Goodbye forever
After only three years of existence, Sony will be shutting down PlayStation Mobile forever on July 15th, 2015. There's a good chance you're asking: "I've never heard of PlayStation Mobile. What the hell is it?" Well, the program was originally created to allow small development teams to get their games on the PS Vita and compatible Android phones. Over 100 games were published to PlayStation Mobile during the course of the program, but due to the consequences of being an all-digital platform, those games will vanish into the aether when PlayStation Mobile support is deactivated in less than a fortnight.
Instead of mourning the loss of these games like a funeral, let's celebrate them with a wake. I've gone through the Mobile store and picked out titles that cover a wide variety of genres, from epic RPGs to quirky experimental gems. The best part? Most of them are bite-sized downloads and incredibly inexpensive (many of them less than 50 cents!), and they'll work perfectly on your Vita or PS TV. If you see anything here that looks interesting, act fast: you've got less than two weeks to buy them, and you'll only be able to download your purchased games until September 10th.
A few things about PlayStation Mobile
PlayStation Mobile is full of all sorts of weird quirks. First off, you need to make sure you have a compatible device. For most of you, this will be a Vita or a PS TV. You will need to activate your device for PlayStation Mobile use before you can play any of the games you've downloaded, so go to Settings -> PSN -> System Activation -> PlayStation Mobile -> Activate, and hit OK. Make sure you do this before September 10th, 2015, or you'll never ever be able to play PS Mobile games on your device. Don't forget to do this.
Once you've activated your device, go into the PlayStation Store, and look at the bar at the top. On the far right you should see an option for PlayStation Mobile. Hit that, and you'll get whisked away to a world full of games, each one with an expiration date of July 15th. The store isn't very intuitive, though, as games are sorted by release date, not by title. You might have to do a little digging to find what you're looking for, but I've gone ahead and listed the category for each game for easier reference. Once the games are downloaded, don't delete them after September 10th, otherwise you'll never get to play them again. In-app purchases are also disabled on the 10th of September. If you need more info, this FAQ has everything you need.
Rymdkapsel
Rymdkapsel (Swedish for 'space capsule') is a brilliant minimalist strategy game, and one of PlayStation Mobile's first breakout hits. You manage a space station, filled with abstract tetronimoes that represent each of the station's various rooms. The rectangles that wander these rooms represent workers, and it's your job to direct them around your space station, building new rooms and defending your base from attack. It's deceptively simple - quick to get into, but layered with depth.
Find it under: Strategy
Passing Time
This one's a simple little soccer game that has you passing a ball around in a circle while an army of angry footballers tries to take the ball away from you. It's not too deep, but it's fun in quick bursts. Interestingly, Passing Time is technically a first party title, as it was developed in conjunction with Honeyslug (of Hohokum fame) and XDEV, Sony's external development unit.
Find it under: Sports
Super Crate Box
The best mobile games are addictively simple, and Super Crate Box fits the bill perfectly. From Vlambeer, the makers of Ridiculous Fishing and Nuclear Throne, Super Crate Box's gameplay consists of running around a multi-level playing field, shooting a never-ending wave of enemies, and grabbing new guns from crates that appear around the stage. It's twitch action at it's finest, and while you can find it on iOS, this version uses actual buttons, making it vastly superior.
Find it under: Arcade
Chaos Rings
If the name Chaos Rings sounds familiar, that's because it's the first entry in Square Enix's popular mobile JRPG franchise, and it's made its way to the Vita thanks to PlayStation Mobile. It's actually quite good, weaving turn-based combat with four different storylines, each one following a team of combatants as they attempt to make it out of the Ark Arena alive.
Find it under: RPG
Oh, Deer!
Oh, Deer! looks a lot like the Sega racing classic OutRun, except you've traded your hot rod for your parent's 1970's station wagon. And the highway is filled with deer. And you're supposed to hit them to earn points. There's not a whole lot to it at the moment, as the PS Mobile version is an alpha of what will become a larger project elsewhere, but at less than two quarters, you really can't go wrong with this bizarre blast of nostalgia. Oh, and the lead composer for Streets of Rage 3 wrote the music. Holy crap.
Find it under: Racing
Gunhouse
Build a house with guns, then use your gunhouse to fend off waves of enemies - so if you were wondering if the title was appropriate, well, there you go. It's a little bit puzzle game, a little bit tower defense, and it's all sorts of weird. Featuring game design by the mind that brought you Frog Fractions and music by Fez composer Disasterpiece, Gunhouse is a bargain at $.49. Come on, people. You lose more money in your couch.
Find it under: Puzzle
Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones
What do you call an endless runner that actually has an end? Is this like some kind of Zen koan? Anyway, Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones casts you as the adorable puppy as he climbs a tower filled with 108 bones. His objective is to collect all the bones and make it to the top of the tower. Oh, and Tuffy runs automatically - all you can do is turn left, right, or jump. And one hit from one of the towers many obstacles will send the canine right back to the start. Climbing the tower may be grueling, but hey, at least you get to play as a cute doggy. That counts for something.
Find it under: Action
Boothill Heroes Part One
EarthBound fans, this one's for you. Boothill Heroes combines the best of 90's-era JRPGs, charming retro graphics, a soundtrack by Jake 'virt' Kaufman (of Shovel Knight fame), and a tale of Wild West outlaws and intrigue. Don't be fooled by the 'Part One' in its name. Boothill Heroes isn't an episodic game, but rather the first chapter in a larger trilogy, so you'll get a full ten-hour-long adventure out of this one.
Find it under: RPG
Tokyo Jungle Mobile
Tokyo Jungle Mobile takes the PS3 cult hit and condenses it into quick, digestible bursts. Rather than controlling your animals in a 3D environment, Mobile puts the action at a bird's-eye view as you move along a grid. It seems limiting at first, but this stripped-down version greatly streamlines the game, making it much more approachable than its bigger brother. While we're still waiting for an English release of Tokyo Jungle on the Vita, Tokyo Jungle Mobile makes for an acceptable substitute.
Find it under: Action
Ten By Eight
Ten By Eight looks like one of those match-3 games you see all the time on mobile devices, but it's not. This game is all about chains - move the pieces around to create large chains of like symbols, then move your finger along the chain to clear it. The bigger the chain and the more sides of the playing field that chain touches, the higher your multiplier. It's a great take on a familiar genre, but don't take it from me: let the game's director Tim Rogers explain it with this hilarious video.
Find it under: Puzzle
Out of Mind
If you're looking for some NES-inspired platforming, look no further than Out of Mind. It's got a killer chiptune soundtrack, a bunch of abilities to earn, secrets to uncover, and a giant floating head follows you around and asks you existential questions you while you play. It's weird, fun, and at under fifty cents, it's a steal.
Find it under: Action
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