Various webmasters attending the Games Conference in San Jose have confirmed with the Nokia team what's going to be new on the N-Gage 2. The spectator sport of Side Talkin' is no more, with a speaker being placed on the face of the machine. THe oft-requested Hot Swapping of MMC's is here as well (no more MacGyvering the machine into its component parts). And the biggie? It's staying backwards compatible with N-Gage 1. Which isn't surprising given that it'll still be a Series 60 machine, but still, hats off to Nokia for finally doing something about the N-Gage. Now let's get some games released for it, chaps?
According to Indie Magazine and Gaming Headlines Nokia is inviting people to a pre E3 event in London on April 14th. Although Nokia aren't saying what it is about the smart money is on N-Gage 2. Looks like Nokia are trying to get a clear publicity run.
Christopher Rydberg reviews NCAA Football, a USA Only N-Gage game. It's the FIFA Football (sorry soccer) but based around American Football (sorry, Rugby with padding). Given it's hard to find, the review is a good in-depth look at the game.
It's not 100% clear from the Nokia and Sun Press Release, but Q3 2004 should see the Nokia SNAP Mobile (Scalable Network Application Protocol) ship in Sun's Wireless Toolkit to "expand the mobile online multiplayer experience to the wider Java gaming market." Read into that what you will. Here's the full press release.
N-Gage owners buy more games over the air than regular phone users. See, the N-Gage is making a killing in one if the marketing sectors it was targetted at. David Thomson digs a little bit deeper...
Now this is more like it! Pocket Kingdom is Nokia's first real title that is going to make the N-Gage desirable! It's a massive multiplayer RPG set in the land of Ulgress, where you start off as a single traveller, and eventally raise an army and conquer the land. That's if the 999 other players using the N-Gage Arena feature don't beat you to it... No release date yet scheduled, but here at AAN we'd expect Q3 to be realistic.
Ewan's been taking a look at Symbianware's latest game, Powerball. Updating classic arcade action is an area fraught with danger. Have they managed to pull it off? Read the review to find out.
In an interesting development for Emulation Fans, Nintendo have asked Crimson Fire to stop the publication of their Gameboy Emulator for the Tapwave Zodica gaming machine (based around Palm OS). While not directly affecting Symbian OS yet, the fact that Nintendo have a Patent on emulation could have repercussions over the whole principle of emulation. (Thanks to wshwe on the Forum for spotting this one)
The Games Kitchen is a new mobile games channel: think of it as a cross between Yahoo!, Amazon and Xbox Live. Is there scope for a place where people can not only get games, but also talk about them, watch their high-scores and generally take part in a community? Well, this company thinks so, and this is the something which has been strangely lacking from games for mobile phones (aprt from Nokia's N-Gage Arena). The site will be available for use via the desktop and via the mobile.
Okay, maybe a bit of an over-simplification, but Scott Miller has one of the most devastating critiques of Nokia's Management and the effect the N-Gage could have on the Finnish Mobile Phone Company. Grab a coffee, get reading, and see if you agree with him.
This Russian article has John Romero (he made Doom, y'know) discussing the N-Gage 2, and how all the design problems of the current N-Gage have been fragged. Nokia's comment: "It is too early now to say something about any exact plans." Thanks Finland, couldn't you at least connfirm backwards compatibilty so current users know that their investment in the platform will still be supported?
Nokia and Hudsonsoft announce that the Arcade Classic "Bomberman" is N-Gage bound in Q2 2004. It's heavily pushing Bluetooth Multiplayer, although the threat of Unique 3D Worlds might worry the purists.
It's crystal ball time! Christopher Rydberg tests his investigative skills to try and track down as many 'in development' games for the N-Gage as possible. Let's look at the 28 games that N-Gage users can expect to see this year.
Brian Faber is hard at work on his Neo Geo Pocket Colour emulator for the N-Gage and Series 60 devices. To help him on his way, he's released a 'Teaser' Build to garner stats from users on frame rates, speed, and compatibilty over the entire Series 60 range. It's locked to one Public Domain Rom at the moment, and you can grab the build from the N-Pop Symbian Diary.
He didn't mistake him for the UK Comedian Tony Hawk, but Ewan's taken a close look at Tony Hawk Pro Skater on the N-Gage - hit the board and read the review.
