A revolution has occurred in the world of official gaming: ports of Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding and Resident Evil 8 have appeared on large consoles, which you can read about on our website. But these are not the only examples of porting serious games to smartphones.
I’ll tell you about it below 8 noteworthy ports from iOS and Android consoles released throughout the existence of iPhones.
I warn you right away that Not all games on the list may be available for purchase at this time. However, we all know what to do in this case: there are two clients who can bypass the ban; I will leave links to instructions below in the text.
So, stretch your fingers, let’s play:
1. GTA Trilogy (GTA 3, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas)
It hardly makes sense to explain who RockStar Games are. In general, it was these guys who set the fashion for porting their games from the TV in your pocket.
At first it was a test of the pen in the form of exclusive GTA for PSP and Nintendo DS, and at the dawn of 2010, full-fledged transfers of GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas began to gradually change.


They play just as well in the 2024 projects. True, there is a nuance in GTA: all three parts are missing in the Russian App Store. But you can use an account from another country to purchase or use the instructions below.
On a smartphone, Definitive Trilogy isn’t as bad as people say it is. In the pocket version, the flaws in the visual style are not as noticeable on compact screens. Recently, patches were also delivered to the mobile version that fix visual bugs and partially improve the graphics.
On topic: How to install GTA Definitive Edition on iPhone or iPad in Russia. There is a free way
👉 Buy Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy for $11.99 (not available in Russia)
2. Bully: Anniversary Edition
RockStar Games didn’t stop at the GTA trilogy. If you really want, you can turn your smartphone into a nostalgia machine for the hits of the 2000s – this will provide a full-fledged port of the excellent game Bully, which is safer for us as GTA about school.
The main character is a scumbag. The 15-year-old bully you play as… vanity At school he rides a skateboard, fights with everyone and shoots accurately with a slingshot. The version of Bully: Scholarship Edition, released in 2008 for Xbox 360, Wii and PC, has been ported to mobile devices.


The game, like all RockStar projects, is also not available in the Russian App Store, but there are two more ways: use an account in another country to purchase or install a certificate according to these instructions.
👉 Buy Bully: Anniversary Edition for $6.99 (not available in Russia)
3. Max Payne Mobile
The classic “Max Payne” for iOS is a full-fledged port for older consoles and PC. The same technological process, identical storyline, graphic elements and the famous Slow-mo mode.
The hero takes revenge for the murder of his family, making his way through the dirty streets of the metropolis. Talking his way through gangster dens and subways, Max turns into the top of a crime syndicate in a fashionable downtown skyscraper.


The atmospheric monologues and soundtrack definitely evoke a feeling of nostalgia, and you won’t look away from your smartphone until the story ends. Not available in Russia, use an account in another country or instructions for installing a developer certificate.
👉 Buy Max Payne Mobile for $6.99 (not available in Russia)
4. How to get your neighbor (Neighbors From Hell)
Honestly, as a child I had this game in my pocket, because crooked JAVA ports didn’t help me, I didn’t have a Nintendo DS, on which the second part was released.
But now I have a port on my phone and I’m happy. The legendary game of the 2000s has been perfectly preserved to this day – neither the picture nor the gameplay are outdated.


The game is an arcade game with nice graphics. The main goal is to ruin your neighbor’s life as much as possible with the help of improvised objects. The hero needs to go out and use them without getting into the eyes of his irritated neighbor.
The port itself works great on almost any mobile smartphone and, most importantly, is perfectly adapted for touch control. Play comfortably, fun and stress-free. And you can download the first season completely free.
👉 Download How to pester your neighbor for free
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Nowadays it’s common to criticize Bioware, saying that it has slipped and all that. But believe me, there was a time when their name in the description of a role-playing game automatically determined the quality of the entire project.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is just such a game, and it can rightfully be considered one of the best games in the Star Wars franchise. Its most important aspect is its smart, original and very big story. The game is ready to provide tens and hundreds of hours of content, and its final plot twist will make you pick your jaw off the floor.


The only feature of the external port is control. It takes some getting used to. In all other respects, we have an excellent transfer of a classic large project into a mobile format. It is currently not available in our App Store, what to do, read here or use an account in another country.
👉 Buy Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for $9.99 (not available in Russia)
6. Dead cells
Dead Cells is made in an interesting synergy of genres. It’s also a Metroidvaniaa genre that includes elements of Action-Rpg and exploration of gradually opening territory) and Bagel (games with permadeath and random level generation).
The games have terribly addictive gameplay. The main character’s task is to choose a hero from the prison where it is desirable to be. If you die, you’ll start over, and the terrain and loot will change. It is clear that no successful “race” process is limited.
The game is constantly changing due to gradual progress. Its variety directly depends on the player’s skills. The better you get at applying mechanics, the more ways you can test and uniquely position a situation.


And the development team is constantly providing the game with new content. And, as a rule, this is not just the addition of in-game items, but entire collaborations with other franchises.
In general, I highly recommend the familiarization project. Just pay attention to two points – for a comfortable game it is advisable to have a gamepad, as well as a lot of time, because during the gameplay it flies frighteningly quickly.
👉 Buy Dead Cells for 799 RUR.
7. FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS
If you deceive your perception and get used to the schedule, then a big, complex and very emotional story about saving the world will open before you. The plot here takes about 30 hours, and a complete passage with all side quests will take all 100.
It is presented best in a portable form – in the JRPG genre. At first, the game may seem slow and measured, but you can get used to the pace. And if it doesn’t work out, there is the possibility of speeding up the process. There are even cheats in case things get difficult.


In fact, Square Enix has brought quite a few of its iconic games to smartphones. In addition to all parts of Final Fantasy up to the 10th, you can play the classic Chrono Trigger and even several parts of Dragon Quest on your smartphone.
Well, don’t forget about the company’s current shareware releases. For example, a kind of remake of FINAL FANTASY VII and its spin-offs were recently released. True with nuances, in the form of episodic narratives and hellish monetization.
👉 Download FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS for free
8. Hitman: Blood Money – Massacre
Let’s finish our selection with the most recent and unexpected port at the moment. The original Hitman: Blood Money was released in 2006 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PC; the re-release for smartphones went on sale on November 30, 2023.
The developers of Blood Money – Reprisal did not radically change the formula. But I just adapted the controls for touch screens and redesigned the interface (added a mini-map and limited it next to the health and volume indicators) and also added “Killer Instinct”. This ability highlights enemies and objects that the protagonist can interact with.


In general, you can certainly quarrel, moths got it, but let’s not. The easier it is to get into a good product, the more people can get acquainted with it. Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal plays great on a smartphone, especially with a gamepad.
Blood Money is considered the best part of the classic Hitman series. It was Blood Money that absorbed all the most successful mechanics and solutions of past games. The classic version on consoles has stood the test of time and still plays great today. And what music by maestro Jesper Kyd, wow! Download this hit from the president’s account in the App Store or follow these instructions.
👉 Buy Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal for $14.99 (not available in Russia)
And we’ll stop there. The projects that I have listed will be enough for the user of any modern smartphone. They come up so quickly to pass the time and really stick you in for the whole weekend. I would just like to add that although all games are adapted for the touch screen, I still recommend using a gamepad.
This choice can help our material.
And in the comments I encourage you to discuss the selected games and tell us what ports you have tried on smartphones. If there are a lot of them, I will be happy to write a second part.
Source: Iphones RU

I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.