10 retro releases we’d love to see on iPhone

With the recent release of Flashback for the iPhone and the news that publisher Manomio intends to bring other retro classics to Apple’s platform, our already active minds went into overload here at Pocket Gamer Towers.

Flashback is an excellent place to start, but there are hundreds of other worthy gems that could be given a new lease of life.

With that in mind, here’s our top ten games we’d love to see “Wise Fwom Their Gwaves” on the iPhone (a little bonus for Altered Beast fans, there - don’t say we never give you anything).

Blinky’s Scary School
Developer Zeppelin Games
First released 1990

Here’s a gentle one to start us off. Inspired by the likes of single-screen platformers Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy, this charming title revolves around an adorable little ghost’s quest to infiltrate a spooky castle (which has since been purged of supernatural beings by a professional ghost-hunter) and collect several magic potions.

It’s quintessentially British stuff, and something of an acquired taste (like so many 8-bit platformers, you can’t actually attack the many on-screen enemies - evasion is your only tactic) but we’d like to think that the simplistic gameplay would be easy enough to duplicate on Apple’s touchscreen device.

Herzog Zwei
Developer Technosoft
First released 1989

You probably won’t believe us when we tell you that this obscure Japanese title is actually the first Real Time Strategy game, but it’s true - so there.

Produced before those clever chaps at Westwood Studios got to work on the superb Dune II, this incredibly unique piece of software was largely ignored when it was released in time for the Sega Mega Drive’s launch but it’s nevertheless built up a cult following as the years have rolled by.

Combining intense shooter action with unit creation, military strategy and limited resource management, it’s one hell of a game to play with a friend. The interface could easily be reproduced on the iPhone, and wireless multiplayer would be the icing on the cake.

Dune II
Developer Westwood Studios
First released 1992

Seeing as we mentioned this classic title in the previous entry, it only seems fair to award it a place in this list. A revolutionary game by anyone’s standards, Dune II laid the foundations for the uber-popular Command & Conquer series and influenced practically every mouse-driven RTS title from 1992 to the present day.

Although it naturally lacks some of the refinements that modern RTS gamers have come to expect, the core engine is solid, the visuals are colourful and the sci-fi setting - inspired by Frank Herbert’s grand literary vision - helps bind the entire experience together.

Porting this to the iPhone would be relatively easy - replicating the mouse controls with the touchscreen would be a straightforward process.

Stunt Car Racer
Developer Geoff Crammond
First released 1989

Geoff Crammond’s name might be synonymous with Formula One but one of his earlier racing titles was less concerned with painstakingly realistic physics and more focused on balls-out fun and giggles.

Darting around on a perilously high 3D track, anyone playing Stunt Car Racer trod a fine line between trying to out-race his opponents and driving safely enough to keep all four wheels on solid ground - a single slip-up could result in a vertiginous earthwards plunge.

This element of risk is what makes the game so unique, and we’d like to think that the iPhone’s accurate accelerometer could allow for some decent tilt controls.

Operation Wolf
Developer Taito
First released 1987

We’ve had Time Crisis Strike and Metal Gear Solid Touch, but it really is high time that one of the greatest lightgun games of all time stepped up to the plate (and for all the pedants out there: yes, we’re quite aware that technically Operation Wolf isn’t a ‘light’ gun game as the machine gun on the coin-op original was actually mounted on a joystick).

Taito’s arcade blaster was a huge success back in the late ‘80s and it was ported to pretty much every format going, but it’s sadly been forgotten these days. It's time to bring it back.

Defender of the Crown
Developer Cinemaware
First released 1986

Before the likes of Night Trap and 7th Guest redefined just how dull the ‘interactive movie’ could be, 16-bit developer Cinemaware had already created the perfect example of the genre.

Based on classic 1950s swashbuckling adventures in which the principal actors all wore tights and sported immaculately trimmed beards, Defender of the Crown caused jaws to drop the world over with its gorgeous visuals and rousing soundtrack.

Such embellishments made it easy to ignore the fact that the game was as shallow as a puddle - but even so, few games have come close to achieving the same feeling of ‘being there’.

There’s still some interest in the game (a GBA version was released not so long ago, for example, as was a mobile version) so getting it on the iPhone shouldn’t be too hard.

Warsong
Developer Masaya/Treco
First released 1991

With Luc Bernard’s intriguing Mecho Wars on the horizon the iPhone is soon going to be enjoying some top-notch turn-based strategy gaming, so what better way to complement that than with a genuine slice of retro brilliance?

Warsong - which is the sole western entry in a Japanese series known as Langrisser - failed to make much of an impression when it hit US shelves in 1991.

What foolish gamers missed out on back then was one of the most perfect examples of the genre. Coming across as a mix of Sega’s Shining Force and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem, Warsong boasted addictive gameplay, wonderful music and some gorgeous artwork by Satoshi Urushihara (who is mostly famous for drawing large-breasted naked ladies. Fact).

Dungeon Master
Developer FTL Games
First released 1987

It’s quite possible that Dungeon Master was responsible for more soiled undergarments that any other game released in 1987. This flick-screen real-time RPG contained more than its fair share of tense moments, and we’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve squealed like girls when ambushed by a Chaos Knight or reanimated skeleton.

Bed-wetting moments aside, Dungeon Master was also incredibly deep and involving thanks to its multi-faceted symbol-based magic system, intricate item management and surprising nods to realism (your warriors required both food and water and survive, and touches would burn themselves out, leaving you in pitch darkness). The game’s mouse-controlled interface would also be an ideal fit for the iPhone.

The Immortal
Developer Sandcastle/Will Harvey
First released 1990

While Midway’s Mortal Kombat caused nervous parents to confiscate their children’s video game consoles amid fears that it would transform them into 1,000-year old supernatural ninjas with the ability to rip people’s heads off, it wasn’t the first game to ‘explore the gore’ on home consoles.

The Immortal - which originally found fame on the Apple IIGS - was a minor hit for EA on the Mega Drive and contained some truly grisly death animations. It’s also one of the finest adventure titles for the machine, with excellent puzzles, a great atmosphere and a wicked learning curve.

Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Developer Origin Software
First released 1992

Considered by many to be Richard “Lord British” Garriott’s finest hour, the seventh instalment in the popular Ultima series is almost stupefying in its overall scope: you're given complete freedom to do what you want, and many adventurers simply ignore the main quest in favour of exploring the rich and varied countryside of Britannia.

It’s even possible to bake your own bread, for pity’s sake.

As luck would have it, Ultima VII has already been ported to touchscreen devices thanks to the hard work of the Exult team (http://exult.sourceforge.net/) so getting it to work on the iPhone would be a doddle.

Perhaps Garriott’s recent troubles with former employer NCSoft will convince him to return to the Ultima franchise and give his blessing to an iPhone version.