Throwback apps, a.k.a. retro apps are making a comeback, and Android fans are lining up to download and install these great attractions. Whether you’re looking to kill some time, train your brain, or blast your enemies into smithereens, retro apps are just the tonic you need.
In our quest to unearth of the best retro apps, we included a selection of retro arcade game apps, animated TV games, puzzle games, shooter games, and fighting games. Let’s get right to the meat of the matter with the 10 best retro apps you can download and install for your Android smartphone, tablet, or phablet today.
1. Duck Hunt
Remember this game from back in the day? You have been challenged by the ducks in the swamp, and you’ve got your trusted little rover to help you retrieve the ducks. Of course, no ducks were harmed in the creation of this game app, but Duck Hunt is lots of fun and the quacking ducks make for light-hearted entertainment.
2. Street Fighter
Imagine a listing of top 10 best retro apps without Street Fighter in the mix? It’s a no-brainer; this game rules the roost as one of the best arcade games of the 90s, and here it is back in fashion. Recall when groups of guys and gals would frequent the local arcade at the supermarket, pool parlour, or bar and play the role of Blanka, E Honda, Ryu, Ken, or Chun Li? Those were the good old days, and now you can enjoy Street Fighter on your Android device at the click of a button.
3. Pac Man
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. hit the jackpot with Pac-Man. This universally renowned arcade game is a life force unto itself. Adam Sandler even made a movie fashioned off the Pac-Man concept. Pac-Man is a yellow digital gobbler who eats fruits and runs away from ghosts. But he’s not a scaredy-cat – he will chow those ghosts too when he gets magic tablets.
4. Tetris
Tetris by Electronic Arts Inc. needs no introduction to fans the world over. This is one of the best retro apps you can get for your smartphone or tablet. It’s loaded with this free to play shape-shifting game, and it’s fun, fun, fun. The Tetris galaxy can be explored against other players in real time. The game has been rated 4.0/5 from almost 200,000 players, and it’s blazing a trail as one of the premier throwback apps for fans. Simply manipulate the different colour blocks into different positions before the screen collapses in on you from the top. The more rows you can form, the quicker you can remove them from the screen and rack up a better points tally.
5. Bubble Shooter Classic
Bubble Shooter Classic is everything you’ve come to expect from the eponymous game of yesteryear. This extraordinary trivia-style bubble popping game is locked and loaded with fun for everyone. It’s rated E, and you get to pop your way onto the leaderboard with amazing boosts, level ups, and some 800+ puzzle levels. Some of the classic features in this game include the fireball (when you pop 7 bubbles and you get a flamethrower-style feature), and the bomb (where you pop 10+ bubbles and you get to detonate explosives on the screen). There are also special types of bubbles including slime bubbles, chained bubbles, stone bubbles, and diamond bubbles. With a rating of 4.3/5 from thousands of players, this one is on the money is one of the better retro apps for you to play.
6. Care Bears Music Band
Back in the 80s, everybody knew and loved the Care Bears. Today, you get to enjoy the care Bears music band and make music with these lovable little creatures. Watch them light up their hearts in harmony. This is a great musical-themed attraction for guys and gals who fondly remember this animated TV series from back in the day. It has a stellar 4.6 S 5 rating from thousands of players, and your heart will warm to this exciting retro game.
7. Roller Skating Girls – Dance on Wheels
Roller Skating Girls – Dance on Wheels by Coco Play by TabTale is a great game for the gals. It has an incredible 4.6/5 rating from 86,000 players, and it’s fashion par excellence. You’ll be dressing up, and taking to the road in your roller skates. This game has been downloaded between 5 and 10 million times, and it’s got rave reviews from the entire gaming community. Roller skates predated in-line skates, and that’s why this fit snugly into the retro apps category.
8. He-Man™ Tappers of Grayskull
There probably isn’t a guy in the world who hasn’t heard of He-Man. The iconic words of the most powerful man in the universe: ‘By the power of Grayskull! I Have the Power! ring out with thunderous energy. He-man, Man at Arms, Orco, Sheila, The Sorceress, Skeletor, Battlecat, Beast Man and Stratus are but a few of the Masters of the universe you’ll get to meet in this glorious game. It has a 4.5/5 rating from over 21,000 players, and it is great fun for action fans. Welcome to Eternia, a world where sorcery, immense power and the forces of good versus evil are locked in eternal battle.
9. Post Man Pat
The Brits certainly know how to make a postman a lovable guy! Postman Pat harkens back to the days when we would watch postman Pat and his black and white cat riding up and down the streets of Britain delivering mail. It is fun to the max, and the graphics are superb. It’s also one of the best kept secrets at the Google Play Store – so be sure to share it with your friends.
10. Pong
Remember Pong? It’s one of the first arcade games that gained universal popularity, and now you can enjoy this retro traction on your Android. Pong can be enjoyed in a single player mode, or a 2-player mode, or if you prefer you can play against the wall. It’s like table tennis with a white ball that bounces off the wall and yet it is utterly fulfilling in its simplicity.
