Author Topic: Official Nokia N-Gage Discussion (Read 11666 times)

The Doc · « **on:** July 26, 2003, 06:53:36 PM »

The Nokia N-Gage is going to launch in October, and I was wandering if anyone is going to buy the system on launch day? I have been reading a lot about the N-Gage and I must say that the system does have its strong points. For example, the N-Gage doubles as a triband phone, as well as an FM radio. The N-Gage is also a digital music recorder/player which has support for MP3 and ACC files. The sytstem also seems to have some nice launch titles such as Lara Croft: Tomb Rader, Red Faction, and Ubi soft will be bringing Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon to the system as well. The N-Gage will ship with a bevy of features, and some nice launch titles which may make it a nice second option for anyone who wants something different in a handheld.

The Doc

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #1 on:** July 26, 2003, 10:23:49 PM »

Im not gonna buy N-gage and here are the reasons why I think the Ngage is bad.

1. Ngage costs more than a console and thats a turn off(299 ouch). 2. the telephone on n gage is like usuing the L and R buttons on the classic GBA as a cellphone set so its basically is a taco phone. 3. sure it has alot of features but the battery is reported to have bad life and if you multi task its gonna drain more. 4. Ngage tried to make 3d games on a handheld wich is kinda a bad idea cause GBA is still keeping alive the 2d genre. 5. I looked at some launch titles screenies and their colors look fuzzy and not rich.

Too me too many cons float above all the features of this machine and I find nothing impressive about N gage. I would rather invest that 300 dollars on something else.

Termin8Anakin · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2003, 04:44:39 AM »

3D on GBA looks better than on N-Gage!!
Im wondering how the hell they're gonna make 'true' 3D on portables, like on Sony's PSP or Nintendo next GB. the screens will be too small, and things will look to clunky, fuzzy and your eyes will neen glasses thicker than a brick when they get screwed..

The Doc · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2003, 06:01:07 AM »

I agree that the N-Gages battery life will be an issue, and it will be more of an issue for game play (3-6 hours of battery life depending on the game). I feel that bluetooth is a nice feature for wireless multiplayer gaming, and the N-Gage game deck also supports online gaming as well. I also agree with both of you that a lot of the screen shots of the games do look fuzzy and washed out, however judging by the media that Nokia used for the games the MMC cards are suppose to bring richer colors and crisp graphics.

The Doc

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2003, 05:29:48 PM »

Just compare Super Monkey Ball jr. screenies to Super Monkey ball(ngage)

CO_Hawke · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2003, 08:50:54 PM »

N-Gage games, from what I've seen, kinda look like PS1 tittles. But to answer your question, no, I won't get one (not at launch at least) and like everyone else said, the battery life will be an issue, I don't want to have to recharge the battery every 3-5 hours. I'll just wait for the next Game Boy or buy a whole bunch of GameCube games.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2003, 07:02:17 AM »

They look no way near PS1 standards. I dono if Ngage hndles polys or sprites but it looks like it supports sprites. and the Ngage only has about 4000 colors compared to GBA's 30k+ colors.

Gup · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2003, 07:45:04 AM »

This system/phone is destined to fail. The price($300 US), the games(ports), and the size(I heard it's bigger than the original GameBoy) are just not what it should be. It does have some positive sides but nothing special.

Ms.Pikmin · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2003, 08:16:18 AM »

Doc, I think it's safe to say the general consensus around here is that the N-Gage is not a good product and is too expensive. For anyone who would use it alot as a gaming machine the battery life is a major issue as is the fact that to change the game you have to take the battery pack out first. There is a review on this website that was done by someone who got to try it out firsthand. You can read the review by clicking on "Specials" on the lefthand side on the homepage and scrolling down the page to the Nokia N-Gage review. Sorry, I don't know how to set up the link.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #9 on:** July 28, 2003, 03:55:08 PM »

I remember bloodworth posting up a thing on GBA vs ngage and it was done at E3. Just look arround the site or forums.

