Preserving the history of games on iOS has been unlike any other platform out there. From even the earliest consoles and computers there’s always original hardware and original game cartridges that you can track down and play in physical form, and there’s also no shortage of emulators for basically any platform you can think of that allow you to play classic games digitally. So if a gamer who didn’t grow up in the ’70s or ’80s or ’90s wanted to go back and see the roots of the hobby they so enjoyed, it’s not especially difficult to do so. With iOS games that’s just not the case. Over the years Apple’s new hardware revisions and especially the new operating system revisions have wreaked havoc on developers, requiring near-constant maintenance to keep games and apps running properly through all those revisions.
With the race-to-the-bottom pricing of mobile software it often doesn’t make any sort of sense for a developer to go out of their way to make sometimes massive changes to an app they sold for a buck or two many years back just to keep it alive and kicking in today’s iOS landscape. And outside of hanging on to a bunch of older iOS devices running various old versions of software, or maintaining some sort of jailbreak device that can access a bunch of games that are no longer on the App Store, there’s no real easy or official way for your average person to be able to experience many of the great games that have launched on the App Store over the past decade, and that’s a crying shame.
We’ve bemoaned this fact many times over the years and wished that somebody would do something about it, and finally somebody is. It’s called GameClub and it’s a new company that’s hoping to find ways to bring back some of the App Store’s lost classics and reintroduce them to the world. And one of the first confirmed games to be making a comeback is one that’s an absolute all-time favorite around TouchArcade Towers, Rocketcat’s Hook Champ.
Hook Champ by @rocketcatgames first hit the App Store in late 2009, and has been unplayable on modern devices for years. It's one of the many classic mobile games that GameClub is bringing back to life. Play it now by joining our early access program at https://t.co/xa26bCYO0b pic.twitter.com/CtkPHPVnjH
— GameClub (@GameClub) March 5, 2019
GameClub has officially revealed itself to the world today, and if you head over to their website you can actually register with your email to sign up for their Early Access program and check out Hook Champ and some of the other game titles they’ve lined up to re-release to the world. In addition to just playing whatever titles are planned for the program, the site also mentions that Early Access members will help “shape its direction" which I’m guessing means that if there’s an old title you’d like GameClub to chase down and bring back then you’ll be able to voice that opinion to them as well. You can also follow along with GameClub on Twitter to see whatever it is they’ll be up to.
EDITOR’S DISCLAIMER: So here’s where things get maybe a little bit weird. Those of you who listen to our podcast or follow our own Eli Hodapp on social media may already be aware that Eli is stepping down from his Editor in Chief role at TouchArcade, and this Friday is his last day. He will remain on in a freelance capacity so we can continue doing our podcast every week and will likely write the occasional review or opinion piece. So it’s not a 100% goodbye to Eli, but he’s definitely starting a new full time job after this week. And even though him and I are as thick as thieves, he has been extremely tight-lipped as to what that new job will be. Well, now we know. Eli will be joining GameClub as VP of Business Development and will be helping lead the fight to preserve the history of iOS gaming. I can’t think of a better person for the job.
So obviously it’s an odd time since Eli is still technically here at TouchArcade, but is announcing GameClub at the same time. I feel obligated to put this disclaimer because this could be perceived as a conflict of interest, but also I trust that our readers know we have nothing but good intentions behind talking about GameClub. I mean it’s a huge win for mobile gamers who miss playing so many of those awesome games we’ve lost over the years, and freaking Hook Champ!? That’s a game that’s so near and dear to the early days of TouchArcade and its community that hearing it’s coming back is like a dream come true. So yeah, GameClub is something we most definitely would be posting about anyway regardless of Eli’s involvement, but I just wanted to make sure that we’re clear on the intentions since transparency and the trust we’ve built up with our readers over the past decade means more to me than anything.
Eli will have a more in-depth article about what led up to his decision to join GameClub later today, and I’ll have more to say about my role and the future direction of TouchArcade at some point as well. For now though, let’s all just bask in the incredible news of Hook Champ’s return, and let’s speculate on what other games might become part of the GameClub initiative or any other oldies you’d love to see come back in the comments section below.
Dungeon Raid! My kingdom for Dungeon Raid!
Dude don’t even. I can’t even. I can’t be that lucky. Alex, the developer, seems to be MIA but I would give literally every testicle and leg for dungeon raid to come back.
That’s pretty much the only game I’d want that isn’t available.
Dungeon Raid is the only reason I keep an iPhone 6 still running iOS 10.3.3. I would get rid of that pretty much immediately if this game would run on my iPad Pro 12.9 or iPhone XS Max
I would give my pinkie toe for We Rule.
Surely they will have to remember Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 !! (And congrats, Eli !!)
I was a very late adopter of the iOS platform so finally getting a chance to play some older games is an absolute boon. Also congrats to Eli on the new job!
Good god no. Eli!! 😩
You will be so missed. I know you’ll not be fully gone, but even a little gone is going to leave a crater in my heart.
I’ve been (I’m terrible) leeching off of TA for damn near a decade since I got my first iOS device in 2010, I can’t think of a more important or vital site throughout all the changes that have happened through apple.
You will be missed. I want you to know that from the bottom of my cheapskate heart, and while I did purchase everything right through the affiliate program, maybe now that it’s no longer I need to get my butt in gear and finally contribute as a whitelist isn’t nearly good enough.
The one thing I know is you for sure are leaving the site in capable hands. The team here is fantastic, and I hope for another decade of coming here, maybe 2 decades even!
Make Kotor finally playable on iPad Pro,maybe?Could also be let me try out the old Chaos Rings titles
Best of luck to Eli and GameClub!
I’d love to see 7 Cities TD, Defender Chronicles, Piyo Blocks, and Jeff Minter’s stuff return!
Yes please on the Jeff Minter games! Also would love to see Hook Worlds, Mr Aahh!! and Mr. Oopps!!
Most old games are junk that only a small group of people care about, this business won’t go far.
I'm curious as to how they are approaching this?
Are they buying the rights/code from the original developers and hooking them up into a new emulated/runtime environment?
(I'd love to see God of Blades, one of my pre-appocalypse favourites, return, though)
hell yes loved god of blades! part of my top 10 of all time ios games!
I doubt they're going to be taking requests on this, especially from the TouchArcade comments section, but...
It would be incredible if Incoboto got updated. It's genuinely one of my favourite iOS games of all time and it bums me out that the developer never updated it. It would be sweet if GameClub stepped in and took care of it.
(It would be even sweeter if it got a PC/Mac port...)
Best of luck, Eli -- please try to resurrect these games if you can!
1.) Puzzle Prism (PONOS)
2.) Time Ducks
3.) Dungeon Raid
Sounds like a great concept/company. Absolutely super cool that Eli is going to be putting his business experience and gaming experience toward something so fitting. I love the whole idea.
The TA community and staff have swallowed so many bitter pills served up by changes in the AppStore and mobile gaming over the years. I hope Eli takes his front row knowledge of all those minor tragedies and losses, and fights the friggin’ good fight.
I really miss Poker Quest by MotionX. On e of the OG games on the App Store.
I would pay 20 Euros just for geoDefense!