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Lumia
July 18, 2014

Mobile games, a brief history: From Snake to Subway Surfers



As I tap my thumb furiously in the pursuit of catching bananas needed to sustain these adorable minions in Despicable Me: Minion Rush game, I can’t help but wonder… How did mobile games become so captivating?

 

Snake charmer

It was 1997 and we watched black squares moving on our mobile’s LCD screen for the first time. Is it a snail? Is it a… wait, no, actually, it’s a Snake! Our beloved pixilated reptile had to be fed and deftly manoeuvred, without crashing it into the wall, or its tail. The game attracted users from the word go and sparked the beginning of a new era.

snake

With the advancement in technology, different versions of the Snake game have appeared. But the essence has always remained the same. It’s arguably the most popular and loved mobile game even today, fascinating its followers the world over.

Space-Impact

When these mobile games first arrived there were only a handful of handsets that came with them pre-installed. Some of which were an instant hit.

Games like Memory, Rotation and Space Impact kept mobile users entertained for hours.

 

 

So go on, ask your parents or friends if they remember playing- Steve Jackson’s Sorcery, Alien Fish Exchange, Lifestylers, Wireless Pets, Space Invaders, Siberian Strike or Ridge Racer. Jewels from a wonder year.

Multi-coloured milestones

TetrisHD01

Before long, people were shifting from black-and-white dots to glorious Technicolor. Gamers found themselves balancing the tiles in Tetris, Pac-man and fighting Noughts and Crosses.

 

Not to forget the line-up of full-blown games like Monkey Ball, Tomb Raider, Call Of Duty, Sonic The Hedgehog, Assassin’s Creed, Rage or The Fast and the Furious.

 

Single-player games soon became a thing of the past and now you could battle it out with multiple players online. With faster WiFi and network speeds, games could also be downloaded and played in a matter of moments.

Following those ill-tempered, wingless Angry Birds came the addictive time-wasters; Subway Surfers, Words with Friends, Temple Run 2, Bejeweled Live + , Asphalt saga, Bad Piggies, Cut the Rope…the list is as long as the river Nile!

Angry Birds Star Wars

Powerful Lumia

From Role playing (RPG) games and Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) to life-like simulators, there is no dearth of engaging games. The possibilities are practically endless and we’re spoiled for choice.

Thanks to our smartphones’ fast processors and polygon-shifting graphics we don’t need standalone gaming devices. Featherweight and ultra-portable, Lumias have enough oomph to handle any game thrown at them with ease.

Asphalt_6_Screen_Shot_800x480_4

High-definition screens, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and intuitive user interface ensure our adequate dosage of adrenaline kick is met, providing a console-like mobile gaming experience wherever we are.

Game on!

Today a multitude of mobile games are available to satiate the gamer in you. Action, adventure, racing, flying, shooting, board or puzzle… you name it, you can find it.

Which has been your favourite game, or popular gaming character? Share your high scores and winning moments with us.