@marksbren

I grew up when video games were just appearing and love Mario, Tetris, and Zelda. I can remember staying up all night trying to beat Mario without warp whistles and spending hours competing with friends in Starcraft.

Mobile games have yet to have that breakout, mass-market success. Part of this has to do with the context the games are played. Mobile games are played in subway trains, at bus stops, etc. They excel when you have a few moments to play, which is not conducive to the engaging campaigns like Zelda or Mario. So, what kind of games align well with mobile?

1. Lightweight - You need to be able to have a meaningful experience in the game in a short period of time.
2. Social - The phone is a communication device by nature. Games that incorporate multiplayer modes are natural and make the game that much more engaging.
3. Location-based - This is something that desktop and console games can't do. There is still a lot to explore in this area, but Foursquare and Gwalla are starting to show how powerful location can be.
4. Native Controls - Phones are increasingly aware of their location, movement, orientation, and suroundings. Games that utilize these new control mechanisms will trump those that attempt to mimic the old joystick controls.

When discussing this with a friend it got me thinking about what mobile applications or games will achieve cult status. In 10 to 15 years we will look back and point to a few mobile apps/games that built an empire. What is the Mario of mobile?