More games from the past for the N-Gage, with Christopher this week taking a look at Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Bringing in some strong franchise names was one of the key launch strategies of the N-Gage, and everyone knew that shots of Lara Croft next to the units would ensure some nice magazine covers (which it did)? But how does it play, and was it a worthy N-Gage Game? Christopher's review covers all that and more.
Todays big announcement... Nokia have shipped one million N-Gage Units (that's both the N-Gage and the N-Gage QD). Of those units, there's been a 10% take up of the N-Gage Arena, the online multiplayer service, with 100,000 registered users. Now for some perspective. It's taken Nokia 11 months to rack up that magic million. In the first six months of Nintendo launching the GBA SP, they sold over two million units - which out-performs the N-Gage sales by a ratio of 4 to 1. Still, from a standing start, and from a company that's never launched a gaming device before, it's an impressive number.
The All About N-Gage Games Database is continually updated with news, links and screenshots of the latest N-Gage MMC Games. While the last foru entries are always noted at the foot of the All About N-Gage home page, you can now follow the latest updates through the Games Database RSS Feed (alternate formats and filtering options are available).
It looks like Sega's N-Gage titles Alien Front and Virtua Cop aren't going to see the light of day. Now before you start moaning and grumbling that this is a bad thing, think again. While both games were pretty good technically, comparing them to titles like Ashen and Pathway To Glory, they didn't help the N-Gage at all. Releasing games and spending money trying to recover from bad 20% score reviews is not what the platform needs just now. I'd say this is a good move if it's true.
Both Rafe and Ewan have been looking at Bomberman on N-Gage MMC card, and while Rafe is pretty happy with the Arcade Pyromaniac, Ewan's not so sure that it's a worth MMC Game. See what they both think in the double-header review of Bomberman.
It's been on the N-Gage.com games list for months (and even longer in the All About N-Gage Games Database), but now Activision and Nokia have officially announced X-Men for N-Gage. The release date has been put back from October 2004 to Q1 2005,and there's some more details on the Arena iteraction (ability to download "new missions and games").
Ewan's been out speaking with Charles Revillon from Gameloft, one of the big companies involved in mobile gaming. What do Gameloft think of the N-Gage, of Symbian OS, of Java Games and the mobile market? Ewan asked all that, and more, in another of our interviews.
London ExCeL sees the Game Stars Live event, and the Nokia N-Gage Tour, with its Crash Nitro Challenge is offering ever attendee the chance to win their own Nokia QD. Can you take on the best high scores from around the UK in a lap of Crash Nitro Cart Challenege? The best lap time each day will win their own QD. Nokia have labelled their key producst on show as the QD itself, Pocket Kingdom, King of Fighters and Colin McRae Rally 2005.
For some strange reason, Nokia's Downloadable Demo of Pathway to Glory didn't come with a read me file, or any instructions. The main Nokia N-Gage site now has a controls and basic strategy guide to read through. From what we've seen of Pathway to Glory, it's worth the effort to get into this game.
MSX is an old Z80-based family of home computers which appeared in autumn 1983 as an attempt to establish a single standard in home computing similar to VHS in video. They were popular in Asian (Korea, Japan) and South American (Brazil, Chile) countries as well as in Europe (Netherlands, France, Spain) and former Soviet Union, but they are virtually unknown in USA. Although the MSX standard quietly died from year 1988, the world got to see MSX2, MSX2+ and TurboR extensions of it.With this emulator you can play hundreds of games available in the web for the MSX platform.Juha Riihimäki has updated fMSX (MSX emulator for Series 60) to version 1.04b.You can download fMSX from the authors website.
Nintendo have been granted a patent to cover online services for Home Gaming Systems (reports The Register), covering areas such as "substantially real-time multiplayer gaming," "online performance data" and "online connection to a gaming service." Hmm, sounds exactly like the N-Gage Arena. No indication yet of any legal moves (from either side) but one to watch long term.
Based on the popular board game "Settlers of Catan," Capcom's first confirmed title for the Nokia N-Gage. Think of it as a multiplayer version of Civilisation (also due out for the N-Gage in Q1 2005), where you build roads, settlements and cities, as you expand your empire and try to subdue the other players in the game world.
We're still waiting for a really good racing game on the N-Gage. Can Gameloft's "Asphalt: Urban GT" give us petrolheads the thrills we seek? It's yet another MMC Title due out for Christmas 2004, promising 4 player bluetooth multiplayer action.
For a moment I thought this was a joke, but Cascata Games have released "Del Boy's Street Car Challenge," probably the first Computer Game based on the hit BBC TV Franchise, Only Fools and Horses. Drive your less than trusty Robin Reliant round the streets of Peckham picking up all kinds of legitimate goods. Honest Guv.
Christopher's been looking back at some of the earlier N-Gage games we've not reviewed yet. First up is Moto GP. This was the first racing game out of the gate on the N-Gage and while not bad it doesn't quite deliver. Read the review to find out why.
