Apple’s iPhone may mark a second golden age of computer gaming for a lot of reasons. The open marketplace means anyone can create a game; from major companies to just a couple of talented people in a garage. The result is a new boom in innovation, the likes of which we haven’t seen in about 20 years.
Even with all the potential for innovation, maybe you still want to relive that first golden age of gaming. If you’re excited for how new tech can update the classics, then this list is for you: 10 of the greatest, most influential, straight-up classic computer games ever made, all available on and completely remastered for Apple’s handset, and in most cases also playable on the iPod touch and iPad.
There are so many phenomenal PC game ports for the iPhone that we had a hard time narrowing it down to just 10. We couldn’t help but sneak in a very special bonus at the end. Flip through the gallery below for the list and be sure and tell us about your favorites too.
1. Doom Classic
The mother of all first-person shooters, this game is so iconic that it spawned a web community dedicated to getting other devices to play it. As for the iPhone, we can safely say: "It plays Doom."
2. Myst
A masterwork of interactive storytelling, this game was unlike any that came before it. Blatant imitators have been making games for more than 15 years now.
3. The Oregon Trail
An educational game that became part of an entire generation's zeitgeist, the Oregon Trail got a radical renovation for the iPhone. The graphics are improved, and there are a lot of fun mini-games to now play during the journey.
4. The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition
One of the funniest games if all time, The Secret of Monkey Island was made by the illustrious LucasArt adventure game studio. You can play the game as it originally appeared, or you can play the voiced and redrawn version. The iPhone remastering of the sequel just came out, too.
It's not very often that a game comes out that can be called a classic just over a year after its release. Few would dispute that Plants vs. Zombies is deserving of the title. It's hard to believe that the game originated in the PC, though, because once you play it on a touchscreen, you won't want to go back.
6. Beneath a Steel Sky: Remastered
Not as well-known as The Secret of Monkey Island, Beneath a Steel Sky was a point-and-click, cult hit adventure game. Solve the mysteries and meet the strange characters of a post-apocalyptic world in this one.
7. Prince of Persia Retro
The PC wasn't known for its platform jumping games. But Prince of Persia was a uniquely PC take on the console dominated genre. This remastered version is faithful to the original, including its unforgiving difficulty. Watch yourself.
Rogue is the grandfather of World of Warcraft. Until that hugely MMO hits the iPhone, this is one of your best bets. As with Monkey Island, you can play either the remastered version or the original (in this case an ASCII-text only affair). Yes, Rogue is really that old, but its influence is strongly felt even today.
9. Sim City Deluxe
Everyone knows SimCity. This iPhone version is basic compared to some of the later offering in the series, but when you're playing on the go, that's probably ok.
10. Worms
Another cult hit, Worms was the final evolution of an obscure genre of games that involved calculating angles and wind speeds to deliver lethal volleys at friends. Worms was more action-oriented and hilarious and the franchise a staple for gamers for a long time now.
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