Find Your Favorite Retro Games for Android

Remember the classics? Relive the good old days with these Android ports and remakes of Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Missile Command, and more.

By Armando Rodriguez, PCWorld

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Find Your Favorite Retro Games on Android

Angry Birds? Smartphone-toting whippersnappers wouldn't know a good game if it shoved a quarter down their throats and pressed Start to continue. Someone needs to show them the classics, and that someone is you.

If you own an Android phone, all you have to do is visit the Android Market and search for games. Although you can find (questionably legal) emulators on the Android Market that will allow you to play classic games, we're going to stick to the 100 percent kosher remakes, ports, and licenses of the games you loved. So sit back, relax, and let the nostalgia wash over you. Also, don't forget to check out "12 Essential Android Games."

Missile Defense

Prepare for nuclear war. While not the original game from the 1970s, Missile Defense on Android is a relatively faithful adaptation of the arcade hit Missile Command. This version's one big addition? You can team up with other people around you who are also playing Missile Defense. Such collaboration is extremely helpful--especially later in the game, when missiles fill the entire screen.

Pac-Man

Other than Tetris, I don’t know of a game that has been on more platforms than Pac-Man. This version is fairly similar to the one installed in arcades in 1980, so you will still be trying to gobble up power pellets and outrun ghosts. Playing with a touchscreen may not be as easy as playing with a joystick, but the game is fun nonetheless.

Brick Breaker

While not as exciting as Arkanoid, Brick Breaker is a good choice for mindless fun. If you have ever played Breakout (or any of its billions of clones), then you’ve played Brick Breaker. You can still pick up the official Arkanoid app in the Android Market, but why not save yourself the $5 and grab this free version instead?

Radiant

Radiant will bring you back to the days of Galaga and Raiden as you shoot aliens and dodge asteroids. It's the best-looking app in this list, too. The inability to save your progress may turn off the more casual crowd, but those of us who have ever played a shoot-'em-up in the arcade will feel right at home.

TimeChaos

A modern game created in the style of a classic Game Boy title, TimeChaos feels one part Metal Slug and two parts Contra. Wave after wave of enemies will charge from all sides--survive, and you can move on to the next screen with even more baddies out to get you. This game is hard, but getting through it gives you a certain satisfaction not found in most smartphone games.

Snake

Do you miss the good old days, when cell phone batteries lasted more than one day and Snake came preinstalled on most everyone’s handset? Although an official version of the game doesn't currently exist for Android (is there even an "official version" of Snake?), countless app developers have stepped up to fill the void. This take on the game has you chasing down bugs instead of the pellets in the original; it's also the most responsive of the ones I tried out.

Space Invaders

This retro port of Space Invaders is faithful to its arcade roots. You are a lone tank against an endless armada of invading aliens that for some reason can only move down incredibly slowly. Now you can blast them away just as you used to--and still have enough quarters for doing the laundry this weekend.

Ms. Pac-Man

She’s round, she’s yellow, and she may just be Pac-Man in drag, but Ms. Pac-Man reminds us that girls can kick butt just as well as guys can. Thanks to improved AI, Ms. Pac-Man is actually a harder game than the original, so those pesky ghosts are smarter than before.

Bust-A-Move

Another game with many imitators, Bust-A-Move hasn’t changed much over the years: You still have to match identically colored balls before they collapse and crush your dinosaur. Thankfully, it's still fun.

Classic Pong

You can’t discuss retro games without once mentioning Pong. One of the first video games, Pong had a simplistic design that made it approachable for people of all ages. Classic Pong gives you the Pong everyone remembers, but with extra options to customize the fun. You can adjust the ball and paddle size, as well as how fast the game moves. It may not be the most in-depth game in the world, but Classic Pong is great for your more nostalgic moments.