Nick got a tad giddy over the news of Mirror’s Edge heading for the iPhone earlier today. And while my reaction was the complete opposite, I do understand where he’s coming from, because the absence of more Mirror’s Edge has created a noticeable void this year as far as I’m concerned.

But if one takes the time to even glance at the screenshots that surfaced for this extension of the game, there’s every reason to believe that this news is so incredibly predictable that the lack of imagination on display is staggering.

The iPhone already has a game that expresses elements of Mirror’s Edge with a clarity that is beautiful both in its simplicity and execution. If you haven’t played Canabalt yet, quit reading my rant and go do so immediately. It’s not Mirror’s Edge, nor do I intend to insert that it owes anything to it. But it certainly shares some ideas, and offers a different perspective on motion suited to the device it’s aimed at.

Imagine if EA hit us up with a game that used the iPhone to express ideas from the Mirror’s Edge rather than cramming the previous release into a smaller package, perhaps using the device’s GPS to mix the navigation of real city spaces with those within the game.

The screenshots instead offer a glimpse of the familiar with a physical confrontation between Faith and armed opponents, adding a shot of her gripping a zip line while a helicopter is possibly spiraling downward in flames or taking aim - leaving me to conclude either way that it’s impossible to imagine a scenario in which a character faces an oppressive force and doesn’t immediately turn into a secret agent. This also leaves me to believe that if Mirror’s Edge 2 does emerge, this same tired situation will play out and ensure the series goes nowhere.

Why does confrontation have to be met with equal amounts of physical force? There’s certainly enough value in the freedom found from controlling Faith and navigating the space of the city. Isn’t there an equal amount of value in the symbolism the freedom of her movements represent against oppressive control?

Why do I care so much about an iPhone game? Because this is a sign, an omen of bad things to come if this is the best thinking available for expanding the franchise. I believe the game could support multiple interpretations of the core principle, providing space enough for everything from a 2D arcade throwback to a successor to a game like Jet Grind Radio.

But my hopes are pinned to the potential Mirror’s Edge has to offer the creation of endlessly open environments, where players navigate spaces in the attempt to achieve perpetual motion. But that requires a shift in thinking that is set free of old ideas, thereby able to offer players the greater freedom the first title already started pushing toward.

I don’t have all the answers, but that doesn’t take away from how important the questioning is. So just give it some thought EA, there’s far more to gain than lose at this point.