The card game DChoc Cafe Solitaire 12 Pack is now available on the N-Gage platform. You can download it by going to the application's showroom section, then selecting "Options" and "Update Now". Alternatively you may want to try out the unofficial games Astraware Solitaire or some of the other card and board games available for N-Gage-compatible devices.
Over on All About N-Gage we've had various news items over the past few days, including confirmation from Nokia that game transfers ARE still possible through customer service (despite the misinformed words of a few service reps recently), there's been an updated version of the game Pro Series Golf to fix compatibility problems with the updated N-Gage app (and it also now works on the 5320), and we've had a bit of a nostalgic wallow as it's five years since the original gen N-Gage launched.
There's a new version of the N-Gage app available for all compatible phones which (amongst other things) fixes the infamous 10,000 points bug. You can download the new version straight onto your device by opening the app, selecting "Options" and then "Check For Updates". Alternatively you can download the new version onto your PC and then install it manually, which you can do from the official website's "Get N-Gage" section. You can read more about the new version over on the official forums. (via the Official N-Gage Blog)
Westward, originally released on the PC, is a cocktail that mixes in elements of town simulation, real sime strategy, adventure and humour. Does it combine the best of all worlds, or is it an unwieldy mess? Read Tzer2's review of Westward to find out... (Incidentally, this game is available for both S60 3rd and UIQ3, links for both at the end of the review.)
Astraware's latest cross-platform game port to S60 and UIQ fares well on graphics and smoothness but falls down on lack of raw speed. Or so reckons Ewan, who's been applying the arcade skills acquired during his mispent youth to this new side-scrolling shoot 'em up.
Smartphone game publisher Astraware has let us know that they're looking for more S60 owners to take part in their beta testing. Their S60 version of shoot-em-up Platypus had some compatibility snags when it launched recently, so if you want to help fix this kind of thing and get games free in the process head on over to the Astraware beta testing forum to find out more. They also do games for UIQ3 and most other smartphone platforms too so you may want to apply even if you're not an S60 owner.
Platypus is a quirky side-scrolling shoot 'em up that's done well on other platforms. Astraware has got in touch to say that it's now available for S60 and UIQ smartphones. Screens and description over on the main Platypus product page etc.
In All About Symbian Insight #40 (AAS Podcast #93) Rafe, and Steve discuss SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessing) on Symbian OS and what some of the key benefits might be. Steve gives us his first impressions of the Nokia N79 and finally there's some chat about gaming on the N-Gage versus the iPhone.
Hot on the heels of Star Wars being released and Resident Evil being announced, the official N-Gage blog has now confirmed that Spore Origins will be coming to the N-Gage platform. There's no release date yet, but it could be soon as the N-Gage blog includes a link to a hands-on preview of the game.
Over on All About N-Gage, resident gaming Jedi Ewan Spence has put Star Wars: The Force Unleashed through its paces on the N-Gage platform, including the innovative "cellweaver" control system designed specially for mobile phones. Is the force with this game, or is it just a pile of bantha fodder? Read the review to find out...
The much talked-about Star Wars: Force Unleashed is now available from the N-Gage application's showroom (select "Options" and then "Update Now" if you can't see it). We'll be bringing you the review in due course as always. See AAN's game page for more info including screenshots and the official trailer video.
A quick plug for our sister site, All About N-Gage, in which the number of listed 'unofficial' games has doubled in the last couple of days, as Tzer2 has seriously got to work, with new N-Gage games 'Prince of Persia Zero' and 'Million Dollar Poker' being announced, and with Nokia themselves being scored in an editorial assessing how well (or badly) N-Gage has been coming along.
Our daughter site, All About N-Gage (AAN), has launched a new section: Unofficial Games. It is a listing of some of the best stand alone S60 games. Each entry has a brief description, download link, and, in most cases, link to an in depth review. Don't forget, you can also find all sorts of in-depth N-Gage focused content in the other sections of AAN.
Nokia's 70,000 euro game concept competition closes tomorrow (8th of September) so you'd better get your skates on if you want to take part. They're not looking for any actual code, all they want are detailed ideas for Symbian, Java or N-Gage games optionally including mockup images and/or video too. Note that the competition is only open to professional development companies, private individuals cannot enter.
There's a new episode of Sauna Talk on the N-Gage developer site, where once again host Arnold Faber discusses mobile gaming with Nokia's Miikka Skaffari while not wearing any clothes.