Well, of course, it isn’t. Mobile’s six letters. But you know what I mean, I should hope. People, myself included tend to balk or shrink back from titles that are only on mobile devices. But why? Are these games not as good, or as worthy of our time and attention? Was hard work not poured into them, with an attempt to bring a quality product, as well as make a living? Now, unfortunately, there is a proverbial mountain of garbage mobile titles, games piggybacking off something else’s’ success, heartless cash grabs. I’ve played so many damn mobile games that make me sad to have downloaded them. But does that make all mobile titles awful? Of course not! Do you know how many shit games there are on PC? PS4? Xbox One? NES? Spoiler Warning: There’s a whole damn lot. So let’s not judge a whole platform on the merits of a few awful human beings who just want money, and not to make a product worth playing. This isn’t to say that I love mobile games, because I actually seldom find myself playing them. But that is mostly due to me spending most of my day at my computer, working or streaming. Not to mention that most mobile games devour battery life and data.
However recently I found that Verizon offers unlimited data. That means I can actually play mobile games again with peace of mind! That’s what stopped me from playing Pokemon Go. I spent too much time in places with either 1. Awful Wifi or 2. No Wifi. And I live int he middle of nowhere, far away from any Pokestops. They’re a few miles away at least. So now I can go out and catch Pokemon, now that people aren’t really talking about it anymore. But that’s fine! It is what was motivating me to get out and exercise more, and I’m glad to do so yet again. But there are other mobile games that I do enjoy, that are good! For example, I adore the Sailormoon Puzzle Game. I do feel like it tries kind of hard to get you to spend money on it… but that’s the nature of free games. They have to make a living somehow, yeah? Microtransactions are certainly a way to do that. But beyond that, it’s a fantastic puzzle game, it’s adorable, and it’s a solid use of the Sailormoon franchise. The items make it a lot easier, and being put into positions where you might need them is more than a little vexing. However, there are games like Dragonball: Dokkan Battle, where they practically spoonfeed you useful items! Every event is packed with items to help you summon powerful characters. I think I actually have too many UR [Ultra Rare] characters right now! I had to start over and lost my account that was well over level 100, so I could put almost anyone on board…However, this is another one that I can’t play on my PC without putting in some work. Not to mention, it’s not an “official” app and the data doesn’t transfer across from PC to mobile. You have to use a code and swap it back and forth. Tedious.
But you know what? Not all mobile games are guilty of this! Brave Frontier is a fantastic example because so many games have copied its successful, team-based RPG style. But they have an official Windows App! That’s right, I can play it on my computer anytime I want, and I think the only thing that doesn’t transfer across are Crystals [used to summon]. But I can play it at my desk, I can stream it if I want. I might do that sometime! Another game that’s good for this is Shadowverse, the wonderful card game. You can link your account from PC to mobile and play whenever you want, and that’s a great thing. I’m not crazy about mobile card games myself, I’d rather play them at my desk [like most things]. So what am I getting at here? I think more mobile games should offer the option to play them on the computer in some manner. I think that might be a great way to expand their market, get more people spending money. Some of these PC ports are awful, but for the most part, they seem to be pretty good, as long as people go in knowing that it’s a port of a mobile game. Most of the Final Fantasy mobile to PC ports… not gonna lie… not so hot. Not a fan of the V or VI mobile ports, and putting them on PC just made me sad. Some mobile games I truly enjoy playing, I don’t mind spending my time or money on. Some I play for just a little bit, like Fire Emblem. Some I play once or twice a day, like Power Rangers, Dokkan Battle, or Dynasty Warriors. No, Mobile isn’t a four-letter word. I think people have poor perceptions of what a mobile game is, because of other titles that are shameless ripoffs, soulless cash grabs, or just.. bland and boring. But there are wonderful titles out there for your phone. Maybe I should spend some more time highlighting them.
What about you guys? What are you playing on mobile? Do you love mobile games? Hate them? Let me know!
