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Classic Games
Tristan François
Updated: June 4, 2010
Updated: June 4, 2010
For our first edition of AppZone Touch, we've been playing some classic games that have been revisited on the iPod and iPhone. Whether you're a fan of first person shooters, prefer tearing round a race track or some more gentle strategy, there's something for everybody. Some games are 'only' ports of the originals, others are adaptations or even just borrow the brand name from a popular title. Let's take a look.
Enjoy all those classics on your way home from work
You've almost certainly heard of the games that we're looking at today at one moment or another. Here in the office, where the age range is from 20 to 40, we tried to find out which games have really made their mark. After the hard slog of working through the shortlist, here are our favorites.
The games listed below have all been released within the past few weeks and months, and don't need any specific hardware or software features only available on the latest iPods, but we'll make sure to point out any differences between how they perform on a 2G or 3G iPod touch.
Finally, if you're waiting for some real classics (dreaming of playing Pong on your iPod?) then don't worry, we'll be looking at them soon ...
Enjoy all those classics on your way home from work
You've almost certainly heard of the games that we're looking at today at one moment or another. Here in the office, where the age range is from 20 to 40, we tried to find out which games have really made their mark. After the hard slog of working through the shortlist, here are our favorites.
The games listed below have all been released within the past few weeks and months, and don't need any specific hardware or software features only available on the latest iPods, but we'll make sure to point out any differences between how they perform on a 2G or 3G iPod touch.
Finally, if you're waiting for some real classics (dreaming of playing Pong on your iPod?) then don't worry, we'll be looking at them soon ...
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 This is a recent release, but it already has a big following. The original version of Assassin's Creed was a huge success for PCs and consoles, not so much because of its gameplay, which is strictly linear, but because of the different movements available player and the vertigo-inspiring viewpoints over huge cities. The iPod version is a port of Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles, a prequel to the main series. You still play the same character, but the concept is closer to that of Prince of Persia: you jump from one area to another, avoid obstacles and threats, get in fights and enjoy some pretty exciting acrobatics. It all takes place in a well-defined story that goes the distance, and it's captivating enough to allow you to forget some of the slow, repetitive elements that are also found in the original.
A demo version of Assassin's Creed is available for free.  Price: £2.99Developer: Gameloft |
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Another unmissable hit from the video game world. The very first Doom game out for PCs (which were still running DOS) back in 1993, and since then, it has been crowned the most successful game of all time.
With Resurrection, you can return to the fascinating environment of the UAC base on Mars, and get to grips with the interesting range of zombies and other characters that populate it. The iPhone version broadly follows the Doom/Doom 3/Doom: the movie franchise, but is obviously much more straightforward in nature, as all of the movements are pre-programmed. That will no doubt infuriate the purists, but its does allow you to point your weapon using the accelerometer, which works very well. This game clearly pushes the limits of what's possible on the iPod 2G, so we can't wait to try the next version! Price: £3.99Developer: id Software |
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 Watch out, the crazy marsupial--who owes more than a little to Taz--is back on a Kart!
Flashback: it's 1996 and we're on the first Playstation, the original and the best. Professor Cortex was playing around with DNA when he accidentally created Crash. It's not long, though, before the bandicoot runs off to join his lover, Tawna. This new version is a remake of the Crash Nitro Kart spin-off that was released a while back and which has already sold a million copies. If you're a Mario Kart fan, give it a go. It's ridiculously small (just 7.1 MB, compared to the 180 MB taken up by Assassin's Creed) and won't fill up your iPod. The graphics are clearly directly descended from a console and are very distracting. It's perfect way to pass time on the bus. So when is Mario going to make it on to the iPod? Price: £1.79Developer: Vivendi Games Mobile |
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One year before Doom, iD Software created a sensation with the very first example of a game where the player shares the point of view of the character they're playing. A series of follow-ups, either free (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory) or paid-for (Return to Castle Wolfenstein) followed. As its name suggests, Wolfenstein RPG is not so much a first-person shooter as a very traditional role-playing game. The ugly world of Castle Wolfenstein is still just as entertaining and full of black humor. The graphics aren't extraordinary as this is a direct port of a version designed for mobiles, but that's not what you're looking for in a game like this.
The role-play element is really well thought-out, as are the different weapons, each one of which has a very different influence on your target. Price: £1.79Developer: Electronics Arts Nederland BV |
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Along with Civilisation, Age of Empires and Theme Park, SimCity is a prime example of a strategy game. The aim here is not to develop your own empire, but just a city. You're the mayor and and you need to keep things afloat by fighting crime, mopping up after natural disasters and interacting with your citizens--who, of course, are never happy. The iPod version is a port of SimCity 3000, with a few details missing (underground trains, some buildings, pedestrian view). Sometimes it's less obvious when you don't have a mouse and a keyboard, but in general, the interface has been adapted to the iPhone very well. You can even still get to listen to the cool jazz soundtrack. PS: try shaking your iPod while you're playing ... Price: £2.99Developer: Electronics Arts Nederland BV |
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There's no need to introduce the Need for Speed dynasty, which has been burning rubber on just about every platform since its first incarnation. In Undercover, you step into the shoes of a policeman who's trying to infiltrate the world of late-night illegal street racers. The situation is a more than a little repetitive, but all of the key elements are there, including huge cars you can customize.
Like in Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart, the cars accelerate by themselves. You can activate other options by sliding your finger across the screen. Usefully, as you turn your iPod around, the display also tilts, giving you a great view of the track. It's not the longest game to master, but it's without doubt one of the most visually attractive titles for iPod, and the soundtrack is not bad either. Price: £2.99Developer: Electronics Arts Nederland BV |
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 We couldn't end our look at classic games without mentioning Duke Nukem 3D. Developed by 3D Realms, this FPS came out in 1996, and it's an unbeatable star. It's without a doubt a game for adults, with a trashy aesthetic, plenty of black humour and coarse language aplenty. Duke is the Rambo of the video game world, with plenty of machismo, arrogance and above all, his determination to keep his enemies away from his girls.
In short, it's a title likely most likely to appeal to those who are already fans, whether they appreciate the gore, references to B movies or other cult elements of popular culture, including other video games like Doom or Quake--which is still not yet available as an iPhone app. Be careful, though, as the controls aren't the easiest to use. Price: £0.59Developer: Electronics Arts Nederland BV |
