If you play games on your phone regularly then you’ll probably already know that many of the most successful titles of the last few years are free to download, from Candy Crush to Angry Birds and Clash of Clans.
But did you know you can also sample retro classics, including Snake and Tetris, from gaming’s – and possibly your own – formative years on your smartphone for free?
There are loads of different versions of each game out there, but of the games we played in the office, the Snake and Tetris versions below proved particularly popular, transporting us back to the 1990s when we first played them on Nokia phones and our Game Boys respectively.
Many free games do have pop-up adverts and optional in-app purchases to unlock additional features, so it’s your call if you’re happy to enjoy a little blast from the past with a few potentially annoying features, but be careful to ensure you don’t end up paying for unwanted extras.
Here’s what we found:
Played on a screen that looks like your old Nokia, you use four directional buttons to manoeuvre a pixelated snake around the screen, attempting to hit targets and avoid obstacles. The snake grows in length the longer you survive, to the point where it ends up becoming the primary obstacle – hit your own tail and it’s game over.
This version of the classic puzzle game includes the familiar ‘Marathon’ game mode, in which you rotate and fit shapes together to create rows of blocks which disappear once complete. Let the playfield become overrun with blocks and it’s all over.
Munch dots and avoid enemies to rack up high scores in this demo version of the puzzle game. It lets you sample a number of levels, from a pixel for pixel recreation of the original arcade maze to later themed stages. It also introduces new multiplayer challenges, tournaments and leaderboards.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene Lite (iOS only)
This demo version starts off looking and playing like the classic arcade shooter but evolves into something new the more you play, unlocking additional ship controls and weapon types. You can buy the full game separately (also available on Android).
Have we missed any of your old favourites? Let us know in the comments below.