HiTmaN · « **Reply #10 on:** July 28, 2003, 05:17:58 PM »

Bah the N-Gage. If I wanted a cell phone that plays games I'd get a Sony Ericsson. Other wise, the GP32 is the most powerful handheld around. The N-gage and the GBA have nothin on the GP32.

AERO · « **Reply #11 on:** July 28, 2003, 06:18:17 PM »

Lord die seis I don't know much about the n-gage but I can tell you don't either so you shouldn't be telling people things who may not either....

I was curious to see what it looked like, and it has all the buttons you would need to dial a cell phone.

Cap · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2003, 07:13:59 PM »

the screen dimensions are by far my most hated aspect of the system. i would imagine a game like sonic would be horrible to play on the n-gage. i think they should have ditched all the cell phone buttons, and made the screen bigger using a screen display to dial numbers. the phone isnt supposed to be the main selling point anyways.

but for me, i hate cell phones and never listen to the radio. the system really would be of no use to me except for games, and nokia hasnt come close to offering me enough to lay down $300. i'll stick to a dedicated gaming platform like the gba.

The Doc · « **Reply #13 on:** July 29, 2003, 09:08:51 AM »

I read an N-Gage preview on the Planet GameCube site and I must say that I learned a lot more about the console and what it is going to bring to the table. First of all, everyone seems to look at the screen shots of the various games and then decide that the N-Gage will be total trash. I am willing to bet that the screen shots that everyone are looking at are more then likely games runing in emulation mode rather then finished projects. Playing a game on the N-Gage can be rather cumbersome as you need to remove the back plate and the battery to insert the game, and this will turn off a lot of people. Battery life is said to be a major issue and the N-Gage will power off to conserve battery life when it is not in use. Nokia would be wise to produce another battery that would yeild better battery life while playing games. The MMC cards must be bought from Nokia and this will allow the costs to remain low and this should attract developers and publishers. Nokia has a few months yet to work out any bugs in their N-Gage game deck and it will be interesting to see how this unit sells at launch.

The Doc

Djunknown · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2003, 08:02:00 PM »

I've mentioned this a while back, but its hard to make comparisions due to the fact that N-Gage launch games were far from complete when showed back at E3.

If Nokia is really serious about N-Gage, then they need something like what Halo did with the XboX: offer a ground breaking game at launch, and you can only get it on that system. Right now, Sonic N is not enough, and I'm not gaga over Lara Croft. Its going to need GOOD exclusives to start gaining ground.

But Nokia is doing some promotions and lots of trash talking. I believe one of their PRs said that Game Boy's for kids, a grown man looks goofy with a GBA on their hands or something to that extent. That new magazine Stuff Gamer is backed by Nokia, giving it some publicity and will do some more trash talking.

Despite its technical marvels, its gonna need some games to complement it. Microsoft is dead serious on staying in the console wars. Is Nokia serious about their Handheld endeavors? If they stay around for at least 2 full years, then maybe, just maybe I'll give them a look. But they also have a phantom opponent (Not that Phantom): The PSP. That sucker might just make N-Gage its &#!$

Bartman3010 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 04, 2003, 03:10:39 AM »

Yes, N Gage's line up is nothing but GBA and PSX ports. Barely any original work at all. Plus, why port Sonic Advance to other systems? It wasnt that much of a Sonic game itself. The only remarkable aspect is that it was a brand new Sonic game on a Nintendo system. It should've stayed that way for good. Not because its an okay game, but it was like...a landmark. Putting it on a ticking time bomb like the N Gage is suicide.

You have to admit that the bluetooth multiplayer sounds good, but I hear that its banned from airplanes. Penny-Arcade said it, not to mention they absolutely hate the idea of a handheld geared toward 'constipated skateboarders' XD But otherwise, its not a bad idea. Remember those Afterburner guys? PGC said theres a bluetooth game link perhiperal under development from the Afterburner people.

