. Pirates! feels like a different game depending on what you want to do and how you play, making it a must-play for fans of choose-your-own adventure novels, adventure games, or even just fans of pirates. It’ll only set you back $2.99 for the iPhone. Unfortunately it is not available for Android, which should be a prosecutable offense, but whatever.
Download Sid Meier’s Pirates for iPhone
I hope that by now you’re convinced that emulation isn’t the only way to go when you’re confined to smartphone gaming. In fact, if you’re lucky, one of your favorite games of all time might have been ported to your iPhone or Android by now, and unlike the old days, most smartphone ports are pretty true to the original nowadays. Go ahead and pick one (or five), but just make sure you have your charger nearby. If you need me, I’ll be finishing up Dragon Quest V.
