Play on! These smartphones got game (pictures)

For years, phone makers have worked to get the power of console gaming onto itty-bitty phone screens. We collect our favorite attempts over the last decade.

Sony's latest smartphone, the Xperia Z4v, integrates with the PlayStation 4. This gives you remote access to next-gen games and connection with a DualShock4 controller.

Oh, and it's also chock-full of high-end hardware including a 20.7-megapixel camera, 3GB of RAM and wireless charging.

Last year's Xperia Z3 actually introduced the PlayStation connection. Killer hardware and a waterproof chassis put this one high on reviewers' lists in 2014.

A phone like no other, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play had a full touch display that slid up to reveal a full set of PlayStation-like buttons.  Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it played nicely with all standard games.

Developers could also take advantage of the hardware configuration to create more compelling game experience. The Xperia Play came preloaded with seven games.

The HTC Evo 3D had two cameras and a 3D screen experience for playing 3D games and capturing 3D-like photos. Gameplay wasn't great, but hey, at least it came with a free copy of "The Green Hornet."

Like the Evo 3D, LG's Thrill 4G/LG Optimus 3D attempted to break into 3D gaming without 3D glasses, after which nothing would ever be the same. Like the Evo 3D, it didn't take off.

Android's first smartphone, the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1 in the US), didn't particularly seek out gamers, but they couldn't get enough of the 528MHz processor and 192MB of RAM.

Considered "generous" at the time, the original iPhone's 3.5-inch multitouch display was one of the largest screens for playing casual games.

Anyone remember this taco-shaped handset from the early 2000s? The Nokia N-Gage's clunky form required gamers to remove the battery to swap titles. D'oh!

The grandaddy of 'em all, the Nokia 6110 came preloaded with Snake, the game that was oh-so-easy to figure out, but terribly difficult to put down. Like Tetris was to Game Boy, Snake was to Nokia. Released all the way back in 1997, this game pushed the monochromatic screen to its limits. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but c'mon, dude, it was a game in your pocket!