Good games for Android phone?

[Ruldra]

I got myself an Android phone and I'm curious about what games are available in the Android Market. I found a few interesting ones but I'm sure there are a lot of gems out there I'm still unaware of. For now I'm just looking for the free games.

So far, here's what I've found:

Alchemy: You start off with the four basic elements (water, fire, air, earth) and you mix them up to find new stuff. 380 elements in total to be found.
Angry Birds: I think everyone is familiar this one. Over 300 levels, very worth the download.
Asteroid Defense: Build a space station and fit it with all sorts of weaponry to destroy the incoming asteroids. The game is unwinnable so it's more to see how far you can get. My best is level 80.
Chess Free: Chess. Nuff said.
Drag Racing: My favorite game yet. You race in a straight line, shifting gears at the right RPM and using the nitro at the right moment to get the best times. You can buy upgrades, change gear ratios and compete against recorded runs of other people online. Also a lot of cars to choose from.
Go Free: Traditional board game with black and white stones.
Grand Prix Story Lite: You're a manager of a racing team. Hire a driver and mechanics, develop your car and watch your driver take part in races a la B-Spec in Gran Turismo.
Mahjong and Friends: This is not Mahjong Solitaire, but the one where you play with three other people to make the best hand. It's basically a card game but instead of cards you use mahjong tiles.
Sudoku Free: Sudoku. Nuff said.

What other good games do you guys suggest?

[dunpeal2064]

I guess Advent Rush is ok for being a mobile bullet hell.

Thats pretty much all I have, I don't use my phone for games much.

[gct]

I came into possession of a Samsung Galaxy Tab recently, but I hardly use it much at all.

Can I partially hijack your thread and ask for useful apps (preferably free)? I don't plan to use it for games much - I would carry a PSP or DS if I planned to play.

I don't have a 3G data plan and I don't even install a SIM card in my tablet - I know about Google Maps tiles but some offline way to search Google Maps for addresses would be great.

[Sumez]

Alchemy sounds fun, but I'm also interested in some solid games that aren't poisoned by the "casual" target group.

Not that I have an android phone, but I might hijack my girlfriend's.

[DJ Incompetent]

Meganoid
Icarus-X
Walpurgis
Shinobi Barrage
Radiant
Rocket Bunnies
WordFeud
Bust a Move
Game Dev Story

yongzh's "soid" emulator series + Wii Controller

[EinhanderZwei]

Cyberlords: Arcology (MUST HAVE)
Gate
Sky Frontier 3D

[StarCreator]

If you have a powerful enough device for it (you need to have at least the equivalent to a Nexus One), check out Silpheed Alternative - it's easily the furthest I've seen graphics pushed on the platform, and the game isn't half-bad either.

There's also a game a friend made called "Four-letter words" (nothing profane, I assure you), which is a really engrossing word game that I've played on and off since he first made it for J2ME.

There's also 180 by Headcase Games, which I got a chance to briefly beta-test way back. I can't really wrap my head around it, but it's not a bad way to kill time.

[Jon]

I will often kill time playing Cut the Rope on my girlfriends phone. Not too bad especially considering it was only a dollar.

[Vexorg]

I don't play a lot of games on my phone (drains the battery too quickly,) but here are a couple of decent ones:

PewPew: twin stick shooter, somewhat similar to Geometry Wars
Age of Zombies: Another one from Halfbrick, also available on iOS

I also play Words with Friends a fair bit on my iPad, but I can't say I necessarily recommend the Android version. I had it for a while, but found it too buggy to be of much use, although it might be better now.

[DJ Incompetent]

No, Words With Friends sucks. Ya don't wanna support Zynga anyway.

Get WordFeud

username: DJIncompetent
I'll fight all'y'all on word science.... and lose because I dropped "all'y'all"

[PC Engine Fan X!]

My cell phone really isn't powerful enough for danmaku based shmups but for gaming on the go, I just use an Gameboy Micro with it's super slim and very compact size. Perfect for playing cool GBA shmups such as Gradius Galaxies, Steel Empire, Phalanx, etc. Perfect for killing some spare time.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[TodayIsForgotten]

Drag Racing is awesome.

These are just games i thought were decent or good.

