The evolution of mobile games

It is common for people not to place much value on cell phone games, but the history of mobile games is marked by an absurd evolution.

As the focus of our blog is precisely our beloved pocket games, we could not pass up this opportunity to revisit this incredible story!

 

In the most recent video on the Mobile Gamer Brasil channel, we brought this story not told for the first time on Youtube: the incredible evolution of cell phone games.

History told in a simple way: audiovisual, game by game.

From the Hagenuk MT2000, the first cell phone with a built-in game, released in 1994, to the incredible open-world games we have today on Android and iOS platforms.

If we made the narrated video, it would be a video of at least an hour.

The video is the result of more than 30 hours of editing and almost 100 hours of research.

Also in the video, we went through the evolution of Java games ( J2ME ) since the first monocratic games like Prince of Persia: Harem Adventures, until the end of generation games that were 3D with a look very close to Symbian’s.

 

In the video, it is also possible to see how the evolution of graphics, went hand in hand with the maturation of the mobile games industry. At the same time that graphics evolved, there was also an explosion of casual games and free to play games.

So, at times, as in 2012, it seems that there is a “ involution ”, but it is necessary to understand how mobile games took over the laptop market. At the time, Nintendo dominated the market and much of the appeal was precisely because of casual games.

My original idea was to structure the video as follows:

1. Embedded Games
2. WAP GAMES
3. FIRST JAVA GAMELOFT GAMES
4. COLORED JAVA GAMES
5. JAVA 3D GAMES
6. SIMBIAN GAMES
7. FIRST GAMES Android and iOS
8. 2013 Games
9. 2013 games – 2023

However, a lot has happened at the same time as for example 3D java games along with Symbian’s first games. Even the arrival of the N-Gage 2.0 platform took place at the same time as the arrival of the iPhone 3G and the App Store.

The evolution of mobile games ( a timeline )

Thus, the structure of the video looked like this:

1994 – Tetris Clone – Hagenuk MT2000
1994 – Scramble – IBM Simon
1997 – Snake – Nokia
2000 – Space Impact – Nokia
2000 – Steve Jackson’s Sorcery – Wap Games
2001 – Alien Fish Exchange – Wap Games
2001 – Sonic Cafe – Japanese brew game
2002 – Prince of Persia Harem Adventures – Java Game – J2ME
2002 -Siberian Strike – Java Game – J2ME
2002 – Munkiki’s Castle – Nokia
2002 – Rayman Bowling – Java Game – J2ME
2002 – Prince of Persia Harem Adventures – Java Game – J2ME
2003 – Speed Devils – Java Game – J2ME
2003 – Sonic N – N-Gage
2003 – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater – N-Gage
2003 – Dragon Island – Java Game – J2ME
2004 – Asphalft GT – Java Game – J2ME
2004 – Splinter Cell – Pandora Tomorrow – Java Game – J2ME
2004 – Asphalt Urban GT – N-Gage
2004 – Ashen – N-Gage
2005 – Alpha Wing 2 – Java Game – J2ME
2005 – Galaxy On Fire – Java Game – J2ME
2006 – Gangstar Crime City – Java Game – J2ME
2006 – Brothers in Arms Earned in Blood – Symbian Game
2007 – Tornado Mania 3D – J2ME
2007 – Heroes Lore: Winds of Soltia – Java Game
2007 – Assassin’s Creed – Java Game
2007 – Shadowalker – Java Game
2007 – Tap Tap Revolution – iPhone
2008 – Resident Evil Degeneration – N-Gage 2.0
2008 – Metal Gear Solid Mobile – N-Gage 2.0
2008 – Super Monkey Ball – iPhone
2008 – Kroll – iPhone
2008 – Zombie Infection – Java – J2ME
2010 – Angry Birds – iPhone – Android
2009 and 2010 – Modern Combat Sandstorm – iPhone – Android
2010 – Infinity Blade – iPhone
2011 – ShadowGun – Android / iOS
2012 – Fruit Ninja – Android / iOS
2011 – Jetpack Joyride – Android / iOS / Windows Phone
2012 – Subway Surfers – Android / iOS / Windows Phone
2012 – The Amazing Spider-man – Android / iOS
2012 – Clash of Clans – Android / iOS
2013 – Asphalt 8: Airborne – Android / iOS / Windows Phone / Blackberry / Tizen
2013 -Real Racing 3 – Android / iOS / Blackberry
2013 – GTA San Andreas – Android / iOS / Windows Phone
2014 – Bioshock Mobile – iOS
2014 – Hearthstone – iOS / Android
2014 0 Vainglory – iOS / Android
2015 – Mortal Kombat X Mobile – iOS / Android
2015 – Horizon Chase – iOS / Android
2016 – Mobile Legends – iOS / Android
2016 – Clash Royale – iOS / Android
2013 – 2016 – Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas – iOS / Android
2017 – Free Fire – iOS / Android
2017 – 2019 – Grid AutoSport – iOS / Android
2017 – Modern Combat Versus – iOS / Android
2018 – Fortnite – iOS / Android
2018 – PUBG Mobile – iOS / Android
2018 – Asphalt 9: Legends – iOS / Android
2019 – Call of Duty Mobile – iOS / Android
2019 – Sky: Children of Light – iOS / Android
2019 – Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm – iOS
2020 – Pascal’s Wager – Android / iOS
2020 – Beyond a Steel Sky – iOS
2020 – Genshin Impact – Android / iOS
2021 – Alien Isolation – Android / iOS
2021 – Trial’s of Mana – Android / iOS
2022 – Horizon Chase 2 – iOS
2022 – Apex Legends Mobile – Android / iOS
2023 – Call of Duty Warzone Mobile – Android / iOS
2023 – Zenless Zone Zero – iOS
2023 – The Division Resurgence – Android / iOS