There have been a few recent notable iOS and Android game releases that have had console fans reconsider turning into mobile gamers. It seems like the line between what one would constitute as a mobile game and what one would call a “normal” game is getting thinner.
Apple’s Apple Arcade platform, for example, has scooped up some exclusives with developers promising they will come to consoles eventually. Is this Apple’s first step into making a true gaming console to compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo? Only time will tell but the point is these games look like they’d be just as fun on consoles.
10 Fantasian
This just hit Apple Arcade and comes from the father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi. This is the latest game from his studio Mistwalker and he says this might be his last. Japanese executives tend to say that a lot though so who knows. Just look at Hideo Kojima with every Metal Gear sequel before he left Konami. The game itself is a turn-based RPG where the characters are polygonal but the world is handcrafted from real things, giving it sort of a Paper Mario feel.
9 World Of Demons
This also just came out on Apple Arcade recently. It is an action game about samurai fighting demons. The jealousy comes into play because this was made by PlatinumGames who know a thing or two about action.
The visuals also give a nice a Okami feel to it what with the water color infused cel-shaded art style. That’s not surprising because some of the developers from PlatinumGames worked on that before forming this studio.
8 Sky: Children Of The Light
Sky: Children of the Light released for the iOS in 2019, and Android in 2020. It’s also supposed to come to Switch sometime this year but not much has been said about it. The recent indie showcase Nintendo Switch put up on YouTube didn’t even say anything, but later thatgamecompany clarified that it would come in June at some point. For fans of Journey and thatgamecompany, this wait has been hard as it looks like a combination of that plus Destiny.
7 War Of The Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is certainly a mouthful and it’s a spinoff of a spinoff. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was the original, in other words, emulating classic Final Fantasy games as a turn-based RPG. This game then is a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy Tactics and is good on mobile devices since it launched last year in North America. It has been thirteen years since the last Final Fantasy Tactics game launched, on the DS in 2008, so it is about time for something,
6 Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon
Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is a spinoff to the Zelda like franchise. It hit Apple Arcade in January and is instead a four player co-op dungeon crawler. If playing alone one can still take control of all four characters as some are needed for certain puzzles. A switch over a pit can be hit by characters with long-ranged weapons like a bow for example. So far there has not been any console announcements but the other two main games hit consoles so this will at least hit one of them presumably.
5 Clap Hanz Golf
The Hot Shots series first started with Camelot, more known now for the Mario Golf games, on the PS1. The developer Clap Hanz then took over with the second in 1999 and from there up until 2019, every golf game they made was PlayStation exclusive. This then is their first departure which hit Apple Arcade in April. For those familiar with the simple and cartoony designs of Hot Shots golf, this should feel right at home. No console ports have been announcement yet.
4 Taiko No Tatsujin: Pop Tap Beat
Taiko no Tatsujin: Pop Tap Beat, or just Taiko Pop Tap, is a music rhythm game. Most games in the series have been exclusive to Japan. The last released in North America before this Apple Arcade game was Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun on Switch in 2018. It has a variety of songs but the coolest additions to the roster are the anime themes for Neon Genesis Evangelion, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. No console port has been announced.
3 Breath Of Fire 6
Breath of Fire 6 was not only the first game in this forgotten Capcom franchise for over a decade, it was a numbered title. It released in 2016 only in Japan though on mobile devices and PCs. Unfortunately the news gets worse as its service has since shut down. That doesn’t mean it can’t be resurrected and transformed into a console game though so maybe there is still some hope for that.
2 The Pinball Wizard
The Pinball Wizard is an Apple Arcade exclusive that launched in 2019. Instead of controlling a ball, the ball instead is a wizard. Each stage has a set of monsters and obstacles to overcome and everything is controlled with flippers.
However, the titular wizard can level up and even learns abilities like a dash to use at will. It’s sort of like a roguelike pinball game. No console version has been teased yet.
1 Bleach Brave Souls
This free to play mobile action game based on the popular manga and anime first hit Japan in 2015. It came to North America a year later and just hit Steam last year. It was recently announced that the game will hit PS4 sometime this year as well. It may not look like the most robust free to play game on the market but now is as good a time as any to re-release it since the final anime arc will soon be debuting.