NGAGE history

Just before the nitendo DS and the playstation portable were launched, I remember having a debate with an old friend from the technology press as to whether or not the handheld games machine had had its day. He felt that, given the ubiquity of the mobile phone and the growing power of the hardware, there simply wasn't any need for handheld consoles. I felt that specialist devices still did the job better, not least because the hardware was designed specifically for playing games, and because the manufacturers had a better idea of what games were and how they worked.

Nokia's original N-gage concept could have been created to back up my point. Who can forget the original N-gage handset - the notorious Cornish pasty-like device that was a horrid mobile phone and an even worse games system. The QD redesign was an improvement, but despite a few successes - the war game Pathway to Glory, the MMO Pocket Kingdom - the system ended up as a bit of a joke. Mobile games have grown in popularity, particularly budget-priced casual games and licensed titles, but given the huge success of the DS and, to a lesser extent, the PSP, it seems that a dedicated device is still the best bet for gamers.

Now, however, Nokia has come back for a second crack at the market. N-gage 2.0 is a very different beast from version 1. Instead of a dedicated, cartridge-based device, we get a combination of applications and online services that runs on several Nokia handsets, including the nokia N73, N81. N82, N95, nokia N93, etc, series phones. The theory is that this strategy will give Nokia a foothold in the games market and gamers a good reason to opt for a Nokia handset, without forcing anyone to go for some peculiar specialist gaming handset just because they want to join in.

I fancied giving this new approach a chance, and Nokia was kind enough to lend me an N81 8GB mobile phone. This particular handset has become a favourite with mobile gaming enthusiasts, even if our Sandra wasn't quite so impressed. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a lovely 2.4in 320 x 240 resolution, 16.7 million colour screen, and for gaming purposes you can opt to use it in either horizontal or vertical positions.

With the phone held horizontally the phone's main control pad becomes a digital d-pad while two hidden buttons on the other side of the screen come into play. It's a good way of making a phone feel like a gaming device without stopping it from feeling like a phone, though it has to be said that the d-pad is a bit clunky under the thumb, and it never feels as natural as Sony's classic d-pad or analogue nub. On the plus side, the handset packs some pretty good speakers for a mobile phone. You'll want headphones if you want to avoid annoying your fellow commuters, but if you're lounging around on the sofa at home you'll find the sound quality at low volume levels pleasant enough.

To get to the games on the N81, you simply navigate to the Applications icon on the main menu then go through that to the N-gage application. Here you get a set of tabbed windows that allow you to view and setup a player profile, choose from your available games, handle your friends list and download new games, add-ons or trial versions from the N-gage Showroom. If all that sounds fairly familiar, it's because it's not hard to see where Nokia has got its inspiration from: Microsoft's Xbox Live Service. As with Xbox Live, you have your own personal profile, your own friends list and a running points score, boosted by earning achievements in your N-gage games. What's more, the service offers online leaderboards and proper online multiplayer gaming through its Arena section, not to mention downloadable content through the Showroom. You can connect through your provider's 3G or EDGE services, or through a Wireless LAN or PC Internet connection via Bluetooth. Clearly the latter options are preferably if you're planning to spend a lot of time online.

The new-fangled N-gage application and services show a lot of promise. I had a few issues getting things working smoothly with my own LAN connection (poor coverage in my area prevented me from trying a proper mobile connection), but the interface is clear, the personal profile system is roughly as effective as the equivalent on Xbox Live, and the Showroom facilities give you an easy way to find and try new games - not least because all N-gage games seem to have a free trial version, which you can then unlock if you want the full product. I honestly think that Nokia has taken the right approach here - after all, the close integration of Xbox Live with the Xbox 360 hardware and games line-up has been a huge selling point for Microsoft, and there's a lot of potential in the idea of mobile online gaming. I might never have tried it, but I know that more than a few people got into Pocket Kingdom just because the idea of an MMO you could dip in and out of wherever you were was so appealing. The multiplayer-focused Reset Generation, which stems from the same producer, Scott Foe, should be a real feather in the N-gage cap.