Let me start out this review by saying I might seem just a bit biased toward gaming consoles. Since my time as a small child I have had a controller of some type in my hand. In fact, my time writing these articles is usually the only time I spend not playing games. (I no longer require food or sleep.) In my house alone I have a Wii, Wii U, 3DS, N64, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy Advance. No, I don’t leave the house very much. Why do you ask?

Something I’ve noticed being a lifelong lover of consoles is that there are more commercials nowadays geared toward app games than actual console games. Boom Beach, Candy Crush, Game Of War, Boom Crush, Candy War. OK, some of those may not be real but who can tell? With the massive growth of app games, it’s easy to see why the traditional game consoles may be a tougher sell as time goes on. Can you get your gaming fix with an Android phone alone? Let’s take a look.

Classic Games

In the past I have written about the distinct lack of Mario and Pokemon on the Google Play Store. Well, that still hasn’t changed. However, many other games have decided to jump onto phones and tablets. Not literally. That’s how I broke my first phone. Games such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy are all available. And if, like me, your mom never let you play Grand Theft Auto as a kid, it is available as well. But I’d still rather she didn’t know about it.

FREEdom

If the price point is a big factor for you, then Android beats a console any day. While game consoles can cost hundreds of dollars, you can play plenty of games on the smartphone you already own. And while some of the aforementioned games may force you to open your wallet a little, most of the games available are absolutely free. Do you get the title of this paragraph now? FREEdom? Okay, not my best.

However…

As fun as swiping around in games like Angry Birds can be, it will never replace the feeling of a controller. While games like Candy Crush don’t require much precision, more action-oriented games can be difficult to control on a touch screen. However, for those interested, there are some attachments that will give you the options to use buttons and joysticks. But those cost money. And who wants to spend that?

Bottom Line

Your android device can replace your gaming console. However, it only can if you play games more on the casual side. If you're looking for the intense experience of video game action on a giant screen, you’ll have to shell out for a console. If you want a pocket full of cash and another pocket full of app games, stick with your Android phone. And if you don’t want to play games at all, you will be much more productive than me.