28 Best Retro Games for iPhone to Replay the Nostalgia

For some reason, we all have that one game that we just can’t get enough of. I have a few and return to them frequently on my iPhone because I enjoy the memories. Retro games have a devoted following that keeps the appeal alive, and I’ve attempted to track down all the retro games for iPhone, I used to like. Let’s take a look at the finest iPhone vintage games.

Retro Games for iPhone

While compiling the list of retro games, I came across some current remakes of classic games that remain faithful to the original’s history. There are also a few games that have been going strong for the greater part of a decade. Isn’t it cool?

1.Brick Game

On a little screen, you could play up to 19 different games on the Brick gaming console, which was a lot of fun. While I no longer own the console, this emulator does an excellent job at simulating it on your iPhone. The program accurately simulates the Brick LCD and runs the games at a high level of smoothness.

It has a similar control arrangement, featuring a D-Pad and an action button. There are 19 different games to pick from, like Tetris, automobile racing, snake, and more. The software is available for free on the App Store and contains advertisements.

Get Brick Game (free, ads)

2. Snake Xenzia

Snake Xenzia was the game that everyone played back when Nokia feature phones were all the rage. It made up for the fact that it was one of the few games available on the black and white screen with its distinctive gameplay. Unlike other Snake games, Xenzia features an odd continuity in which your snake can cross the border and continue on the other side. This increases the game’s enjoyment and difficulty.

The program recreates the game, as well as the Nokia 1100s keypad and screen, to offer you the full experience. The software is available for free on the App Store, however, there is advertising that may be removed for $5.

Get Snake Xenzia (free, ads)

3. Tetris: Retro Games iPhone

Tetris is one of the few games that has stood the test of time, and its characteristic music can instantly transport you back to your arcade days. This is a licensed version of the original retro iPhone game. Tetris modernizes the graphics and makes them more user-friendly. Aside from that, the game remains loyal to its origins and can be played for free.

Get Tetris (free)

4. Trap Adventure

Okay, so Trap Adventure isn’t really a classic, but it fits in nicely with the 8-bit aesthetic. Don’t be fooled by the archaic graphics, though. Trap Adventure is based on pure vengeance. You begin with a simple base level, and as you attempt to traverse obstacles, the game surprises you with odd aspects that make you want to pull your hair out. It’s both entertaining and frustrating. It’s something you should certainly look into. The game is available for free on the App Store and is sponsored by advertisements.

Get Trap Adventure (free, ads)

5. Paper Bin AR

Paper Toss was one of the most popular games on the iPhone in its early days, however, it has since been retired. However, many copies have sprung up in its stead, like Paper Bin AR, which is my personal favorite. The game employs augmented reality to place a trash can in your room, which you may fill with items. There are three modes for adjusting the distance between the bin and where you sit, and then it’s game on.

Get Paper Bin AR (free)

6. SEGA Streets of Rage

With its side-scrolling gameplay, explosive action moves, and beat ’em up attitude, Streets of Rage was an arcade smash in the 1990s. Sega is one of the few companies that continues to support its classic games. You can choose between three different players to have a brawl on the streets, and the software replicates a virtual D-Pad and control buttons on the screen.

Local Wi-Fi multiplayer is also supported, so you can play with your friends like in the old days. Streets of Rage is ad-supported and free to play.

Get Streets of Rage (free)

7. Prince of Persia: Escape

Escape With this new software, the age-old classic receives a makeover while remaining true to the original gameplay. The control buttons are straightforward. A direction slider and a jump button are included. However, don’t confuse ease with simplicity. Prince of Persia is a difficult game that demands precise leaps to avoid spikes.

Prince of Persia is available for free on the App Store, however, there are commercials that may be removed for $2.99

Get Prince of Persia: Escape (free, ads)

8. Ping-Pong

Pong is one of the first video games ever invented, and it has spawned a slew of sequels. Pong has three difficulty levels: easy, medium, and hard. It also offers a vs mode, in which you may play against a friend who is wearing an Apple Watch. Using the Crow, one person would play on the iPhone while the other would play on the Apple Watch.

Get Ping-Pong (free, in-app purchases)

9. Pac-Man: Retro Games iPhone

We can’t go much further without mentioning Pac-Man and his legacy. For those of us who played it as kids, the iconic waka-waka sounds still have the same effect. Pac-Man for iPhone is an official recreation for touch-screen iPhones that takes a more casual approach to the game. Instead of using a joystick, you change directions by swiping on the screen.

Get Pack-Man free

10. Bounce Original

Bounce was one of Nokia’s games for Symbian-powered phones, and it was incredibly addicting. It’s an iPhone-only side-scrolling retro game in which you must roll through a maze while jumping up and down to dodge prickly obstacles. One of the appeals of Bounce was that it didn’t behave like a real ball, which took some getting used to.

To navigate the stages, the iPhone game simulates direction pads and a jump button. Bounce is a free app available on the App Store.

Get Bounce Original (free)

11. Sonic the Hedgehog Classic

Sega has recreated the complete game for Apple’s platform. Sonic the Hedgehog is a cornerstone in retro iPhone gaming. Sonic is a blue hedgehog that only cares about two things: rings and the desire to race faster. You play the same mazes again and over again, avoiding obstacles, destroying crabs, and collecting rings. It even includes controller support, allowing you to attach an Xbox or PlayStation controller, which is thoughtful and cool.

The game is free and ad-supported but you can remove the ads for $1.

Get Sonic the Hedgehog (free, ads)

12. Blocky Kong

Blocky Kong is based on the infamous Donkey Kong and takes place at a construction site. Your goal is to climb up the beams and defeat the obnoxious old monkey before he eats your meal. You tap to sprint in one direction and then tap again to run in the opposite direction. The avatar will automatically ascend, and all you have to do is keep an eye out for the barrels that will fall from the top.

