Five games you never knew you could play on your phone

It’s amazing what smartphones are capable of these days. They can keep you in touch with friends all over the world, without you even having to place a single call – and don’t get us started on gaming. OK, do: with stunning 3D graphics and faster frame rates than the eye can see, smartphones are the new consoles. Don’t believe us? Here are five genres you’d never expect you could play on your phone.

Online shooters
Frag fests were once reserved for gawky LAN parties – only those with hulking big gaming rigs and expensive graphics cards need apply. That’s all changed now: epic first person shooters such as N.O.V.A and Modern Combat 2 give you all the intense action of a multiplayer shoot-out, right over Wi-Fi.

MMORPGs
Or, as they’re otherwise known, massively multiplayer online RPGs. Thought the epic landscapes and quests of World of Warcraft and Eve Online were reserved for PCs? On mobile, you don’t even have to pay a subscription. Check out the stunning Pocket Legends for iPhone and Android, which lets you team up with others in a fantasy world and go a-slaying.

Online Poker
If card games are more your thing, you can now play for stakes straight from your smartphone, against other players all over the world. Zynga Poker is a friendly way to get started, available as a free download on both iPhone and Android.

PlayStation Classics
It’s not just console-like games hitting mobile these days – it’s actual console games. Sony’s been porting a bunch of hit titles from the original PlayStation to Android (exclusive to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play), and it’s quite the line up: you’ve got everything from Crash Bandicoot to Syphon Filter and Cool Boarders 2 to enjoy.

Minecraft
It’s a game so distinct, it’s worthy of its own genre. Cult PC hit Minecraft offers cutesy retro blocky graphics, but a vast world to play in: forage for materials and build what you want in the day, but beware of the roving monsters at night. It’s now available on Android as a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play exclusive: even if you’ve not played a game in years, you need to check this out.