It took Apple a little while to acknowledge it, but that doesn’t make it any less true — the iPhone is a gaming powerhouse. Besides its obvious graphical prowess and the innovative control possibilities provided by its multitouch screen and accelerometers, the iPhone has something else going for it: it’s darn fun to play.

At least, that’s what the judges thought at the recent Independent Games Festival Mobile in San Francisco. The iPhone won top prize in every single category save one — which was won by a Nintendo DS game. Not bad for a device whose primary purpose is making phone calls!

iPhone gaming blog Touch Arcade has the details, including a full list of nominees. The winners were:

• Next Great Mobile Game: Reflection (Team Reflection) – Nintendo DS
• Mobile Audio Achievement Award: Zen Bound (Secret Exit) – iPhone
• Technical Achievement: Real Racing (Firemint) – iPhone
• Art: Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) – iPhone
• Design: Galcon (Hassey Enterprises) – iPhone
• Best iPhone Game: Zen Bound (Secret Exit) – iPhone
• IGF Mobile Best Game: Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) – iPhone

Obviously an iPhone game was going to win Best iPhone Game, but regardless this is an impressive feat. The iPhone is still a young platform, and future updates are sure to update its graphics capability to enable the creation of even more impressive games. Major publishers should definitely take notice after this — they are already beginning to bring major titles to the device, and should continue to do so.

This is a great achievement for iPhone gaming, and surely just the installment of a long and fruitful life as a game platform.

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