Get Blocky Kong (free)

13. Annihilation: Retro Games iPhone

With this bootleg recreation of the popular retro game, Galaga takes on the form of Annihilation. Annihilation is a game with a similar goal. You must use various weaponry to combat alien spaceships and destroy the core before the enemy takes control. The control pad is simple but straightforward, and it blends in with the screen flawlessly.

Get Annihilation (free)

14. Really Bad Chess

Chess is a classic board game with a long history, therefore it’s a little older than the vintage status. The board game of chess is turned on its head in Terrible Chess. It places chess pieces on the board at random, and your goal is to win with the pieces you’re given. You could obtain three queens but no knights, and you’d still have to play Chess according to the regular rules. It’s awful, but it’s entertaining.

Get Really Bad Chess (free)

15. Brick Breaker

Brick Breaker is a popular arcade game in which you must smash the floating wall of bricks. You control the paddle and bounce the ball until all of the balls are gone. Depending on whether you drop the ball, the retro iPhone game offers power-ups and penalties.

Get Brick Breaker (free)

16. Old Space Pinball

Remember the Space Pinball game from Windows XP? I do, and I’ve spent a lot of time playing it. Pinball is still available on the iPhone, even though Windows XP is no longer supported. The entire pinball setup is recreated in Old Space Pinball, complete with all of the original traps, bonuses, and hidden combos. The left and right edges of the screen are used to operate the end paddles.

Get Old Space Pinball (free)

17. Super Tank 1990

Super Tank is a remake of the 1990s hit Battle City, in which you played as a tank in an arena. Your mission is to destroy opposing tanks while defending your post from attack. Along with the original stages, Super Tanks 1990 introduces new modes. Infinity mode, Super mode, and challenge mode add to the fun, and when combined with better enemy AI, you’ll be riveted to your screen for hours.

Get Super Tank, 1990 (free)

18. Game Play Color- GBA Emulator

Game Play Color is a Game-Boy Advance emulator for the iPhone that allows you to play classic Game-Boy games. It recreates the complete handheld console on your iPhone, and you don’t even need to jailbreak it. The only stipulation is that you have licensed copies of the ROM in order to play the games.

Get Game Play Color (free)

19. Doom: Retro Games iPhone

Doom was the peak of the first-person shooter 25 years ago, and the game’s devoted fans have ensured that it remains so today. The goal is straightforward. You have a gun, and you must slay monsters anytime you see them. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed throwback game that you’ll love playing on your iPhone.

Get Doom ($4.99)

20. Circus Classic

Circus Classic is a fantastic adaptation of the original title, in which you play as a circus performer who must leap through fire hoops while riding a lion. Balancing on a rope, jumping over balls, trapezing, and riding a horse are among the other levels. It’s every bit as thrilling as you imagine. In addition, the graphics are crisp and vintage.

Get Circus Classic (free)

21. 2048: Retro Games iPhone

2048 is definitely older than you think, but it still deserves to be on this list because it suits the retro iPhone game vibe well. This game is quite addicting. On a 44-tile board, you merge tiles of the same value to make a new tile that is twice as valuable as the smaller tiles. You keep doing this until you reach tile 2048, at which point you win.

Get 2048 (free)

22. Swing Copters

Do you recall the dreadful Flappy Bird? The original gangsta, Swing Copters, is just as dangerous. The only difference is that instead of moving ahead, you go up. Controlling the copter is simple to grasp but difficult to master. The copter would fly in one direction while you tapped to change it. That’s all there is to it; all you have to do now is master the taps to fly the copter through the mazes.

23. Circle: Retro Games iPhone

The circle is inspired by the trade show game of passing a hoop through a wire without touching it. The hoop is controlled by taps, and you must be careful not to let it touch the wire, or you will lose it.

Get Circle (Free)

24. Mazes & More

Mazes & More is a famous retro puzzle game for iPhone users in which you must navigate a maze to the end. The retro iPhone game is touch-friendly, and all you have to do is swipe in the direction you want to go and trace the maze’s path. There are six different modes, and all the mazes are made by hand.

Get Mazes & More (free, ads)

25. Journey of Amazing Frogger

While Frogger is officially available on the App Store, the original version is still absent. If you like the original game, you’ll have to make up with this unofficial port. Your goal is to avoid being run over or drowned while crossing the street, pond, and rivers.

26. Island Adventure

Adventure Island was extremely popular due to its gameplay and design resemblance to Super Mario Bros. It does, however, have an addictive element to it, and you’d get dragged straight in. Although the iPhone version is an unofficial port, it performs as well as any standalone console. The app Island Adventure is available for free on the App Store.

27. Retro Soccer

In comparison to a full-featured football game, the Retro Soccer app for iPhone is an arcade soccer game with trimmed-down gameplay. The game uses a pixelated graphic approach and streamlines the controls to blend in with the retro feel. To pass the ball, simply tap where you want the player to go and hold. Swipe towards the net as you approach the goal to score and level up. Retro Soccer is a fantastic way to pass the time.

Get Retro Soccer (free)

28. Solitaire: Retro Games iPhone

Solitaire is a card game that can be played alone for hours and was one of the most popular games on Windows XP. The controls of the iPhone version are designed to be used with the touch screen, and they feel natural. The game runs smoothly, and if you’ve ever played it on a computer, you’ll enjoy it here as well. On the App Store, Solitaire is available for free.

Get Solitaire (free)

Closing Remarks: Retro Games for iPhone

These were a couple of my favorite iPhone retro games, which I’ve been playing since I first picked up a joystick. I have also tried to include as many retro games for iPhone as possible. If I am missing something, do let me know. What are your personal favorites? Please notify me via Twitter. So that we also include that in the list as well.