Shootem ups:

Advent Rush
Skyforce, Air Attack (1942 esque)
Radiant (galaga meets space invaders).
Alien Battle (1942 esque)
IcarusX
Mortal Skies (1942 esque)
ExZeus Arcade (mecha space harrier
Galaxy On Fire (space shooter)
Overkill (UN Squadron)
Blastosis Invasion (really pretty looking never played it)

RPG

Dink
Inotia 3
Dungeon Hunter 1 and 2
Sacred Odyssey
Eternal Legacy
Deadly Dungeons
Trap hunter

Adventure

Shadow Guardian (think uncharted)

Hack N' Slash/Beat Em Up

Hero Of Sparta
Back Stab
Samurai
Dragon of The Three Kingdoms

Racing

Bang Bang Racing
GT Racing Motor Academy
Asphalt
Reckless Racing
Reckless Getaway
Exteme Formula
Need For Speed Shift

Open World

Miami Hustle (GTA)
Westcoast Hustle (GTA)

FPS/3rd

NOVA
Modern Combat 1 and 2
Dark
Deadspace

N+/Super Meat style'd

Tap n Crash
Rocketron
Meganoid (maybe not this genre but 8 bit pixel art goodness)

Run N' Gun

Destroy Gunners (mechs)
Gun Bros
Angrybots
Iron Wars (mad balls)

Arena Shooter

Meteor Blitz (asteroids esque)
Alien Overkill
age of zombies
Minigore

Golf

Golf Battle 3D
Lets Golf

Platformer

Ozzys Odyssey
Toki Tori
Micronytes

Casual

Racing Moto
Lane Splitter
Shark
Duck Hunt
Duck HunterPro

Room Escape type game

Mystique series

Too many to list.

Useful Apps
*Splashtop (Remote Desktop)
*Unified Remote (Control specific aspects of your computer with phone/tablet like turning on and off monitor. using your device as a mouse pad and your finger, the mouse, changing a song without remoting in etc etc)
*ES File Explorer or Astro file manager (explore file directory and share files over the network)
*Google Voice and or Groove IP (WIFI phone calling)
*Samba (May need to be rooted - share your SD card as a network share)
*Paper Camera (amazing app that lets you see many different effects in real time, like cartoon/comic style)
*PicSay Pro (adobe photoshop style editor)
*WIFI Explorer (connect to phone or tablet from pc to send and receive files/view files etc)
*Swype (although i hate that it doesn't always predict the right word. Went back to regular keyboard)[/list]

[shmuppyLove]

No love for the Zenonia series?

I really enjoy the delicious SNES style

[Ruldra]

I tried most of the games suggested in the thread, but I'm realizing that most games are simply unplayable in a phone. In shmups you can't react quickly enough to the action on the screen and cars are really tough to drive in racing games. Actually, any game that has too much action in them and requires fast reaction skills just doesn't work well in a small touchscreen. Those kind of games are meant to be played with a controller.

Board games, managing games and stuff that lets you take your time is perfect for a phone though. I'm considering buying Grand Prix Story.

[TodayIsForgotten]

It takes time to get down with the accelerometer in games. most games have virtual controls. I hear you with the shooters but at the same time for what they are, you can't expect to be nudge moving through bullet-storms. To pass some time they are decent enough in my opinion.

You could always try the sixaxis app (think this definitely needs root) and use the ps3 controller to play said games.

[gct]

I just bought Robo Defense last night, it's a basic but well-done tower defense kind of game. I started playing around 10pm and before I knew it, it was 1am

edit: There is a free version with fewer features and upgrades - but still offers plenty of entertainment, well worth the $0.00.

[Ruldra]

I downloaded a bunch of games but I still need to test them, will comment about them later. But Guns’n'Glory looks like a nice wild-west tower defense game and Game Dev Story is a very funny and entertaining gaming developer simulator. The game is pure genius.

Actually all games from Kairosoft are worth checking out. They also have a soccer manager simulator but it wasn't translated to english yet.

[sjewkestheloon]

Everyone needs to try Beats: Advanced Rhythm Game. It's DDR/Stepmania for Android with touch pads at the bottom of the screen. It is customisable to allow different play styles including an Osu mode which is great. You can get access to a load of sites in the game that allow you to download thousands of Stepfiles for use in the game. As a result I get to play DJ Max 2 tracks on my phone.

[majors]

Gotta plug the PCE EMU. Uses Wiimote, supports CD's...good fun for TurboGrafx fans. Then you don't have to find a good game app, because you HAVE good shooters.

All the Tower Defense style games are fun, don't really have a fav. I have been playing a lot of Impossible Game, being a one button game, it works good on the phone.

Amazon Market has been giving away a free app a day, I get whatevers there daily. Sometimes you get a game, and sometimes it's fun.

