Nokia N-Gage impressions: exclusive preview and screens

We recently had a chance to sit down with a borrowed Nokia N81 phone and try out some new titles for the as-yet-unreleased N-gage platform. In our brief time with the system, we were able to preview three different games: Block Breaker, a pretty-looking Arkanoid clone, System Rush Evolution, an arcade racer resembling Stun Runner, which will be familiar to fans of the original N-gage system and Space Impact, an episodic twitch shooter with great production values and graphics.

As previously revealed, the N-Gage platform is going to be functional across the full range of Nokia’s high-end phones, and will feature an integrated menu system to purchase, select, and play games for the phone. From our experiences, the N-gage system loaded seamlessly from the main N81 menu, taking about 3-4 seconds to initialize. There, we were able to access the games and demos that were previously loaded into the phone through a slick-looking menu interface (pictured below). With its various services and features, the N-Gage menu is somewhat analogous to a mini version of Xbox Live. The care and attention to detail that Nokia has put into this suggests that at the very least, the new N-Gage platform will raise the bar for integrated mobile game distribution and multiplayer connectivity.

The first game we tried out was Block Breaker Deluxe, a flashy-looking Arkanoid clone which is played in the horizontal position. The graphics and sound were a step above most mobile phone offerings, although not by a huge margin. It was difficult to tell whether the game made use of any 3D models, or if the whole thing was rendered in 2D, however the paddle, bricks and balls were all easy enough to see on the vibrant screen. The gameplay was instantly recognizable to any fan of the arcade original, although there were a number of tweaks here to change up the formula, involving falling money and paddle upgrades. Control of the paddle was the biggest hurdle to overcome, because the supplied d-pad did not provide the kind of sensitivity to finesse the paddle quite the same way that an analogue stick or trackball would.

The second game we tried was called System Rush Evolution, a sequel to the original N-Gage cyberpunk racer. This game has players navigating a tube system similar to that found in Stun Runner, taking on enemy viruses and malware with powerful laser guns. The first battle against a mini-boss centipede-type creature was quite impressive, showing off the smooth framerate and 3D capabilities of the system. The 3D graphics featured relatively low-polygon models, with some nice textures on the walls of the track, and the whole thing seemed to run at a respectable framerate. The game was easier to control than Block Breaker Deluxe, but would still have benefited from greater sensitivity of motion.

Finally, we tried out Space Impact, a 2D overhead shooter in the tradition of R-type. This title features a set of non-linear missions, selectable from an overhead planetary view. There is also a story, which plays out in interminable text sequences before each mission. The in-game graphics were extremely impressive, with multiple enemies and bullets on screen at any given time and no slowdown that we could observe. Of each of the titles we tried, this one seemed to manage the best with the supplied control scheme, and showed off some impressive 3D graphics and lighting/particle effects in explosions. It seemed like it would be a blast to play at harder levels, and of the three it was the one we spent the most time with.

If there is any potential weakness inherent to the new and improved N-Gage, it is undoubtedly the controls. The N81 that we tested the games on is a competent handset, featuring loud speakers, a solid multimedia player and easy-to-use Bluetooth file transfer. When it came to actually playing the games, however, the system was a bit lacking. The phone features a clicky thumb pad that doubles as a directional pad when in horizontal gaming mode. Two additional click buttons serve as A and B on the right side of the handset. The controls, while serviceable, were nowhere near perfect, and considering the complexity and quality of the games we tried, we missed the 360-degree motion of an analogue stick. In fact, the inability to make smooth adjustments while controlling our ship or paddle had us yearning, paradoxically, for the analogue nub supplied on Sony’s PSP.

Based on our brief preview with the N-Gage platform, a number of advantages quickly become apparent: The games are of reasonable high quality, the graphics are a step above anything else on a mobile phone, and about equivalent with what we have seen on the Nintendo DS. Finally, the company has put a lot of effort into the launch menu system, and it shows. Making it easy for customers to purchase and download new games is certainly a sound business strategy. We are curious to see how the platform is received by consumers when it finally launches officially (now scheduled to happen sometime in late spring).

Check out some more photos from our preview here: