Console makers have been reluctant to bring their franchises to mobile because they want people to buy their hardware to play their games. But when mobile hits like Clash of Clans can rake in millions of dollars a day, it becomes a hard market to ignore. Nintendo recently began making mobile games, and now Sony says it’s forming a team to bring PlayStation franchises to mobile devices in Asia. If the game are a hit, it’s a safe bet they’ll be released worldwide.
Sony has plenty of classic game series that would work well on mobile devices with tilt and touchscreen controls. Here are seven we’d like to see.
1. Gran Tursimo
Thanks to the sensors in your phone, racing games feel right at home on mobile. You simply tilt the device to steer your car left or right, and it feels like you’re turning a steering wheel. The controls just click, making racing games an obvious choice for Sony to bring to mobile devices. Since Gran Turismo has been Sony’s premier racing simulator since the ’90s, bringing it to mobile would be a smart move.
2. Twisted Metal
Since racing games work so well on mobile devices, why not strap some heavy weaponry on those cars and lock them in arenas until only one vehicle is left? That’s pretty much what you get from the Twisted Metal franchise, a gritty collection of games whose breakout character is a murderous clown.
3. Crash Bandicoot
Fans have been wondering for years when Sony would bring back its once-famous mascot. Although Naughty Dog, Crash’s developer, has moved on to making modern classics like Uncharted and The Last of Us, Sony’s new mobile team could pick up the mantle and give us the colorful 3D platformer PS One owners have been missing.
4. PaRappa the Rapper
Among the earliest music/rhythm games was PaRappa the Rapper, a game that was equal parts weird and delightful. You played as a rapping dog who shared beats with memorable characters like a martial artist with an onion for a head. As bizarre as it was on the surface, the gameplay was simple: just tap the correct button on the beat to keep rapping. That would work just fine on a touchscreen, and it would resurrect one of Sony’s lesser-known franchises.
5. Warhawk
As well as tilt works for racing games, it might even be better for flying games like Warhawk. This PlayStation 3 exclusive pits players against one another as they try to blast enemy planes and tanks to oblivion. It’s a fun multiplayer shooter that would work fantastically on mobile, even if they limited the scope to just fighter jets.
6. Little Big Planet
This series of platformers has been giving players endless amounts of content since it debuted in 2009. That’s because in addition to the side-scrolling levels that come with the game, it offers a powerful set of tools for players to design their own levels and upload them for others to play. And if there’s one thing a touchscreen can do better than a game controller, it’s drag-and-drop level design, making this an ideal franchise to bring to mobile.
7. Wipeout
We’ve covered racing sims with Gran Turismo and vehicular combat with Twisted Metal. The one kind of driving game we haven’t touched on yet is futuristic hovercraft racing. Wipeout is a blisteringly paced racer set in the a neon-lit world and backed by thumping electronic beats. The gameplay is smooth but intense, making it a perfect fit on mobile.
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