Mobile Phone Games World

Nokia have today released more information on the eagerly awaited N-Gage application. The expected release date is now set for November 2007 although some new N series phones will come prepackaged with a demo of the software.

Also announced today are details of phones that will initially be compatible with the N-Gage software and these are:

• Nokia N73
• Nokia N81
• Nokia N81 8GB
• Nokia N93
• Nokia N93i
• Nokia N95
• Nokia N95 8GB

To herald the new launch, the N-Gage website has also been redesigned.

Games that will initially be available are set to include:

• Hooked on: Creatures of the Deep
• Asphalt 3: Street rules
• Snakes Subsonic
• Mile High Pinball
• Brothers in Arms
• The Sims 2: Pets
• Midnight Pool 3D
• Pros Series Golf
• Space Impact Kappa Base
• Dogz
• World Series of poker
• ONE
• Block Breaker Deluxe
• Brain Challenge
• System Rush:evolution
• Bounce Boing Voyage

Nokia have announced today that a new range of games is to be produced by Mobile Phone Game developer, Digital Chocolate. Whilst there has been little news to excite existing N-Gage owners, this suggests that the Nokia bandwagon may be gearing up to deliver on their relaunch with a new model in the pipeline for later this year, in addition to the N-Gage software platform release that is due to roll out to existing and new N Series phones.

The games are expected to be released around Autumn time, and will be a selection of card and puzzle games, with built in networking and interactivity features.

The new N Gage game that is not for the N Gage?

Nokia have announced a new all singing, all dancing fishing game and posted details on their N Gage portal, however it would appear that the game will not play on the N-gage!

Good news for all other N Series owners, but possibly the game that heralds the demise of the N-Gage…..

Other details are sketchy at the moment, basically lots of fish and some good looking graphics, but no expected release date.

If there is a game that would seem perfect for a portable device, and by default, a mobile phone, then Civilization would be it.

And so it is good news that it is now released for the N-Gage, even though it is by now a very old game (over ten years since it was first released), the game play fits neatly onto the small screen. And as a strategy game you can pick it up and put it down as and when you have the time, without being confined to a PC or console.

The age of the original may make it more attractive to current game playing consumers who did not experience the original first time around, but like many ports to mobile phones, there is little, if anything new in this version.

No new N-Gage until 2007 due to poor sales to date.

As the N-Gage has failed to come close to Nokia’s hoped for 6 million unit sales, further development plans seem to be on hold, with Nokia concentrating instead on mobile music and mobile tv.

With the N-Gage technology being incorporated into Series 60 phones, game development shouldn’t suffer, and there is no indication that the current model will be discontinued.

Two new games from Nokia hit the shops, both for the N-Gage.

From their press release:

Rifts: Promise of Power allows players to explore the Rifts universe in real time as they venture through the post apocalyptic remains of Germany, North America, Scotland, China and Quebec. During their quests gamers will have the chance to engage in turn based combat against 50 + fearsome enemies using over 100 weapons, spells and psionics

There is a free 6 hour long demo available (not bad value!) .

The second game, X-Men(TM) Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is another action RPG, where you can control teams of Super Heroes and Villains. Both single and multi player game play is incorporated into the game.

Cruise the Caribbean in a bid to save your father from pirates in the lates N-Gage game, out today.

Sail from island to island and do battle on sea and on land, with a wide variety of units, resources and terrains.

There are multiplayer options as well, via Bluetooth or N-Gage arena.

Nokia have announced today the upcoming release of Habbo Islands, a N-Gage game designed to connect the Habbo Hotel Community.

Habbo Islands offers an exotic, fun-filled adventure vacation to both existing Habbo Hotel users as well as people experiencing Habbo for the first time.

There will be twenty adventures set in four environments but unlike the original, online environment, (and unlike the focus of many of the N-Gages other games on multi player environments) this will be a single player affair.

There is certainly a wide existing user base to which this game will appeal and Nokia are no doubt hoping to boost N-Gage sales to a new audience.

Asteroids, Battlezone, Black Widow, Millipede, Missile Command, Red Baron, Lunar Lander and Super Breakout.

All old Atari titles now released by Nokia on the N-Gage platform under the title Atari Masterpieces, Volume 1.

Will anyone want to play these classics? They do fit well on a small screen, so maybe.

Volume 2 will follow next year.

The N-GAGE ACADEMY, is newly launched by Nokia. Primarily an advertising opportunity, there is a free mobile phone game download available, with the aim “to teach mobile phone users how to download and share games”.

The game is available for selected Nokia phones, and not just the N-Gage. There is also an online space invaders style game that you can play on the site, that might afford a few minutes distraction.