Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Surprisingly good"

Playing games on your phone is nothing new. For years we've been treated to all manner of games from cards to strategy to action. Mostly with 1980's graphics and controls that hurt your hands. All played on screens the size of postage stamps.

Well, the iPhone (and iPod touch) have taken games to new levels. Now you have phones that are capable of playing games at the same level as recent portable gaming devices. And Dungeon Hunter is right there at the top of this heap of new generation phone games.

Anyone who has played Diablo or any of the multitude of Diablo clones will be immediately familiar with Dungeon Hunter. An isometric action RPG, with killing lots of monsters and collecting loot the primary goals.

The story is fairly basic, and there just to guide you along from area to area. Unlike Diablo, which had a more powerful computer driving it, and a much larger screen to play on, you won't face the sheer numbers of monsters here. Instead, areas contain just enough to keep you on your toes based on the virtual controls and screen size.

Regarding the graphics, when I first loaded up DH, I was shocked the little iPhone could handle 3D graphics of this quality. They are a little pixelated, but quite nice considering the platform being played on. The game music is good, even when played from the speaker instead of ear buds. And sound effects get the job done, yet tend to be repetitive after a while.

Since the iPhone and iPad touch don't have any controls, the touchscreen is used for all gaming input. And it does surprisingly well. There are options to change the way the touch controls work, from a "point and click" style interface, or a virtual thumb-stick and buttons.

The game tends to be a bit on the easy side, and short compared to the full-blown experience of a computer-based game. Making things even easier is the ability to push a button in your inventory and auto-equip all the best gear. Leveling up allows you to increase your stats and skills, much in the same way as other action RPGs.

I found load times on my iPhone 3G a bit long. But overall, I was pretty impressed with how my little phone could play such an involved game. Until Dungeon Hunter, I have only every played card games and the like on my phones. DH is proof positive that an iPhone (or iPad touch) can step in as a legitimate mobile gaming platform as well.