Mobile games seem to be a constant since the early 2010’s. With (in)famous games such as Flappy Bird, Angry Birds, and other avian related games, mobile games have always been a casual hobby that even the most buff jock can enjoy. Even recently, with the release of Genshin Impact, gamers on the go can experience games without an expensive setup.
But how did the explosion of mobile games come to be?
Some of the first mobile games weren’t on iPhones, but on the Hagenuk-MT2000 and Nokia phones. In 1994, Tetris was installed on the Hagenuk, and three years after, Snake was installed on Nokia. Nokia’s Snake was even the first multiplayer mobile game, which came with a two-player cooperative mode. Nokia began to develop more mobile games, though not many were as popular succesor Angry Birds.
Angry Birds is a behemoth of a franchise and a puzzle game that involves the player shooting the enemy green pigs with absolutely livid birds. With its launch in 2009, it has gained many achievements and awards, including the ‘Best Selling Mobile Series” in 2012. The game has grown much farther than anyone would’ve expected, with it having several movies, animated shows, books, and spin-off games.
The early 2010’s were a huge time for mobile game developers, with some memorable names such as Cut The Rope, Where’s My Water, and Candy Crush. Though, not everything was hunky dory.
Flappy Bird is a name many recognize, and is the epitome of ‘infamous’. A wildly popular game in 2014, the abrupt shut down took many by surprise. The game itself was talked about everywhere, so why delete it? The developer of the game decided to delete it as it was a huge cause of stress for him. And, with the deletion of the app, the popularity of the game tanked.
Another popular game that is mobile is Minecraft: Pocket Edition. The game fluctuates in and out of popularity, but there is no denying the strength that Minecraft as a whole had then, and now. One of the big things that was memorable about Minecraft and Pocket Edition, was the discovery of Herobrine. A complete myth, though it did give way to a rise in Minecraft’s success.
Fast forward to late 2020. The year isn’t going great, but the release of the game Genshin Impact is making waves through the gaming community. The gacha game is well known for its amazing graphics and overall accessibility. Genshin Impact, to put it simply, is pretty. One of the biggest appeals of the game is the amazing characters and interesting story. The community has kept it growing strong, and it grows ever larger due to consistent updates and an understanding developer team.