All About Symbian - N-Gage News

Reset Generation slideshow video

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:56:45 +0100

Apologies to those who feel we're covering N-Gage a bit much lately, but this is something special: over on All About N-Gage we've put together a video of many brand new screenshots from the bizarre upcoming online strategy game Reset Generation (formerly Project White Rock), along with the game's main theme as a soundtrack. The game is an affectionate parody of gaming history, with every character making fun of someone much more famous. Watch it and see what you think...

Insight 24 - Devices, News, Location-based search

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:49:25 +0100

It's... Insight number 24, aka AAS audio podcast 73, in which the usual team discuss the news of the week, including N-Gage and Nokia Communication Center (sic), three new S60 3rd Edition smartphones (black N82, Samsung i450, Nokia 6122c) and we introduce the idea and state of play in the world of Location Based Search.

Which phone are you using N-Gage on?

Sat, 10 May 2008 08:45:57 +0100

The N-Gage platform has now been officially launched for several weeks, but which phones are people actually using it on? Take part in our survey and let us know which N-Gage-compatible model you use to access the service.

So far the platform is available on the N81, N81 8GB, N82, N95 and N95 8GB, with support to be added to the N73, N93 and N93i very soon.

New phones will also be added to the platform as they're released, for example the 5320, N78 and N96 are all due to be N-Gage compatible.

All About N-Gage reviews Mile High Pinball

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:17:56 +0100

Over on All About N-Gage, we've been putting one of the games of the year, Nokia's first party title Mile High Pinball, through its paces. Those of you who remember the original gen N-Gage version may want to check out the new high res graphics, as there are lots of screenshots. Click here to read Tzer2's in-depth review on AAN and find out how Mile High Pinball did. UPDATE: We've now added a gameplay video at the beginning of the review.

Astraware releases Hidden Expedition: Titanic for S60 3rd Edition and UIQ3

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:20:59 +0100

Phone game developers Astraware have released the nautical adventure game Hidden Expedition: Titanic for Symbian S60 3rd Edition and UIQ3 smartphones. You can find out more about the game and purchase it on its official S60v3 page or official UIQ3 page. Naturally we'll be bringing you a review in due course. Astraware also asked us to mention that they're looking for S60 3rd Edition and UIQ3 beta game testers. Click on the headline for screenshots...

S60 3rd Edition 240x320:

S60 3rd Edition 320x240:

UIQ3:

Mile High Pinball 'released' at last

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:14:53 +0100

Nokia's N-Gage team has finally released Mile High Pinball, it now appears in your on-device N-Gage showroom after doing a manual 'update'. Screenshots below, look for a full review by the end of the week. N-Gage First Access testers can expect their free Mile High Pinball reg codes by the middle of the month.

Initial impressions are good-ish, but I'm a bit dismayed by the relatively long pauses while levels swoosh up and down...

Comments?

Steve

The Rules of N-Gage

Mon, 05 May 2008 23:37:33 +0100

Over on All About N-Gage, we've been considering what minimum standards N-Gage titles ought to have, from wraparound menus to demos that let you actually try the game properly. Any suggestions of your own?

How to install N-Gage direct to your phone without a PC

Sun, 04 May 2008 23:50:08 +0100

The official N-Gage site's installation instructions seem to concentrate on installing the N-Gage application using a PC. However, there is a much quicker and simpler alternative which lets you install the N-Gage app directly onto your phone through its web browser. Click on the headline of this news item for more details...

If you look carefully on the official "Get N-Gage" page, you'll see a mobile N-Gage installation site mentioned using teeny tiny letters, so tiny that this writer missed it until recently.

In fact the mobile site provides probably the easiest method for installing N-Gage on your phone, much easier than the PC-based way that the official site recommends.

Here's how to do it the mobile way:

1. Open your phone's web browser and go to this adddress: http://n-gage.mobi/d

2. You'll now see a special mobile site that lets you install the N-Gage app directly onto your phone. Follow the instructions and press "OK", "Yes" and "Continue" to all the questions.

3. After the app has installed, close the phone's web browser.

And that's it, the N-Gage app should now be installed and ready to go! If it's not on the front page of the menu system, try looking in the Applications folder.

Need to update the phone's firmware?

If the installation process tells you to update the phone's firmware (referred to as "software" by Nokia for some weird reason), this is something you'll have to do before you can install N-Gage.

For a firmware update, you'll need access to a Windows PC if you want to do it yourself. The actual updating process is fairly easy, just download and install the Nokia Software Updater on your PC, launch it and follow its instructions.

If you don't have a Windows PC, you can get your phone's firmware updated at a Nokia-approved service centre (you can find one of these by clicking on the "Support" link of your region's Nokia website).

