The C64 emulator Frodo for S60 3rd Edition has been updated to version 1.5, and now includes support for accelerometers in selected phones, which lets you tilt the phone to simulate a joystick or steering wheel (you can see a demo video below). There's also an on-screen keyboard and vibration support. Frodo comes in versions available for older Symbian devices too such as S60 1st and 2nd Edition, Series 80 and UIQ, just scroll down the same page. Apparently Frodo for S60 3rd Edition should work in theory on the 5800, though it may run very slowly as the application hasn't been optimised for S60 5th Edition yet. (For more S60 3rd Edition emulators, see AAS's special feature.)
The arcade racing game Asphalt 4: Elite Racing is now available on the next gen N-Gage platform. To see it, go to the Showroom tab on the far right, select "Options", then "Update Now". It should be visible in the "Latest Games" section, or alternatively click on "Available Games". (Also worth noting that the prequel, Asphalt 3, is still available on N-Gage and has been reduced in price to 7 euros.)
You all know my stance on Symbian OS malware being virtually impossible and a non-story. The same doesn't quite apply to older versions of Symbian OS and S60, i.e. for phones running variants of S60 2nd Edition, up until the N70 and N90. Malware is still very rare and impossible to catch if you don't manually accept it, but it's worth noting that if you know any paranoid S60 2nd Edition owners, you might like to point them towards Exovirusstop, which has given up the fight to sell something that's not really needed and has made its 'Antivirus' software free.
Hurrah! It seems that THQ and/or Nokia have changed their minds, and the apparently cancelled Worms for N-Gage has been un-cancelled. This is great news for the next gen N-Gage as the game was very well received on the original gen N-Gage, and should be even better on the new platform thanks to the bigger screen size and better internet connectivity. Nokia chose to mention All About N-Gage's "Most Anticipated Game" reader poll in their Worms announcement, so perhaps AAN's readers managed to get Nokia to see how much demand there is for this game.
If you're a mobile game company interested in publishing your games on the N-Gage platform, you may want to check out their slightly updated Developer Application Process page. This page used to only mention becoming a first party developer. However, the application form now also says it can be used to apply to be a third party publisher, so presumably you can now publish your games on N-Gage without giving up ownership of them.
I despair of the irresponsibility of the mainstream bloggers around the world who have gone into meltdown today over this announcement of an obscure bug in old versions of Symbian OS Messaging. Some comment and a link below. Short version. Move on, nothing to see. And no, you still don't need to pay money to a security firm...
Yes, we know we're very late in reporting this, but better late than never... The new installment of Capcom's infamous franchise Resident Evil: Degeneration is available on the N-Gage platform. Based on a recent CGI film of the same name, RE:D is a horror survival game where you have to fight zombies in an airport. Not very seasonal, but there you go! You can get the game from the N-Gage application's showroom section, if you can't see it select "Options" and "Update Now" and then "Available Games", and you may also see it in the "Latest Games" section.
Nokia's just put out a press release that the 5800 XpressMusic is now shipping in selected countries (with other countries to follow in 2009 apparently). As always, "shipping" can mean the devices are on the way to the shops, so you may not see them actually on sale for a week or two. Full release follows below.
There are now six separate competitions running simultaneously to promote the N-Gage platform, with some rather good prizes ranging from phones and games to a big pile of Star Wars and football goodies. We've collected together all the links and info you need to enter these contests and grab some loot. As these contests have been poorly advertised there is actually a very good chance of winning too... :-)
The latest branch of Nokia Music Store has gone live in Italy, if you head over to music.nokia.it you'll find instructions in Italian on how to use the service. Interestingly in this globalised age the press release for the launch emphasises the need for local music, giving a statistic that 54% of music bought in Italy is Italian. Full text of the release is below.
Electronic Arts' football simulator FIFA 2009 is now available on the N-Gage platform. Just open your phone's N-Gage app, go to the Showroom section, select "Options" and then "Update Now" to see it. (It should also become available through the N-Gage website over the next day or two, if you prefer to install games through your computer.) This release is a bit of a surprise, as it had only just been announced a few weeks ago and hadn't even made it into N-Gage.com's upcoming games list. Obviously EA were working on this a long time before they announced it.
