Pong and Beyond

137th played so far

Genre: Puzzle
Platform: iPhone
Year of Release: 2008
Developer: Mobigame
Publisher: Mobigame

The games featured on this list are not without some element of controversy. Reviewers of the actual list are not too happy that 10% of the list are dedicated to 2009-2010 and there is always the question of what games should be on there and which should not.

Edge is controversial for a different reason. Much like the recent battle initatied by Bethseda over the forthcoming game Scrolls there were similar problems with the name Edge. In this case the agression came from games developer Edge Games who are more known for their willingness to sue rather than their games. They kicked off over SoulEdge, they kicked off over Mirror’s Edge and they kicked over today’s game.

After a few years of litigation Mobigame thankfully won out and the word ‘Edge’ can now be freely used in the title of games without toys being thrown out of prams. Thank you Mobigame for fighting this battle.

Our Thoughts

The touchscreen of the iPhone really opened up the doors to a whole new style of gaming. True the Nintendo DS had gotten there first but that still had buttons to fall back on when developers were not too sure how to fully integrate the touch screen into the game. What the iPhone has also lead to is the increased prevalence of casual games where levels can be played in the same time it takes to travel between train stations. Games like One-Dot Enemies  were able to do this by making a simple game that can go on seemingly forever. Edge does this by having levels that are challenging (and somewhat epileptic fit enducing) which can be played in about 3 minutes and then turned off. With that said, ‘challenging’ is a relative term, and while there are some headscratchers in there, like any good puzzle game you’re never left wondering what to do for too long – a bit of exploration goes a long way.

Still, Edge was nowhere near the first game to do this so why is it on the list? Well, puzzle games where you have to move a procariously perched object around a series of platforms in order to gain rewards have been around for a while. They exist in the forms of Mercury Meltdown, Kula Word and even Super Monkey Ball. One thing that is different here is that rather than controlling a spherical object that is in peril of falling down if your attention wanes for the fraction of a section you control a rainbow cube.

Also, in a move different from other games, you can climb up objects with ease (as long as they are not too high). In fact, you climb your own height. This means that until later levels, when the terrain starts to move beneath your cubic feet, there is no real feeling of peril and Edge takes on a more cerebral role. This works well as a commuter game because you are never in the situation of sitting next to a frantic man (or woman) who is in danger of throwing their iPad out of the train window in frustration.

Final Thoughts

This game is different enough to make the list but it is one of the many games that does make you wonder how safe they will be if the list is remade in ten years time. On pure merit and originality this game is more convincing than some others we are due to cover but if this list wants to take history into account then the ground this made in terms of gaming trademarks should cement it’s place in gaming history… even as a footnote.