Some advantages and disadvantages to iPhone gaming

Many iPhone owners find themselves spending much of their time playing games or using apps downloaded from the iPhone app store. Even non-gamers are often drawn in by the wide variety of innovative new games and old classics available on Apple’s iPhone. Despite it’s incredible popularity as a gaming platform, the iPhone does have some severe limitations.

The main issue many users run into when trying to enjoy iPhone games is the fact that it lacks a control stick and only has one hard button. Even simple games such as Tetris become difficult to play with this control scheme. Many companies have re-issued these types of beloved classics with new control schemes, often times with mixed results. The major workaround involves leveraging the iPhone’s tilt sensor for directional movements. This often results in controls that, while functional, feel floaty and imprecise. The lack of buttons on the iPhone is typically circumvented by using the touch screen to simulate hard buttons. While the success of this method varies by game, it is rarely a perfect solution.

Despite these drawbacks, there are many advantages to gaming on the iPhone, and they often overlap with the disadvantages. For example, the iPhone’s tilt sensor can be inadequate when used to replace directional pads, but when the game is designed from the ground up to take advantage of this unique capability, the results can be quite impressive. While some uses of feature are for novelty apps such as beer drinking simulators, other games manage to use this feature in more innovative and interesting manners. Racing simulators, 3-d shooters and other games take on a new life when played with this manner of control.

Similar experiences can be had with iPod’s touch screen in regards to using it to replace hard buttons. The aforementioned Tetris relies on quick button presses to rotate pieces and properly align them. The problem many users see with games that require these kinds of precise movements and timed button presses is the unpredictable nature of the iPhone’s touch screen. While this screen is of a high quality, accidental misses are a frequent occurrence and can quickly add up to a frustrating experience.

Regardless of its advantages and shortcomings, the iPhone is undeniably an incredibly successful gaming platform that must be experienced before it can be completely understood.