Feature : Android VS the console
Android games are better than ever,but can they replace your home console.? We load up the console-style mobile games and find out
and instead a new era of Android gaming is coming into the spotlight: console quality gaming. Many of the
industry's top videogame developers have been busy bringing their console gems over to our pocket handsets. Two years ago we'd never have thought we’d be able to play games like Grand Theft Auto on our Android devices, but now it's one of the best-selling apps on Google Play ever. These console-quality games are a lot pricier than a large portion of the typical games that are released on to the Google Play store, but in return you get a solid instalment of the original console game. For obvious reasons. these ports may not be as complex as their console friends.
and you will obviously find some notable differences between them and the larger console versions of the game, but still, they both offer a whole lot of fun! Ever-popular franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer have all found their home on the Google Play store. In some areas, they may not be as polished as their console counterparts, but they still offer quality gaming experiences - and. let’s not forget, for only a fraction of the price that you’d pay for them on a console.
The Google Play Store also gives the opportunity for some franchises to expand into new directions, and to perhaps try out something a little different. The popular Brothers In Arms series. for instance, has already been ported to Android, and yes, it plays brilliantly. The game still depicts the same basic concepts as you’ll see in its console version, but an entirely refreshed and revamped campaign has been implemented, adding
something new for existing players.
It isn’t just established console game developers that have taken the plunge to offer console-quality games on our Android devices. however. Mobile gaming giants Gameloft and Kemco are two prime examples of mobile developers that are consistently looking to push the boundaries of our Android devices by creating their own 3D-esque franchises. Gameloft is famously known for its Modern Combat series.
a series which boasts all the elements of a similar console game. as well as brilliant graphics. kemco. meanwhile, has rejuvenated the RPG genre and now offers the standard of RPGs you'd expect to play on your xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. With developers constantly looking to improve the quality of Android gaming, the standard of software and hardware has had to improve. The latest update to the Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, allows for gamers looking for the most authentic gaming experience to plug in a variety of USB controllers to their devices.
Even for people who have yet to get a slice of Ice Cream Sandwich, both Gingerbread and Honeycomb support a selection of Bluetooth and external controllers. There's also a number of slightly more oddball accessories available for Android users, with gaming wheels. modified headsets and specialised docks being just a few of the things on offer. In terms of software. the biggest development for being able to play console games on Android devices has to be 0nLive.
0nLive offers avid gamers the chance to play their best-loved hits from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on their phone or tablet. Although the service has quite a limited selection of titles at the moment, as well as being compatible with only a few devices, it works a treat.
and nothing beats stamping out criminals on LA Noire while on the daily commute. There's even a full-sized gaming controller, in the style of the Xbox 360 controller, to make you feel right at home. One of the great things about mobile technology is that it's constantly changing. Every day we're seeing brand-new phones announced. new tablets hitting our shelves, new apps and innovative software being developed, and with this we SEE further possibilities for console games on Android devices.
Mobile World Congress played host to the announcement of the LG Optimus AX HD. ZTE Era and Huawei Ascend D. What do all of these phones have in common? Well, they're quad—core. and with it offer more power to run power-hungry console games. With the high standard of console games on dual-core phones, the possibilities seem endless with what can be achieved on a quad-core device. We can*t wait to find out.