Reset Generation screens published and gameplay explained

Sat, 03 May 2008 21:51:25 +0100

Completely confounding expectations, Reset Generation has at last been unveiled with gameplay screenshots, a hands-on preview of the game itself and details of Nokia's plans for user-created content. Looking absolutely nothing like Pathway To Glory or High Seize, Reset Gen is a sort of mixture of puzzle, strategy and a thick layer of retro, with multi-player online support for up to four people. Perhaps most intriguingly though, the web-based PC version will be absolutely free, and in a form which anyone can embed on their website. PC players will play in the same game world as N-Gage players, so it shouldn't be too hard to find opponents online. (via Skywish on the Official N-Gage Forums)

Project White Rock is Reset Generation

Fri, 02 May 2008 19:16:59 +0100

Further details of of Project White Rock, the much anticipated N-Gage game, have started to leak out ahead of tonight's event. Pocket Gamer and Develop (who both cite Edge as their source) are reporting that the game is titled Reset Generation and will be available on both N-Gage and on the web. The game is turn based and uses spoofed classic game characters. There's a twist though - these characters and other game assets will be customisable. This brings a user generated content element to the game which should mean it has a longer life cycle that typical mobile games.

Obviously we haven't got much to go on yet, but keep your eye on All About N-Gage and well do our best to keep you up to date.

The resetgeneration.com domain name was registered by Nokia in April last year, but there's nothing at the site yet.

Here's a quote (from the Develop story) from Reset Generation's supremo Scott Foe commenting on how the user generated content gives the game a longer shelf life :

"There's no seasonality in mobile games - mom won't wrap one up for you for Christmas," Foe told Edge. "And there's no shelf space needed, so we're looking at an 18-month or three-year sales cycle."

"We didn't just want to do another game, we wanted to make something that matters. 3D games are perishable.

"Reset Generation is meant to be imperishable, so it's the way you're enjoying it that will change. We mean for this to be he highest production value mobile title ever. We mean to shatter expectations. We mean to put the flag on the summit."

Relevant Links

Pocket Gamer (sourced from Edge)
Develop (sourced from Edge)

Mile High Pinball to be released very soon

Fri, 02 May 2008 07:28:05 +0100

The Official N-Gage Blog has informed the world that the next gen N-Gage version of Mile High Pinball will be released "over the next 24 hours, or at the latest, by Monday". People who filled in the N-Gage beta testing survey will get the game for free, but they will have to wait until the 12th of May to get their activation codes. Apparently some people were being naughty and filling in the form with complete gibberish, so Nokia are having to check each submitted form manually to make sure it contains real feedback.

N-Gage has lots of potential, but it's currently going to waste

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:19:04 +0100

Over on All About N-Gage, there's a special editorial on how N-Gage could potentially become a very large gaming platform indeed but not while it's left out of compatible phones' firmware. How many people will actually bother installing the N-Gage app if it doesn't come built into the phone?

Forum Nokia publishes official 5320 XpressMusic tech specs

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:21:02 +0100

The developer site Forum Nokia has published the official detailed technical specifications for the recently-announced Nokia 5320 XpressMusic smartphone. It's a Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2 device with a QVGA screen, 369mhz processor and a rather generous 85MB of free RAM. As mentioned before, the main standout features are dedicated music and gaming keys, 24 hours music playback, N-Gage compatibility, a dedicated audio chip and a low launch price (220 euros plus taxes).

For more info on the phone, see AAS's exclusive hands-on 5320 gallery and our news item covering the announcement. Also see our sister site All About N-Gage's coverage.

Which upcoming N-Gage game are you most looking forward to?

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:59:17 +0100

Now that all the beta-testing games have been re-released, we can look forward to completely new titles on the N-Gage platform. But which one are you most looking forward to? Click here to let us know in our latest survey...

Tetris & Block Breaker Deluxe go live on N-Gage

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:27:56 +0100

Tetris from Electronic Arts and Block Breaker Deluxe from Gameloft are now available to download via the N-Gage client showroom. The name Tetris will be familiar to most game players, but you can still check out the specifics in our review of the N-Gage implementation of the game. We're not sure the masses will be rushing to download this one, especially with the likes of S-Tris available for free. Block Breaker Deluxe might be a better bet - it is a Breakout clone which was the first new N-Gage game we reviewed.

Can't see the games in the N-Gage showroom?

Go to the showroom but do NOT go in the "Available Games" section straight away. Instead, click on Options menu, then Update Now, then go to "Available Games". You should then be able to see and download Tetris and Block Breaker Deluxe.

All About N-Gage Tetris review:

If you want the real official Tetris on your N-Gage-compatible phone then this will probably do the job, and to an extent reviews like this are pointless because a lot of people will buy this game on the name alone. However, if you want a quality conversion of a classic game which makes full use of the N-Gage platform, this is not it. (click here for the full review)

All About N-Gage Review:

If you enjoy Breakout/Arkanoid then you will definitely enjoy Block Breaker Deluxe. It's also a very casual game, with a nice relaxing feel to it. If you're looking for something new though, this probably isn't a good place to start your N-Gage experience... (click here for the full review)

Thanks to Steve and claes for the tip off.