Okay I’ll admit it, the title should read “Retro Gaming: Apple Apps and The Come Back I’ve Been Waiting For.” I love me some retro gaming; maybe it’s the simple innocence of old style gaming, how everything wasn’t only about kill’em and tear their skulls off while you’re at it. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the shoot’em up style games, especially when I get to blow the tops off of Zombies or Aliens.
Atari 2600 (1977) Introductory price $199
The Atari 2600
The truth still stings, some of us are old, and old enough to remember 2-dimensional gaming in its prime. At the time (and I’m talking early 80’s here) with such advanced graphics, including 128 bytes of RAM, and 4 kB ROM, those were the glory days of video console gaming.
I’ll never forget that Christmas morning, the morning I unwrapped my Atari, quickly inviting all of my friends over to see the superb graphics featured on space-invaders. Or how PONG was hours of off the wall fun to be had for all.
Hours of fun! Really…
The Atari kicked off something special, we no longer had to travel to arcade rooms and buy loads of tokens that quickly diminished our very small allowances. The original price of the Atari 2600 set my parents back about $200; but considering how much money I did actually spend at the arcade, they quickly did the math and gave me the best damn Christmas ever, way back in 1982.
Retro Apps You Can Download Now
The Apple iTunes store has opened a door for some of us to glance back into childhood, and offers up some big names from back in the day. Names like Frogger and Pac-man to name only a few. Check out the top five favorites.
Top 5 Retro Apps for the iPad/iPhone
#5
PAC-MAN For iPad
Cost: $4.99
PAC MAN – Best on iPad 3
And worth every penny! You might also want to throw in an iCade Bluetooth controller to really get the whole retro effect. PAC MAN for iPad is incredibly addictive, and the premise of the game is exactly the same as it ever was. Cruise around a maze, chomp on some yellow pellets, grab one of the super yellow tablets and turn the tables on the ghosts.
#4
Frogger Pad
Cost:$0.99
Leap like you used to!
I can’t believe it’s been a bit over 30 years since I played the original…man that really does sting! Just as fun and addictive as ever. Frogger just happens to be the number one selling video game of all time. In this classic arcade game, you control Frogger as he tries to cross the road; careful to avoid getting splattered by oncoming traffic. And, he still catches a ride on logs and turtles trying to cross the river.
#3
Pong World
Cost: FREE
Just a tad more exciting than the original
Better optimized for the iPhone 5
It’s been 40 years, and thank goodness I can’t state a claim to remembering the original. Dive into another world or worlds, of color and good old fashioned PONG. This version puts a unique twist on the old, player’s battle and defeat opponents while collecting all five paddle creatures.
#2
Centipede: Origins
Cost: FREE
Gnomes attack!
You are a peace loving Gnome who is under attack by evil plant munching insects. And, as Gnomes sometimes do, they have to go to war to protect their financial interests. Check out this new take on a great classic game.
#1
Space Invaders
Cost: $4.99
Arthritic fingers anyone? This will be a fav in classic mode.
Best on iPad 3
This app is worth the number one spot, and worth the price. Space Invaders HD comes with two player mode, throwing you way back into retro mode. Remember the old style table-top arcades? Where you sat across from one another going head to head in shoot’em up style gaming, in fact Space Invaders reigns supreme for shooter style gaming, and is one of the first to hold the honor.
Are you a fan of Retro gaming? Have any you want to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
Sonia Ingriselli
Sonia is the Executive Editor here at Geek Insider. Sonia has a passion for gadgets, technology and game consoles; she is proud to call herself a Zombie loving Tech-monster and spends most of her day's just writing. Follow me on Twitter @SoniaIngriselli
