Glu Mobile Releases Small Street for iPhone, Tiny Tower Is Considered Flattering

The Clone Wars (Tiny Tower) have begun. Glu Mobile, best known for iPhone hits like Gun Bros., has released Small Street on the Canadian App Store for iPhone and iPad via its Glu Games brand. And what a difference, this free-to-play mobile game looks an awful lot like NimbleBit’s Tiny Tower… but sideways. That may sound like a stretch, but not according to TouchArcade.

Small Street, which is currently testing on the Canadian App Store, uses the same concept found in Tiny Tower. Players build a street with houses, businesses, and residents to inhabit them. Players then collect and sell goods in the buildings to raise enough cash to build even more buildings along the street. Screenshots of the street simulator show management windows that look very similar to NimbleBit’s Tiny Tower.

However, it’s clear that this type of “cloning” could easily become a downward spiral. While the similarities between both hook games and the design/art of Zynga’s recently tested games in Canada Dream Heights and Tiny Tower are undeniable, Small Street is more similar in game mechanics than anything else. Regardless, it’s clear that (all three) Tiny Towers could easily become the next “Ville” of mobile gaming. But whose fault is that, and is that a good or bad thing?

Canadians: Click here to download Small Street for iPhone now >

Have you tried Small Street yet? What do you think about this potential trend in mobile gaming? Share your comments. Add a comment.