Android Gaming 101
Android Gaming 101
This week’s guest post is by Andrew Huff, editor of Droid Gamers, a community blog with tips, reviews, and news around Android games.
Being a mobile gamer used to be easy. There wasn’t a very diverse selection back in the day, between the few versions of Nintendo’s Gameboy, the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS. Now you can choose between devices as varied as the 3DS, the PS Vita, and a slew of smartphones. So, when looking for an Android phone which will also act as your main portable gaming device, which one do you choose?
That really depends on what else you will be using it for, as well as how much of a hardcore mobile gamer you are. Let’s go over a couple of the best devices available for Android gaming, as well as what to look for when shopping for a gamer-friendly smartphone.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (Verizon Wireless): $0.01
The
first Playstation-certified Android device (and mobile phone, for that
matter), the Xperia Play is definitely worth considering. While it comes
with all the conveniences of an Android phone, you also get the added
benefit of actually having a full set of gaming controls you can slide
out and use.
While the Xperia Play isn’t equipped with a dual-core processor like many other new devices coming out, it is powerful enough to easily run most games. It’s also getting a fair number of exclusive games before they launch on any other device, such as Minecraft: Pocket Edition, which came out a couple weeks ago.
The
Xperia Play comes with a built-in official Playstation emulator (hence
the Playstation-certification). This emulator allows you to play
Playstation One games as they get released for the Xperia Play natively,
without the use of frequently bug-ridden third-party emulators.
As for the rest of the games available for Android, most indie and major game development studios have already added or are currently working on support for the Xperia Play’s controls.
Motorola DROID 3 (Verizon Wireless)
The
Droid 3, which sports a dual-core 1GHz CPU and a physical keyboard, is
great for people who text a lot or use emulators. The Droid 3 has a
reasonably large 4” screen as well, which will show off those dual-core
rendered graphics nicely. It’s a solid, well-rounded device that can
handle just about anything thrown at it, whether that means using your
favorite emulators or handling work email efficiently with its handy
slideout keyboard.
When you’re looking at tablets and phones for gaming, here are a few things to remember:
Angry Birds (Original, Seasons, or Rio): You really can’t go wrong with any of the Angry Birds games. Rovio is always updating them and there’s plenty to do in each version to keep you busy on the go. You can sit down for five minutes and clear a few levels, or spend the whole day getting three stars on every level.
BattleHeart: BattleHeart is a great RPG to consider if that’s your favorite type of game. It’s been well received throughout the Android community and provides hours and hours of gameplay.
Other popular games include Everlands and Cut The Rope, which both average 4.5 out of 5 stars in reviews on the Amazon Appstore.
What are your top game recommendations for Android phones?
Being a mobile gamer used to be easy. There wasn’t a very diverse selection back in the day, between the few versions of Nintendo’s Gameboy, the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS. Now you can choose between devices as varied as the 3DS, the PS Vita, and a slew of smartphones. So, when looking for an Android phone which will also act as your main portable gaming device, which one do you choose?
That really depends on what else you will be using it for, as well as how much of a hardcore mobile gamer you are. Let’s go over a couple of the best devices available for Android gaming, as well as what to look for when shopping for a gamer-friendly smartphone.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (Verizon Wireless): $0.01
The
first Playstation-certified Android device (and mobile phone, for that
matter), the Xperia Play is definitely worth considering. While it comes
with all the conveniences of an Android phone, you also get the added
benefit of actually having a full set of gaming controls you can slide
out and use.While the Xperia Play isn’t equipped with a dual-core processor like many other new devices coming out, it is powerful enough to easily run most games. It’s also getting a fair number of exclusive games before they launch on any other device, such as Minecraft: Pocket Edition, which came out a couple weeks ago.
The
Xperia Play comes with a built-in official Playstation emulator (hence
the Playstation-certification). This emulator allows you to play
Playstation One games as they get released for the Xperia Play natively,
without the use of frequently bug-ridden third-party emulators.As for the rest of the games available for Android, most indie and major game development studios have already added or are currently working on support for the Xperia Play’s controls.
Motorola DROID 3 (Verizon Wireless)
The
Droid 3, which sports a dual-core 1GHz CPU and a physical keyboard, is
great for people who text a lot or use emulators. The Droid 3 has a
reasonably large 4” screen as well, which will show off those dual-core
rendered graphics nicely. It’s a solid, well-rounded device that can
handle just about anything thrown at it, whether that means using your
favorite emulators or handling work email efficiently with its handy
slideout keyboard.How To Pick A Gamer-Friendly Phone
The Xperia Play and the DROID 3 are certainly not the only devices to consider when looking for gaming-friendly Android-based phones. There are plenty of single and dual-core phones out there that can compete with them.When you’re looking at tablets and phones for gaming, here are a few things to remember:
- Future-proof: If you’re a heavy gamer, you’re not going to want a phone that doesn’t have some of the strongest hardware available. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with an obsolete device a lot more quickly than you intended, and the hottest new games will not support it.
- A fast processor: Many of the most recently launched devices are packing at least 1 GHz of processor speed, if not more. Get a device with less than that and you’ll find yourself running into the future-proofing problem sooner rather than later.
- Generous memory and storage: Games are taking up more and more memory, to the point where some are WiFi-downloads only because of their size. If you cut back on your phone’s internal memory, RAM, and SD card storage, you may find yourself having to delete games or other apps to make room for new ones.
- Look and feel: It’s important to know what you are most comfortable with when you are playing your favorite games. If physical keyboards and buttons like you would find on the DROID 3 or Xperia Play are essentials for your optimal gaming experience, then don’t get a device that is touchscreen only. If you hate physical keyboards, perhaps you should consider a phone like the Photon 4G.
Games
So what games should you get after you pick out your shiny new Android device? Your options are practically endless, but here are a few suggestions to consider:Angry Birds (Original, Seasons, or Rio): You really can’t go wrong with any of the Angry Birds games. Rovio is always updating them and there’s plenty to do in each version to keep you busy on the go. You can sit down for five minutes and clear a few levels, or spend the whole day getting three stars on every level.
BattleHeart: BattleHeart is a great RPG to consider if that’s your favorite type of game. It’s been well received throughout the Android community and provides hours and hours of gameplay.
Other popular games include Everlands and Cut The Rope, which both average 4.5 out of 5 stars in reviews on the Amazon Appstore.
What are your top game recommendations for Android phones?
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