Apps I have to have: IMDB, J Player(Justin TV), Google Voice, Pandora/FM Radio/DI, XDA<Tapatalk>, Barnacle(tether)

[gct]

Gotta plug the PCE EMU. Uses Wiimote, supports CD's...good fun for TurboGrafx fans. Then you don't have to find a good game app, because you HAVE good shooters.

Agreed here, although I haven't tried PCE.emu personally. I just treated myself yesterday with a 2nd-hand Xperia Play, and I've been going nuts on the emulators - SNES9X, Gensoid, FPse.

Wild Guns is all I need, it's running almost full speed with frameskip set to zero.

Contra Hard Corps and Gunstar Heroes full speed with zero frameskip.

Castlevania SOTN with zero frameskip, 60fps most of the time, occasional drops to 58fps, very well playable.

My phone has dedicated gaming controls, but if you don't mind carrying around a Wii Remote, you'll be very happy with the emulators too.

And I have to change my opinion about Angry Birds. Not fun, at least not when there are better games to play.

edit: GBA emulator Gameboid works very well, pretty much perfect with no frameskip. I feel quite a bit of input lag on SNES9X, I might give SNESoid a try to see if it's any better.

So..... now that I can play most anything I want without carrying any extra device, does anybody want to buy a Dingoo A320? I'll sell it real cheap

[Ruldra]

Some more free stuff I downloaded:

aiMinesweeper: Traditional minesweeper game
Cloudy: Kind of a puzzle game. Make the paper airplane collect all the stars on each stage
Hex Defense: The only tower defense game I really like. It's a rather simple game but I like the neon graphics
Tetris: I thought this one would be unplayable but you can actually control the pieces very nicely. Recommended.

How do you go about buying a game on the market? You just put your credit card number in there?

[StarCreator]

How do you go about buying a game on the market? You just put your credit card number in there?

Yes, but you have to live in a region where Google will take payments. Can't remember if Brazil's on that list.

[gct]

I got a $20 pre-paid Mastercard from a mail-in rebate on some computer parts, and I was able to use it to make purchases in Android Market. If you don't want to give your regular credit card, see if your bank issues pre-paid credit cards. Still don't know about Market in Brazil, though.

[maxlords]

Tried most of the recommendations (only free ones cause I'm a cheap bastard) in this thread and almost none of em are Play-controller compatible...and most of em kinda suck.

The ones I DID like are:

Advent Rush (runs great!)
Radiant (works with the Play)
Overkill (hard but works with the Play)
Icarus X (hard to play but pretty)
Cyberlords: Arcology (this is GREAT!....like a modern Shadowrun meets Ys! Play compatible)
Shinobi Barrage (not bad but very fast)
Sky Force Lite (not bad)
Air Attack HD (not bad)

Also checked out Dante's Inferno (so so) and Legends of Yore (like crack and Play compatible!). Tried Minecraft portable but hated it. Danmaku Lite was a letdown too. Just got some RPGs left to try....

[Ruldra]

I found a bunch of browser MMO games by the same developer, Storm8. While they have different themes, they all play the same way: acquire money, develop your character's stats and attack other players. It's all menu-based so it's not everyone's cup of tea. Good for people who don't have much time to play: just log in, do your stuff and come back later in the day.

Pets Live: Pokemon theme
Ninjas Live: Ninja theme
Zombies Live: Zombie theme
iMobsters: Mafia theme
Racing Live: Street racing theme
Vampires Live: Vampire theme
World War: War theme
Kingdoms Live: Medieval theme

They're all free to play.

[headcaseGames]

There's also 180 by Headcase Games, which I got a chance to briefly beta-test way back. I can't really wrap my head around it, but it's not a bad way to kill time.

Thank you for the support
We've recently released a free strategy guide for the game (LINK) because more than a few people couldn't figure out the rules, that should bring you some deeper enjoyment out of the game.

Also I am working hard to put out 2 more apps for Android by the year's end, and you can bet I will be showing at least one of them off on this forum when the time is right; it's a love-letter to old-school NES Contra!

[DJ Incompetent]

almost none of em are Play-controller compatible.

As in Xperia Play?

How is that phone? I'm looking to get one and would like to know what you think of it.

[Vexorg]

At least in the US, I believe that most carriers support adding Android Market purchases to your phone bill now. Haven't tried it though, so I'm not sure how it works.

[gct]

almost none of em are Play-controller compatible.

As in Xperia Play?

