23 console games on the iPhone

A look at 26 different titles on the iPhone that gamers would consider "real" video games. Familiar franchises and known names that are a little more than the usual casual fare

By Ryan Rigney

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The iPhone has a reputation as a platform exclusively for indie developers and ports of Flash games. What those who don't have access to one of Apple's do-it-all devices don't know is that there are numerous console developers who have begun to take the iPhone quite seriously as a platform, putting out well-crafted ports of their biggest franchises. We've constructed a list of 26 of some of the biggest names in gaming that have made an appearance on the iPhone. Admittedly, some are better than others, but all of them are worth picking up if you're a fan of the series on consoles because, quite frankly, games are ridiculously cheap on the App Store. So you can feel informed when spending your precious dollars we've banged out some text that is part information, part critique for each game on this list.

It's important to note that this is not a list ranked in order of quality; this list is in alphabetical order.

1 Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles

As one of the first "console-style" games released on the App Store, Altair's Chronicles tickled the curiosity of countless iPhone owners, causing it to be an enormous commercial success. The game isn't open-world like its console counterpart, and most of the levels are designed to be played left-to-right like a sidescroller, but the game is, in fact, fully 3D. You’ll use of an on-screen virtual joystick to navigate Altair through the campaign, and AC's timing-based battle system is fully intact here, making it an experience that will impress even those accustomed to consoles.

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