N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance attempted to bring a console-style sci-fi FPS to a touch phone at a time when such a thing sounded nearly impossible. As soldier Kal Wardin, the player moves through space stations and alien planets, shooting alien enemies and controlling both weapons and movement using two virtual sticks displayed directly on screen instead of a physical controller in hand.

Gameloft released the game in 2009, and the obvious inspiration from the Halo series is visible at first glance – from the weapon designs and vehicles to the mission structure and unlocking of new character abilities. The studio was systematically producing mobile counterparts to major console franchises at the time, and N.O.V.A. was among its most ambitious attempts, with 3D graphics that looked unexpectedly advanced and surprisingly smooth on phones of the era. The campaign was also complemented by multiplayer battles, which was still relatively rare for a mobile FPS at the time.

Controlling the game with two virtual sticks was a necessary compromise in 2009 – aiming precision never reached the level of a physical controller, but the game tried to compensate with automatic targeting and an easier difficulty than the console templates it so openly drew inspiration from. The title's success led to several sequels that gradually improved and refined the control system, while the graphics engine received further improvements with each new installment matching the rapidly growing power of phones.

Why play it: More interesting as a historical milestone than a game to enjoy today – it shows how far touch controls had to come before FPS games could be played comfortably on mobile.