The handheld market has rapidly changed since the original PSP launched back in 2004, mobile phones have become more advanced and more people are playing these ‘bitesized’ gaming apps. They’re cheap to buy and perfect for wasting a few minutes on here and there. However the biggest hurdle smartphone gaming has is control. Sure touch screen is cool and all that, but it will never replace the tactile input of the humble button. Plus having to use the same display that the game being played on can lead to you losing out on what’s happening on the screen. But smartphone gaming shouldn’t be completely written off just yet, there are a number of titles available on the App Store that would be perfect for PlayStation Vita.

And we’ve back sorry for the delay, but read on for the final two days of our look at those iOS titles that would be perfect for PlayStation Vita. Today we look at Dead Space.

Day 4. Dead Space – EA Mobile

Dead Space for iOS is short of a technical marvel, it takes all the elements of it’s console counterpart including full voice acting, a orchestral soundtrack and fairly impressive visuals. Although simply called Dead Space, it actually takes place between the the events of the original Dead Space and it’s sequel, surprisingly called Dead Space 2. However there’s no sign of the infamous Necromorph slayer Isaac Clarke, instead you play an engineer simply known as ‘Vandal’, who must delve into the mines of Titan in search of the true. It wouldn’t be a Dead Space game if it didn’t contain it’s fair share of gruesome foe and atmospheric scares. There are six different environments to battle through, two new weapons such as the touch-based Plasma Saw and “simple swipe and tap controls that offer accessibility without sacrificing depth.” but it’s this “simple swipe” control that is Dead Space’s downfall.

For those who have played any of the PlayStation 3 Dead Space titles, you’ll know control is everything when being mauled by masses of the mutated dead. It’s this level of finesse to control that a touch screen alone cannot come close to being capable of replicating. As we have mentioned in our previous iOS titles that would be perfect for PSV, using the screen to control a game that also displays image of the game is like having someone constantly standing in front of your TV as your playing your PS3, and unfortunately Dead Space suffers this fate too. But despite these issues, it’s still a great addition to Dead Space lore.

Why would it work on Vita?

Put simply Dead Space would benefit from full button control. As PlayStation Vita has a DUALSHOCK3-like control set-up, character movement and the precision needed for combat is taken care of, and the touch screens would still allow the use of such weapons like the Plasma Saw. So it’s the best of both worlds, very much like what Uncharted: Golden Abyss is going to offer. Dead Space also have a nice little list of achievements which would easily equate to PlayStation Network Trophies. It’s probably a given that EA are already working on a bespoke version of Dead Space for PlayStation Vita, but on the very slim chance they aren’t we’d love to see the iOS Dead Space appear on PSV.