I love my Android phone. I really do. It feels personalised, it does everything I need it to do, and even though it has its flaws, I still like using it better than I like using iOS and iTunes (which I experience with my iPod touch). Android apps, however, are rather infamously a minefield of “anything goes”. Even though Google officially banned clones from their marketplace, Google Play knockoffs remain rampant.
The murky underworld of replicated games isn’t limited to mimicking modern mobile classics like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, though. Super Mario Brothers, the 8-bit icon that launched an era over 25 years ago, somehow remains incredibly popular to clone even now. The illegal ROM emulators that Google Play carries in abundance at least make a kind of sense. These knockoffs, though, boggle the mind.
Super Daddio
The jagged mountain-scape, mysterious door, and ability to throw bricks sure weren’t in the original. Everything else, though, seems, shall we say, eerily familiar. [Google Play] [clear]
Mobile Andrio
Andrio, at least, leaves the 8-bit world behind and instead cribs more strongly from later entries Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World. The lack of background music is, for once, a plus. [Google Play][clear]
Mobile Jario
Mario’s — sorry, Jario’s — spelunking headlamp is a nice touch, as are the “J” blocks. Because why wonder what’s inside a question mark when you can plop your own initial on everything and know the contents will make you awesome? [Google Play][clear]
Super Jump
The developer’s description reads almost like a demented haiku:
“The top has a needle.
Bidding increases the ground.
When you touch the screen to jump.
Good luck.” [Google Play][clear]
Dr. Droid
And we wrap up with this Dr. Mario clone, the full title of which is actually Dr. Droid (Dr Mario Game). Its reviews speak surprisingly highly of it, and yet one gets right to the point: “I would give it 5 stars if it was the real game.” [Google Play][clear]
Leave a Reply