With the plethora of mobile games available for my iPhone 3G and the massive catalogue of Windows Mobile games, you’d think that I’d have more than enough in the way of mobile games to keep me busy. And, you’d be somewhat correct – sorta, kinda.
I have plenty of options when it comes to high quality mobile games with amazing graphics and immersive gameplay on both the iPhone and Windows Mobile platforms. So much so that I tote around my iPhone 3G in one pocket and one of my “stand-by” handsets in the other pocket. I like to get real-world experience with all platforms, but the biggest reason for carrying around multiple devices is to have choice – especially for mobile games.
Today I was toting along a Sony Ericsson slider loaded with what I would consider a “basic” mobile game. I’m a big fan of “Kenny vs. Spenny” and when I heard that the duo had released a mobile game featuring the duelling duo, I just had to get my hands on the game. Turns out, the “Kenny vs Spenny: Best Friends/Worst Enemies” mobile game is as basic as it gets when it comes to graphics and player-immersion.
The game contradicts the most fundamental assumption in the mobile gaming world – that the best mobile games feature high-powered graphics and require hardware from the upper-most echelons of the mobile space.
So, does a mobile game have to have super-duper performance in order to capture its audience?
Check out the screenshots of the Kenny vs. Spenny mobile game and you’ll quickly realize that graphics isn’t exactly what you’d call “spectacular.” But, the game delivers on the “fun” factor. Turns out, a game doesn’t have to incorporate “high-tech” in order to please its user with simple, quick-access gameplay.
I take my Sony Ericsson and its Symbian-based UIQ mobile OS with me for those times when I don’t have time to get involved with more immersive games. When I want a quick distraction that promises a couple laughs I fire up “Kenny vs Spenny: Best Friends/Worst Enemies” and duke it out as either Kenny or Spenny in the kinds of ridiculous contests and tasks that helped them rise to fame. So, the answer is “no,” frame-rates and 3D rendering prowess aren’t all there is to mobile games.
That’s not to say that high-powered mobile games with 3D graphics and storylines that keep you involved ’til the very end aren’t great in their own right. But, there’s also plenty of room in the mobile gaming market to give simpler games like “Kenny vs Spenny: Best Friends/Worst Enemies” a fighting chance.
“Kenny vs Spenny: Best Friends/Worst Enemies” was developed by Breakthrough New Media and Big Blue Bubble. T-Mobile subscribers can find the game for download on the carrier deck.
