The Best Retro Gaming Apps
Over the past few years, there has been a surge of retro video games being re-imagined as their mobile gaming counterparts, bringing the worlds of retro and mobile gaming together.
Here, we reveal the best retro gaming apps, using data that combines App Store and Google Play reviews and ratings, as well as Google Play download figures, to find the favourite amongst avid gamers.
You can also find a variety of gamer-ready smartphones in our collection of contract, SIM-free and refurbished handsets.
1: Bubble Shooter (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 5
Google Play Rating: 4.4
Destroy the coloured bubbles, get points! Almost 30 years since its first release, Bubbler Shooter has been crowned the most popular retro-to-mobile gaming adaptation. For new gamers, if you’re a fan of Candy Crush, this 1994 arcade game will be your cup of tea. Retro gamers, you know exactly what to expect from this exciting brain teaser.
2: Snake ‘97 (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.6
Google Play Rating: 4.4
For the ultimate dose of nostalgia, lovers of the iconic retro game Snake ‘97 can get their fix via the mobile adaptation. The first ever mobile game, Snake, was released on the Nokia 6110 in 1997, and has remained popular in its smartphone form with over 100 million Google Play downloads.
3: Mortal Kombat (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.6
Google Play Rating: 4.3
90’s video game fanatics will be ever familiar with the 1992 series Mortal Kombat, which has grown into a global franchise in the fighting game genre. Fighting your way through various realms to defeat the enemy is the name of the game, with 24 different entries in the series and several film adaptations. In 2015 the franchise expanded its empire to include a mobile version of the retro game.
4: Tetris (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.5
Google Play Rating: 4.2
A truly iconic video game, Tetris was created in 1984 by software engineer Alexey Pajitnov. Players must complete lines by correctly fitting different shaped pieces between each other, keeping the chain going for as long as possible.
Retro gamers are likely to have played this video game on Game Boy, for which it sold more than 35 million copies, just a fraction of its total sales cross-platform.
5: Prince of Persia: Escape (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.6
Google Play Rating: 4.5
Bringing another film adaptation to the table, Prince of Persia is the first platform game to make the retro list. In the original 1989 game, players become a young prince battling enemies to save the princess, which evolved into an epic franchise during the early 2000s and has gone on to win Guinness World Records.
6: Street Fighter IV CE (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.8
Google Play Rating: 4.2
Immerse yourself in the universe of Street Fighter, one of the highest grossing video games franchises of all time. First developed in 1987, the original fighting game has had a number of spin-offs since its first release, in which players control a martial arts fighter through a variety of tournaments and battles.
7: Lemmings (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.7
Google Play Rating: 4.3
Lemmings was one of the most popular video games of the 90’s, with over 20 million copies sold since its 1991 release. In its mobile gaming form, players must save the Lemmings by guiding them and overcoming obstacles, complete with unlockable Lemmings as you progress.
8: Pac-Man (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4.1
Google Play Rating: 4.2
Arguably one of the world’s most iconic arcade games, Pac Man (1980) was originally called ‘Puck Man’ from the Japanese phrase "Paku paku taberu" which refers to gobbling something up. Eat all the dots within the maze and avoid the ghosts, with a refreshed and updated interface, as well as various modes of play.
9: Sonic CD Classic (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4
Google Play Rating: 4.3
Platform games continue to reign in the top 10 with Sega’s Sonic CD, first created in 1993. Collect rings and defeat robots as Sonic the Hedgehog, in an attempt to defeat Sonic’s nemesis in the mobile versions of this cult classic, with over 10 million downloads on Android alone.
10: Crazy Taxi Classic (free on iOS and Android)
App Store Rating: 4
Google Play Rating: 4.3
Crazy Taxi Classic (1999) is the most modern game to make the list, yet still a legendary arcade game. Players must deliver taxi passengers in the fastest time possible, building up their score. Although it was first released to arcades in 99’ it became available to the Dreamcast in 2000 and is now a fan favourite amongst mobile gamers.
The most successful retro gaming apps are at your fingertips, and entering the gaming world has never been easier and more affordable. If you’re looking to take your gaming to the next level, our comprehensive guide will show you the perfect handsets to get you ahead of the curve.