Is handheld gaming addicted to puzzlers?

[Fraser]

Handheld gaming has brought many new genres to the forefront, but that doesn't alter the fact that there are countless different versions of Tetris, Zuma, Tower Bloxx and Bejewelled to contend with.

The iPhone developer crowd has made a valiant attempt at introducing more physics based titles such as Bike or Die 2, Crayon Physics Deluxe and Fantastic Contraction. similarly the PSP has tried hard to deliver top quality hardcore titles with notable examples such as God of War: Chains of Olympus and GTA: Vice City Stories achieving incredible results on such tiny hardware.

But still the pool of puzzle game concepts gets tweaked and re-tweaked into new and barely different variations of the last release. Is it time that handheld gaming grew a new genre or two? What will break the trend? Just how many times can you match three same coloured blocks, symbols or shapes and still enjoy it?

It's your world...

[SetsFireToPoshHammer]

I agree that handheld gaming could do with more genres. I really like what developers are doing with the iPhone. The emergence of several physics led titles is really promising. It's great that developers are tying to harness the power of the platform for something other than shinier graphics.

I had high hopes when Reset Generation came out for the N-Gage. It's a genuine crossover title that I think mobiles could do with more of. It's both hardcore and casual all at once - hey I just thought of a new genre: hardcasual (I've coined it, it's mine).

[Accelorata Jengold]

Y'know, it's a funny thing. At the moment I can't help but get the feeling that gamers are crying out for more hardcore titles on mobile and the iPhone. Just look at this supposed new premium section of the App Store that's been doing the rumour rounds this week.

The thing is, if some more traditionally hardcore titles do arrive on the iPhone, people will just complain about how they don't really suit the platform, the devs really can't win. Maybe it's not such a bad thing if handheld gaming sticks to what it's good at. The problem is that there is a lack of innovation within genres (particularly the puzzle genre), the quantity of genres has nothing to do with it.

[Bludhavenn]

With a capital system like ours, your bound to get variety. I think the handheld genres will advance as time goes on, and we get out of this Recession. Competition can only lead to variation and better quality. Companies have to or they will fall behind.