There have been some amazing games released for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Many of these rival, or even surpass games for dedicated gaming machines such as the PSP and Nintendo DS, in terms of 3D graphics and sound.

However, some games are crippled by the lack of any physical control buttons on the iPhone. Creative game developers have offered all kinds of virtual controls on the screen, and utilized the accelerometer. But in the heat of battle, these controls can be cumbersome and slow down game play or interfere with a player’s best performance.

Can the iPhone truly compete with a machine that has many physical buttons that give the player tactile feedback while playing?

What are your thoughts?