How is that phone? I'm looking to get one and would like to know what you think of it.

I have no complaints about the smartphone functions, it feels snappy and responsive enough to me, having come from a Xperia X1 which was pretty sluggish. Build quality is reasonably sturdy, except for those mushy shoulder buttons.
The reason I retired my X1 was because the keyboard wore out, so it is yet to be seen whether similar issues will develop with the Play's gamepad.

The main issue people may have with it is that this phone is quite thick, although there is little wasted space on the front face - the footprint is also larger than other phones but the screen uses up most of that. I don't mind, it's still smaller than a PSP or DS and I put it in my front pocket like I always have.

Having spent some more time with it though, I am disappointed with the input lag when using emulators, which goes both ways - you don't start moving until a bit after pressing a direction, and you don't stop moving until a bit after you have released the button. You're not going to find this kind of comment from a mainstream review, when playing Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger which are the only things those guys care about, input lag isn't going to get you killed. But I can't play shooters well on this, I can't play run&guns. Action games like Castlevania & Metroid are somewhat less demanding on precise input, so if you are willing to forgo certain types of games, it is still a decent platform and you can still have a lot of fun with it.

I don't know if this lag is a problem of programming and can be fixed, or if it is a limitation of the hardware and won't ever go away.

Battery life hasn't been an issue for me - then again, I habitually charge at night and don't play much when I'm out, and don't have any friends who I talk to on the phone.

In summary, I guess as an Android phone, it is quite standard and perhaps more expensive as just a phone. I bought mine 2nd-hand from some kid who had already SIM-unlocked it and put a screen protector on it, so at least there was some value added. As a phone with gaming controls, it's pretty much the only option, which makes it both the best and the worst available. It works well for some games and not so well for others, YMMV. Let's see what maxlords has to add to this.

[maxlords]

I've had intermittent experiences with mine. The first one I got (brand new) kept rebooting on me and scrambling my icons and the battery drained like crazy all the time. Took it back. No issues with the new one like that. I had to turn off all the functions like haptic feedback and background data and such to keep the battery from sucking dry too fast. I charge nightly as well and tend to be able to run a full day with light to medium use and still have a decent charge left.

I have a few issues with Android's newest iteration of the OS, namely that I can't kill and/or uninstall some of the functions I flat out won't use. That includes stuff like setup wizards and even Madden (which came free on mine). It also tends to occasionally have input lag in the menu system when loading programs, but it's intermittent. These are all OS issues I think though.

The phone itself I like because it's bigger than most phones. I have bigger hands and I find that it fits them absolutely perfectly. Too many of these new phones are too small for me IMO. The stereo sound is excellent and I find the screen quite crisp, though it does run dimmer than the standard for the current gen of smartphones, even at max brightness. I assume this is a battery protection measure with how much juice it takes to run games, but it only is really noticeable in the daylight outside or next to another smartphone. Still nice and crisp. The screen scratches like a bastard though....probably one of the easiest screens to scratch currently on the market. Get a screen protector on it ASAP if you get one. The phone I took back I was keeping in a phone case and cleaning it regularly and being super careful and it STILL scratched easily. I have a zagg protector on mine now...haven't had a single issue since.

For gaming, I was a bit disappointed as the Play didn't sell all that well so it doesn't seem like Sony has been supporting it much. AFAIK it can't be linked with your PSN account yet and you can't get very many PSX games for it. Most of the Market games aren't Play compatible either and almost no one is making games for it That being said, the emulators I have work flawlessly with no input lag at all. I can play NES Mega Man games on it no problem and I haven't had much problem with anything else (though shooters are tough just cause of the small screen size and hence nearly invisible bullets). MAME runs awful on it except for a handful of games but my NES, SNES, and Genesis emulators all work absolutely perfectly (I'm using the Tiger ones), and all the buttons are mappable to the control pad. That's all I could have asked for honestly

I find that I'm not gaming on it as much as I expected to, but it's also not quite the gaming machine that it was advertised as (due to lack of software support). It's great for emulation though, and if you don't mind a thicker more full-figured phone with nice stereo sound, it's pretty damn good IMO. I do a little gaming here and there on it, but am using it for a lot of texting, as an alarm clock (they make a dock that turns it into a clock!), for on the go internet, a book reader (kobo) a comic book reader (ACV), and as a phone once in a while too. Runs video pretty smoothly too, but it's a pain to upload it...takes a while. Oh...and the camera sucks on it It'll do the job, but there are WAY better phone cameras out there.