N-Gagetechnology transforms Nokia handsets from simple phones into bonafide console-battling games machines. The power behind N-Gage is Nokia’s 3D accelerated hardware, and while that’s not present in every mobile, it’s more common than you might expect.
We’re not talking specialist games handsets either. Mainstream phones such as the N95 8GB, E75 and 5320 XpressMusic have next-generation graphics chips inside, letting them gorge on the latest games from some of the world’s largest publishers.
Grade-A games, such as Worms World Party, FIFA 09 and Prince of Persia are all on N-Gage, packing excellent graphics and supreme gameplay. What’s more, N-Gage includes multiplayer abilities, letting you test your gaming mettle against other players around the world, direct from your handset.
In many ways, N-Gage is smarter than portable games consoles, and certainly much more pocketable.
What we say
- The Nokia N8 is the first to run Symbian^3
- Its 12 megapixel sensor rivals compact cameras
- HD video capture and HDMI included
- N8 is carved from a single piece of aluminium
- It will ship in Q3 2010
What they say
“Nokia has got a lot of things right with its thinking on the new N-Gage service, and the well-designed and comprehensive service is a pleasant surprise – gamer scores, friends lists and messaging features are all well implemented and easy to use.”
Andy Robertson, GamesIndustry.biz
If you only do one thing
Play with friends. N-Gage lets you test your gaming prowess against other gamers around the world, and it uses the mobile network, not just Wi-Fi hotspots so you can tap into high scores and measure yourself against the competition from all corners of the globe.
Miscellany
Gaming heroes
Just as Nokia powered-up mobile gaming via N-Gage, the rest of the gaming world is rife with innovators, pushing boundaries and making new experiences possible. Here are some of the most influential names in button-bashing.
John Carmack
ID Software’s lead programmer kicked off the 3D gaming revolution in the 1990s with Wolfenstein 3D, followed by Doom, Quake and its successors. He spawned a wave of successors, but remains the undisputed godfather of 3D shoot-em-ups.
Johnathan Wendel
Better known as Fatal1ty, he’s the world’s most famous professional gamer. He has earned more than $500,000 in prize money and plays in the Cyberathlete Professional League – www.thecpl.com
Peter Molyneux
This gaming mastermind set new benchmarks in ‘god games’ with Populous, Theme Park and Black & White which appealed to casual gamers as much as hardcore fans. He also invented the Fable series. – www.lionhead.com
Sid Meier
Widely regarded as the father of strategy games, he invented the Civilization series that has run for over 18 years – www.civilization.com
Will Wright
He brought micromanagement to the masses with Sim City, before creating the best-selling game franchise of all time: The Sims. He’s also the man behind Spore, one of the most complex character-building titles ever made. – www.thesims.com