The 6 Best Classic Arcade Games on iPhone/iPad
Without a doubt, iOS has some great arcade-style games perfect for quick bursts of play. But they are just arcade-style, and sometimes you want the genuine article.
That's what this list is for: games that are genuine revivals of actual arcade titles on the go. We tried to balance well-known hits with some greats you may not have heard of, so do pay close attention as you go down the list.
Final Fight @ Capcom Arcade
Free (Games as in-app purchases)
iPhone, iPad
You can find a couple of arcade game compilations on the App Store, but Capcom's has the most good games in it. Besides the classic beat-em-up Final Fight, you get to choose from all three Ghouls 'N' Ghosts games, Super Puzzle Fighter II, and the criminally underrated Magic Sword, among others. Each day brings you three "free play" tickets to use on the games, or you can buy them outright. Fortunately, they're good ports with customizable controls. Magic Sword was a recent addition, so there's potential for more games to be added in subsequent updates.
DoDonPachi Resurrection
$11.99
iPhone, iPad
Resurrection's not just a great arcade game -- it's easily the best shoot-em-up on iOS. It's made by the "bullet hell" masters at Cave, and is an insanely accurate port of the original arcade version and its handful of manic levels -- it's just that it has touch control. But that makes the game pretty manageable no matter your skill level, as you can dodge enemy fire with a swift sweep of your finger. The only real flaw is that one game session can take a big chunk out of your battery life, but the game's so good it's worth it.
Avenging Spirit
$1.99
iPhone, iPad
French publisher DotEmu has been bringing over some of Jaleco's arcade games to iOS recently, and their first was Avenging Spirit, an atypical platformer. You basically play as a ghost of a boy who's out to save his girlfriend from gangsters (uh, yep), but can possess any enemy he comes across, using their abilities and weapons to mow down the other enemies. It's quite goofy, but fun, and has all the Game Center bells and whistles. It's also a fairly short game even for an arcade platformer, which is fine by us considering the platform.
