Top 10 Android games

October 31, 2008 5:30 pm

Categories: Mobile Phones News Tags: Android, feature, G1, Google, Mobile phone, namco, pac-man, T-Mobile, Tetris

The T-Mobile G1‘s already been out for more than 24 hours, and if you’re anything like us, you’ll have blitzed through all of the Android apps available right now for free already. Bored from all that social networking? Fizzled out from all that photo sharing? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty left to entertain you.

Fire up your thumbs, and start racking up high scores with these top Android games instead!

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PAC-MAN by Namco
Namco could all too easily have cashed in with a quick emulation capable of running on a Nokia 3210, but they’ve pulled out all the stops porting the arcade classic to Android. There’s three control modes taking advantage of the G1′s touchscreen, trackball, and best of all, accelerometer to tilt your way away from those nasty chomping blobs. See it in action here.

Tetris
We all know the drill here. Coloured blocks fall from the sky at faster and faster speeds, you develop crooked hands trying to make them vanish in the hopes that a rocket will blast off and boost your ego into the stratosphere, and the developer makes a mint. Everyone wins really, except your social life.

Bonsai Blast
If, somehow, you get bored of Tetris, this addictive ball blasting puzzler will satisfy your craving for Bust-A-Move-style nonsense until Peggle for Android comes along. We can’t wait for that day, but until it does we’re more than happy with Bonsai Blast. And with the quality of Android games on offer, we doubt it’ll be a very long wait at all!

City Slikkers
PoroCity Media can proudly claim to be the only developer that used the Google Maps API on the G1 for something other than yet another social network map. Its Android debut, City Slikkers, is a shadowy GPS game where you have to team up with others in the area. For what we’re note exactly sure as the site is very hazy, but Google thinks it has promise, as the team made it to the finals of the developers’ challenge.

Rayfarla
There’s plenty for potential for musical japes with Rayfarla, which comes stocked with virtual instruments to play via the G1′s accelerometer, and a piano full of mini games. Not one to play on the bus without headphones, but definitely one for gamers with a creative side, or anyone intent on annoying iPhone owners within earshot.

Softrace
Race against anyone, anywhere in the world to give an added element of competition to your workout. You and an opponent can burn the tarmac against each other on different running tracks in realtime – just work out your course on Google Maps, and you’re away – the G1′s GPS will keep up and keep you informed.

Bubble Bash
Actually we lied out about Bonsai Blast being the only coloured bauble bust’em up on launch. This one’s different though – it’s set on Bubble Island, so there’s trees and stuff behind the ball popping action. Yeah. OK, so it may not be original, but Bubble Bash will still be the heroin dealer of the Android Market.

Divide and Conquer!
Developer Karl Rosaen created Divide and Conquer! without ever knowing the name of the original it was based on, Jezzball – an impressive feat. The original’s screen dividing mechanics are still intact, though Rosaen has smartly added touchscreen controls for more of a challenge.

Mars Lander
One of the few games on launch that makes use of smartphone visuals, Mars Lander plonks you on the red planet, and it’s up to you to make sure the expensive robo-satellite lands safely. You won’t find it on Android Market anytime soon, but have a look around and you’ll find it’s ready for download now.

JOYity
Don’t fancy any of these? JOYity lets you construct your own games instead, making use of GPS and Google Maps. Set riddles for a friend whenever he walks into an area, or alert him to the whereabouts of all his left shoes with cryptic photo trails. Serious prankster potential.