The evolution of mobile gaming: From Snake to Super Mario Run

In many ways, mobile gaming has come a long way since the 90s. In other ways, it seems the platform is reliant on the recycling of old ideas. Here are some of the standout games which highlight the evolution and reinvention of gaming on the go.

Snake (1994)

Back in the days of traditional phone keypads and monochrome displays, one digital serpent marked the beginning of mobile gaming. Snake, though very simple in concept an execution, had the world directing a train of single pixels around the screen for hours on end.

Tetris (2000)

If someone had told our predecessors that the gaming world would become obsessed with building a virtual wall, they might have been dubious. But mobile Tetris was the natural evolution for a beloved arcade game, and something seemingly banal became an even bigger hit on this more accessible platform.

Angry Birds (2009)

Flinging birds at other animals might seem cruel, but in this case, it’s very addictive. Actually requiring strategy and a bit of physics, the aim is to get the perfect trajectory to defeat all the pigs (naturally) and complete the level.

Candy Crush (2012)

Following on from Bejewelled, which came over ten years before, Candy Crush is a classic match-three video game which took the mobile gaming world by storm. It was originally a variation on a browser game which became all the more addictive when you could carry it around.

Flappy Bird (2014)

Essentially an updated version of the Copter Game, Flappy Bird took the world by storm, both enthralling and irritating users beyond belief. There was only so long something so infuriating could hold our attention.

Pokemon Go (2016)

This release by Nintendo represented the new age of video gaming brought about by AR technology. Combining the real and virtual worlds, Pokemon Go allows you to catch pokemon using real maps, literally bringing a new dimension to the fictional universe.

Super Mario Run (2017)

By returning back to a beloved platform game, Super Mario Run provides comfort to a generation nostalgic for their old favourites. Mario is a character who has never lost his popularity, but now he has been promoted from the console into the ever-expanding realm of mobile apps.

What about the future? Well, we appear to be veering towards new technologies, and yet simultaneously returning to old characters we know and love. With promises of a new AR Harry Potter game on the horizon, developers are clearly keen to keep evolving the classics in new and exciting ways.

The editorial unit