How to Turn Your Mobile into a Portable Arcade

In case you didn’t already know, smartphones are more than just a device capable of connecting you to family and friends. Through a combination of clever technology and the power of the Internet, you can now use your phone to connect to a world of information and entertainment. In fact, thanks to the increased efficiency of these devices, more people are using their smartphones for things other than communication than ever before.

Indeed, one of the most impressive areas of growth in the last decade has been mobile gaming. The global games market has always been a billion-dollar industry, but since 2015 it’s been all about portable playing. The once dominant PC and console gaming mediums were forced to take a backseat to mobile gaming apps, according to this article from Statista.

Reviewing the state of the market in 2015 and looking forward, the research group suggested the mobile gaming revenue would surpass PC and console earnings by the close of that year. This prediction proved correct by the end of 2016 with SuperData Research calculating that global revenue topped $40.6 billion that year.

 

The Best Mobile Games to Get You Going

With mobile gaming now the apple of the industry’s eye and more people reaching for the Install button than ever, we thought we’d run through a few ways you can turn your device into a portable arcade. Now, the first thing you’ll need to do is connect to your native app store. Once you’ve done that, you can search for the gaming apps listed below. Although not an exhaustive list, the games covered should give you a broad taste of the options out there in 2017:

Oceanhorn (Free/$5.49)

So far…. I’m really enjoying Oceanhorn #PS4share pic.twitter.com/2tdqMbdo6g

— Demi. (@ThatGuyDemi) March 11, 2017

There are few more iconic computer games than the Legend of Zelda and Oceanhorn is clearly a tribute to that. Despite being on the upper end of the price spectrum, you do get to try a level for free which is great but more importantly, you also get a game that looks fantastic. Your mission is to find your father (who went missing one night) by exploring various worlds.

In fact, when you look at the construction of this game, you can see that it’s a step above Zelda in terms of graphics. Put simply, the team at FDG Mobile Games GbR has taken full advantage of the latest mobile tech, such as the iPhone 7’s A10 Fusion CPU and 750X1334 resolution, to create a 3D experience. When you visit your app store and get the game, you’ll be able to move left, right, up and down through highly detailed worlds which is great if you’re a lover of real arcade-style games.

Lottoland (Free)

Image via Lottoland

For a slightly different experience, you can now add a mobile lottery app to your portable arcade. In years gone by, playing the lottery via your phone was impossible. However, thanks to modern technology, you can now download the lottery mobile app from Lottoland and take part in all the major draws. In fact, you don’t have to stick to US lotteries with this app. Because you’re betting on the game rather than investing in it, you can actually play any lottery available, from the Powerball to the EuroMillions.

But who plays lotteries via their phone? Well, the lottery player demographics as outlined by iTunes’ “customers also bought” tab show that everyone from online slot games and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here fans to Now TV users love the app. In fact, as well as offering access to lotteries, this app allows you to play scratchcard games and slots, so you’ll basically have your own little casino in your arcade.

Atomic Pinball Collection (Free/$2.52)

You can’t have an arcade without a pinball machine and this offering from Nena Innovation AB is one of the best around. Although there are plenty of free-play pinball apps, they often offer basic games with very little in the way of bonuses or animations. When you download the Atomic Pinball via Google Play or the Apple Store, you’ll get two games: Masks of Glory and Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot.

Now there are two things about this app that are great. The first is the realism of the tables. Missing flecks of paint, subtle creaks and bright flashing lights make this game feel truly authentic. Secondly, you can play for free until you hit one million points on either table which basically means you get to try before you buy.

Turning your mobile into a portable gaming platform has never been easier. With the market booming and developers of all persuasions putting out new content on a regular basis, you now have more options than ever. You can use our suggested apps as a starting point, but don’t stop adding to your mobile arcade!