In the last article, I talked about how the perception of video games as an entertainment medium has drastically changed over the years. This is largely due to the fact that a large chunk of its core audience – who used to be kids back then – are now all grown up, leading to an expansion of technical innovations and narrative sophistication in modern games.

1. Top Fifteen Retrogame Apps for Your iPhone (Part 2)
In the last article, I talked about how the perception of
video games as an entertainment medium has
drastically changed over the years. This is largely due to
the fact that a large chunk of its core audience – who
used to be kids back then – are now all grown up,
leading to an expansion of technical innovations and
narrative sophistication in modern games.
The last article gave a rundown of three of these classic games available for the iPhone,
counting down to fifteen. Here are four more.
4. Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995)
Hailed as the greatest JRPG of all time, Chrono Trigger is every bit deserving of the distinction.
Gameplay-wise, it deviates from the usual formula by doing away with random enemy
encounters; meaning that no longer were players bogged down by a fight every five seconds. If
players saw enemies ahead and didn’t think they were up to the challenge, they could avoid
them outright. While this doesn’t sound like much, it actually gave more depth to strategies (and
strategies are what JRPGs are all about), especially when added to timer-based actions that
sped up fights, and combo moves that utilized all player characters in a party.
If gameplay was all that greatness would be based on, then Chrono Trigger would already be a
shoe-in. The game, though, was more than just that. It featured an engaging time-travel story,
where actions in any given area and time would have great consequences in other places and
eras. Such complications necessitated the game having twelve different endings, depending on
players’ actions. In the 16-bit days, this storyline complexity was largely unheard of.
5. Duke Nukem 3D (PC, 1996)
The first-person shooter Duke Nukem 3D wasn’t revolutionary by any stretch from a gameplay
standpoint. It did, however, widen the appeal of FPSes beyond
thehardcore Doom and Wolfenstein 3D fanbase. It was also famous for its crass humor and All-
American bad-ass attitude which were almost nonexistent in mainstream games at the time.
The success of this game prompted its developers to want to create a sequel that would match,
or even top,Duke 3D’s reception. Called Duke Nukem Forever, the sequel’s title couldn’t have
been more apt: The perfectionist attitude of the games’ chief designer, George Broussard,
lengthened Duke Forever’s development time to fifteen years, with many gamers and critics
commenting that the game was taking (*ehem*) forever to finish. To add insult to injury, once it

2. was finally released last year, it was met with less than warm reception, its technology and
game design being already dated by then.
Never mind all that, though. The iPhone gets the acclaimed Duke Nukem 3D, and that’s all you
really need to know.
6. Earthworm Jim (Genesis, 1994)
At a time when platformers were a dime a dozen, Earthworm Jim stood out from other run ‘n’
gunners (basically platformers with guns) by employing hand-drawn sprites, fluid animation,
and Ren&Stimpy-style humor. Those flourishes have served it well, maintaining its classic
status even until now. Of course, it also didn’t hurt that it had exemplary gameplay.
The game's continuing popularity led to an excellent sequel (along with two lackluster ones), a
TV show, and now an iPhone port.
7. Final Fight (arcade, 1989)
Although it was Double Dragon that ushered in the golden age of beat ‘em ups in 1987, Final
Fight was nonetheless a great game in its own right, further popularizing the genre. A side-
scrolling cooperative multiplayer fightfest, its popularity was no doubt also boosted by the fact
that the game’s events took place in the same universe as Capcom’s other franchise, Street
Fighter.
Sources:
Top iPhone News From Cashforiphones
http://www.cashforiphones.com/cfi/news/article/top_fifteen_retrogame_apps_for_your_iphone_part_2
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