Annuaire des voyageurs: 5 Groundbreaking Mobile Games That Debuted This Year [Mashable Awards]

As part of the upcoming Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Best Mobile Game.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas! Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.

Mobile gaming has matured more in the past year than in almost any year before, thanks in no small part to the propagation of the iPhone and smartphones running Google’s powerful Android operating system. Even as some mobile games have become more sophisticated than most of their predecessors, others have used the available technology to make simple amusement that much more engaging.

These five games launched in the past year and each made a noteworthy contribution to the exploding scene of mobile games. We recommend giving each of them a whirl if you’re interested in seeing how quickly gaming-on-the-go is changing.

It was difficult to narrow this down to just a few titles, and this is by no means a complete list of must-have mobile games, but each one we picked represents a different kind of extraordinary forward movement for the medium.

1. Fruit Ninja (iOS, Android)

A true ninja will appreciate the brilliant zen simplicity of Fruit Ninja, a game that challenges its players to accurately slice flying pieces of fruit using their fingertips like a sword. Occasionally a bomb pops up to threaten your fruity killing spree, and you’re given bonuses for executing dextrous tasks like slicing multiple fruits at once. And that’s really all there is to it. The presentation is both clever and clean; there’s a whimsicality to the whole thing. It has, to put it plainly, the mojo.

It’s perfect for a mobile device that you only pick up when you’re waiting in line or for some other reason looking to kill about 90 seconds. For many phone gamers, that’s all that’s needed or even wanted.

Mobile phones could bring video games to audiences who’ve never before played them so it’s fascinating to see what catches on. While Fruit Ninja may not be a hardcore tactical shooter like much of the console game market, its success speaks to a new audience of gamers. Give it a couple more years and we’ll find out for sure just what gamers want to play.

2. Pocket Legends (iOS)

Before smartphones, massively multiplayer gaming on the go was a pipe dream. Not even the game consoles have done a very good job of getting it right — you really needed a keyboard, mouse and computer screen to share a virtual world with thousands of friends.

Pocket Legends breaks the cycle; it’s the first 3D, massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG, or just MMO) to achieve considerable success. Is it World of Warcraft? Not quite. But it’s superior to many browser-based casual MMOs, and it’s free to play — at least at first.

Pocket Legends uses what MMO developers call “microtransactions” to keep the bills paid. You can download and play the game for free, but you’re constantly offered minor upgrades — new dungeons, new options and so on — for small amounts like $0.99 or $1.99.

Purists who prefer hardcore, subscription-based MMOs will scoff, but this is where the industry is going, and Pocket Legends is riding the wave. The game also demonstrates the potential of mobile devices as play-anywhere social gaming platforms, and that’s an exciting prospect.

3. N.O.V.A. (iOS, Android, webOS)

Traditional or hardcore video game players like to point to Gameloft’s first-person shooter N.O.V.A. as the definitive example of what they believe mobile gaming should be. That impulse is understandable. N.O.V.A. is as close as you’ll get today to playing Halo on your smartphone or iPod.

In addition to a space marine-filled storyline with dramatic set pieces and epic firefights set in varied environments, N.O.V.A. features a multiplayer deathmatch mode that stands up to the shooters PC gamers enjoyed ten years ago. You can play on the Internet or locally with friends using Wi-Fi. 3G isn’t supported.

There’s only one mode — the standard deathmatch — and the game ships with only rudimentary ranking and matchmaking features, with no Game Center support on iOS. Another shooter called Archetype has arguably outdone N.OV.A.’s multiplayer component since it hit the market, but with its unrivaled polish and single-player experience, N.O.V.A. has the complete, hardcore gamer-friendly package in a way that no other smartphone shooter does.

Its critical and financial success demonstrates that the iPhone, and possibly Android, are a viable platform for traditional games.

4. Epic Citadel (iOS)

You will not believe how beautiful this game is and once you see its beauty, you won’t believe that it’s happening on your phone. To be fair, Epic Citadel is only barely a game. It’s first and foremost a tech demo for Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, which has been ported to the iPhone, and which will also reach Android phones before too long.

The Unreal Engine is behind the 3D graphics in popular console and PC games like Mass Effect, Gears of War and BioShock — visual powerhouses even when pitted against the most technologically showy titles on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Its adaptation for the iOS devices has gone off without a hitch, and Epic Citadel is the first result. It’s a gorgeous digital fantasy world. Unfortunately, since it’s a just tech demo there’s not much to do in the “game.”

Nevertheless, it may be indicative of the future of mobile gaming. Few people imagined that a presentation like this would ever be possible on a mobile phone. Those who doubted it were proven wrong, and since iPhone and Android developers will soon have the option to license the Unreal Engine for their games, we’re going to see even more evidence of that in the future.

5. Angry Birds (iOS, Android, webOS, Nokia N900)

Angry Birds is neither innovative in its design nor groundbreaking in any technical sense. Its biggest contribution (apart from sheer fun) is the absolute certainty that mobile games at alluring prices can sell millions of copies and generate astonishing revenue.

Angry Birds is the number one iPhone and iPod touch game in Apple’s App Store in the “popular” and “highest grossing” categories. It’s slowly introducing itself to Android users, too. The game has sold at least 6.5 million copies to date. It’s usually priced at $0.99, but even at that price we’re talking about substantial revenue.

The game has sold well because it strikes that perfectly delicate balance between “simple enough for anyone to pick it up and play” and “challenging enough to keep players hooked for hours.” Most of the great, best-selling games on any platform — mobile or otherwise — succeeded because they hit that sweet spot. But there’s also a balance between value gained and money spent. At $1, most people are willing to give the game a shot.

That helps it sell more copies than a pricier title would. The game’s Finnish developers could afford to sell it for such a low price because casual gamers don’t expect amazing 3D graphics, which are expensive to produce. They just expect fun, and if a developer has a great idea, that can be comparatively cheap to turn into a reality.

Which mobile games stood out for you? Let us know your own top five in the comments or nominate them for the “Best Mobile Game” for the Mashable Awards.

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)

In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.

Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm PT
Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas
Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations
Socialize: Facebook, Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)

Register for Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage (Las Vegas - 2011 International CES convention) [Ticketed Event] in Las Vegas, NV on Eventbrite

Thanks to our sponsors:

Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:

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