It's late at night. I've got plenty of the biggest and baddest console and computer games in my library. All I have to do is pick one and fire it up. But instead of playing one of them, I'm laying on the couch, playing Pixelated.

Now, why would anyone in their right mind chose a basic puzzle game with no sound over, say, the immersive glory of Skyrim?

I'm glad I asked that, because there are a bunch of times when a mobile game is preferable.

The first is when you don't have a lot of time to burn getting into and out of a gourmet gaming session.

Immersive, time consuming games are designed to eat up the long stretches of lonely hours that fill the lives of nerds. Especially when they're young. One reason big, sprawling games are so big and sprawling is because the market demands games that can't be played quickly.

Mobile games, on the other hand, favor gameplay that is easy-in, easy-out. I know it's not really fair to compare a puzzle game with a console RPG, but even a console puzzler takes longer to get in and out of than a mobile game.

First, you have to fire up the TV. Then, surf through inputs until you're on the right one. Next, you have to fire up the audio system and console, and wait for them to come online. If you're playing an XBOX, you also have to wait an additional five minutes for the XBOX's nuclear reactor to pre-heat the room to the required 350 degrees before the unit will display the startup screen.

Sometimes, we just pick mobile games because we're addicted. Like when you desperately want to beat your high score. I remember that I couldn't crack 30,000 on Brickbreaker (which I remember in its previous incarnation as Breakout or Arkanoid), and would chill out at home trying to beat it. I never did. But then again, I'm not Asian.

Mobile games are also good when we need to multitask. If you're doing something on the computer, and only sort of need to focus on it (like breaking up someone over chat), a mobile game is a good way to fill up the rest of the time without demanding too much attention.

Mobile games also tend to be more simple, so they're also good if you just don't have the brainpower for a full-blown game. Sometimes, you know, Fruit Ninja is all you can handle.

Surely, Gallagher's lawyers are already writing their Complaint.

-EJ

Comment special question: How many comments special questions will it be before we see our first comment? Respond, and you can ensure that you're right. Also, the Immortality Offer is still on the table (i.e. first to comment becomes a recurring character in the blog).