Capcom has brought a few of its most revered franchises to Apple's iPhone; some of the titles I got to see at E3 may surprise you. Before I got my hands on the games, however, the Capcom representative pointed out that these games are not meant to replace their console counterparts. He stressed that Capcom's mobile offerings are there to deliver a more casual, on-the-go gaming experience. I'm inclined to believe him, especially after getting my hands on three of the games.

The first game I see (and the one I spend the most time with) is Street Fighter IV. Yes, the 2009 reboot of gaming's most celebrated fighting franchise. "But wait," you may be thinking, "that game requires some serious precision, and the iPhone can't handle that!" Getting back to the rep's original point, this iPhone version of Street Fighter IV simplifies everything. Special moves aren't mapped to special input and button combinations. There's literally a special move button on the virtual D-pad. The same goes for Super and Ultra Combos. The touch screen controls work just fine and the visuals are great, considering the kind of experience Capcom is out to deliver.

The next game I checked out was 1942: First Strike (not to be confused with 1942: Joint Strike). This is as classic as top-down shooters go, and it's a good fit for the iPhone. Like in the other games, the controls are simplified for accessibility. You can drag the plane around or switch to the iPhone's tilt sensors. I prefer the touch controls.

The last game I got to check out was Ghosts 'n Goblins: Gold Knights II. It's the only game I saw at the Capcom Mobile booth that didn't look simplified from its original version, and that may prove troublesome. After watching the game in action, I'm not quite sure if the notoriously difficult action platformer will find success on the iPhone (though I certainly hope it does). Capcom may prove me wrong, but I don't know if a virtual D-pad can allow the surgical precision that is required for this series.

The three titles I got to see at the Capcom Mobile booth look like great quick-fix games. The design decisions that have been made seem practically sound, and when it comes to mobile platforms, simplicity is usually the key to a quality product. Whether Capcom's core franchises find success in the mobile space is yet to be seen, but I am certainly optimistic.