Perhaps if it had free online play, and the ability to chat with other buddies via its phone, I would be intrigued. But this is just another rushed product hoping to gain altitude.

manunited4eva22 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2003, 01:15:14 PM »

Anything in the 2.4ghz spectrum is banned, because the FAA was one of the brilliant groups that forgot how easily that spectrum is interrupted by nearly EVERYTHING wireless today.

You might be able to sneak around and play it, but it probablly wouldn't be worth it.

BlkPaladin · « **Reply #17 on:** August 11, 2003, 07:45:09 PM »

Sonic N is an entirely new game from what I have read, not a port. The batter life will kill the thing, especally when you are using blue tooth to boot.

vudu · « **Reply #18 on:** August 21, 2003, 12:41:01 PM »

anyone check out the new coverage on the n-gage over at ign? link another link
they have some movies on several of the launch games.

reading the article i linked to, it makes me wonder how much nokia shelled out to ign to have that hogwash.

the movies made me want to cry almost. super monkey ball looks pretty decent (graphics-wise) but the person controlling the game was either heavily intoxicated or the game is impossible to control (i'm guessing the second choice).

sonic didn't look much better. either the graphics sucked, or you couldn't see where you were going, depending on which resolution you were playing at.

pandemonium just looked dumb. but i've never been a fan of the game. but i was impressed by the graphics, if nothing else.

no movies for tomb raider.

vudu · « **Reply #19 on:** August 21, 2003, 12:42:50 PM »

damn, that's two double posts today. i hate that.

mattcube · « **Reply #20 on:** September 06, 2003, 09:43:55 PM »

I was reading a impression on a website some time during E3, and they said when they asked a representative for the N-Gage how long battery life would be when playing games online, he said only an hour and a half! Which is obviously very short, but I bet it probably takes like 10 minutes to connect, 10 minutes to get into a game, and 10 minutes to figure out what the other players are doing, and by then, you've got and ENTIRE HOUR to play, lol. No, I won't buy it because it reminds me of *cough, virtual boy, cough*, Even though I love my precious Virtual Boy I spent $280 for, just to have my friend by it at a pawn shop a year later for $20. Now, as for PSP, that's a different story...

Fluke Worm · « **Reply #21 on:** October 09, 2003, 01:13:38 AM »

Well the talk around the water cooler seems to be that the N-gage is a bust. I haven't really heard anything about it in its favor. It's too bad, I was kinda thinkin I was guna get one

. I need a cell but to pay 300$ for something that's not a good phone OR gamer

....
Anyway here's a N-gage bashing link.

"Nokia's N-Gage is a hopeless muddle"
LINK

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #22 on:** October 09, 2003, 07:22:24 AM »

And here's PA bashing the N-Gage...

Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap

I say the N-Gage fills up a little of that margin

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #23 on:** October 09, 2003, 02:31:45 PM »

Personally, I find the N-Gage to be utter rubbish. I wasn't excited at all while trying out the in-store unit. It was hard enough trying to play it while the unit was held up for you, I can't imagine farting around with it normally.

Not only that, but you NEED TO HAVE A SIM CARD IN THERE TO PLAY THE GAMES. That's quite simply, retarded. So if you decide you want to use another mobile, you'll have to stay on an N-Gage plan just to play your average Puzzle Bobble port (with stuffed up colour glitches).

I don't wish this thing death, I actually do wish Nokia some form of luck. They're going to bloody well need it if their launch games are any indication of what we can expect from this "MATURE 1337 GBA KILLER". -__-

Ian Sane · « **Reply #24 on:** October 09, 2003, 02:59:49 PM »

I basically decided the N-Gage wasn't worth my time when I found out that you have to remove the battery just to swap games. That sort of boneheaded idiocy shows that Nokia obviously got no feedback from gamers whatsoever when designing the system. People made fun of MS when they announced they were entering the game industry but they clearly did some research and as a result, aside from a few hiccups (ie: huge ass controller), the Xbox from a hardware viewpoint is a pretty well designed system. The N-Gage design on the other hand is a perfect example of an ignorant company designing something from the viewpoint of a different market.

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Author Topic: Official Nokia N-Gage Discussion (Read 11666 times)