open_mouth_
insert_foot_
N-Gage is quietly putting together a solid (at least on paper) line-up of games to combat the DS and PSP. At least they are improving their product and not bailing out.
Discuss.
Discuss.
N-Gage: Show Some Respect!
- Thread starter open_mouth_
- Start date
ArcadeStickMonk
Member
what's the line-up?
I love my N-Gage, I just dont have the time or opportunity to use it lately - it dumps on my GBA SP from a great height, that's for sure, it was only AUS$150 and I've got like, all the latest retail games on one memory card along with some MP3s and DiVX clips.
If only they had turned the screen orientation to landscape.
If only they had turned the screen orientation to landscape.
Shogmaster
Member
NGage game library and hardware suck a big one, but their current TV commercials are cracking me up! "Get off me! GET OFF ME!! *girly sobbing sounds*
Chittagong
Gold Member
Ok. Since Project midway doesn't seem to be around, I collected some stuff that interests me.
So, some Ngage exclusive games, pics and info. Props go to n-page.de for hosting and updating a crapload of info and pics. It's almost like the Nintendojo of Ngage!
Pathway To Glory (first party)
Strategy
Online multiplayer gaming, voice comms, text comms, global military ranks
ONE (first party)
3D Fighter
Global ELO ranking (virtual replica of your fighting style), Character Creation
Pocket Kingdoms (Sega)
Strategy
Massive Multiplayer Online Game form Sega, text communication, community
RIFTS (first party)
RPG
Online multiplayer gaming, first rifts videogame ever (iirc)
Snakes (first party)
Puzzle
Rumoured to be freely distributable, global online scoreboards
So, some Ngage exclusive games, pics and info. Props go to n-page.de for hosting and updating a crapload of info and pics. It's almost like the Nintendojo of Ngage!
Pathway To Glory (first party)
Strategy
Online multiplayer gaming, voice comms, text comms, global military ranks
ONE (first party)
3D Fighter
Global ELO ranking (virtual replica of your fighting style), Character Creation
Pocket Kingdoms (Sega)
Strategy
Massive Multiplayer Online Game form Sega, text communication, community
RIFTS (first party)
RPG
Online multiplayer gaming, first rifts videogame ever (iirc)
Snakes (first party)
Puzzle
Rumoured to be freely distributable, global online scoreboards
Spazbiohaz
Member
open_mouth_ said:
I just got one free from work and...it's pretty neat. Needs some better games but the N-gage area setup is cool. Cell phone online gaming is here, just a little rough around the edges. Now to wait a month for Worms N-gage: Online; will I ever be able to stop.
A year (has it been that long?) ago I remember being unimpressed by a half assed port of Tony Hawk; a month ago I see a QD with Ashen running on it and I was actually sort of liked it (enough to play it for 10 minutes in the store anyway.) I really wished this thing had taken off in the beginning
FortNinety
Member
Chittagong said:Snakes (first party)
Puzzle
Rumoured to be freely distributable, global online scoreboards
I gotta admit, this does look sorta cool. Though I'm a fan of Rez, Internal Section, and Amplitude. But enough to buy the phone? Nope.
RIFTS looks pretty cool, in a Fire Emblem sort of way... and the snake game looks pretty nice, too... but the flaws of the hardware really destroy a lot of the potential for the system. The screen is too small, buttons are too hard to press, etc.
Mr_Furious
Member
There's two things of mine that the N-Gage will never get and that's:
1. Respect
2. Money
1. Respect
2. Money
Agreed with djtiesto. THe problem is that it tries to be both a game system and phone in the same form. They should've made it like the Communicator where the two modes of operation used different foms.
i think what they should've done is made it more of a traditional rectangle with four or so action buttons. When switched to phone mode, the action button portion would slide outward, rotating the screen 90 degrees, and revealing a keypad.
i think what they should've done is made it more of a traditional rectangle with four or so action buttons. When switched to phone mode, the action button portion would slide outward, rotating the screen 90 degrees, and revealing a keypad.
krypt0nian
Banned
After spending 30mins with it at their HUGE N-Gage truck at a Chicago street fair this summer, I cannot say I would ever use it.
Clun-ky!
Clun-ky!
jecclr2003
Banned
I agree with Mr.Furious. The Ngage is a steaming,festering pile of shit and has no right being sold anywhere.
The games are awful, the phone functionality is a joke, the cost is too high for system and games alike.
Hell Target here is STILL sitting on the launch systems. They sold a grand total of......2 since it's release.
Open_mouth you sure you're not Reirom in disguise? That fat, ignorant BRazilian is the only dumb ass I've ever seen defend this abortion.
The games are awful, the phone functionality is a joke, the cost is too high for system and games alike.
Hell Target here is STILL sitting on the launch systems. They sold a grand total of......2 since it's release.
Open_mouth you sure you're not Reirom in disguise? That fat, ignorant BRazilian is the only dumb ass I've ever seen defend this abortion.
jecclr2003 said:
You're totally clueless.
For $150 I've got a portable FM radio/Mp3/DiVX player that supports java games and lets me run multiple retails apps on one MMC card, but some non-N-Gage-owning GAF prat thinks it shouldnt be sold anywhere.
Oh, okay, quick, pull it from the shelves before somebody else accidentally buys one and enjoys the functionality it has to offer.
jecclr2003 said:
You're clearly on crack. The whole purpose of this thread was to highlight that there are some games coming out that are actually quite good. The Gamespy, IGN, and Gamespot coverage of the upcoming lineup can atest to that.
In fact, I would expect that Pathway to Glory will be a much better strategy game than anything available on GBA when it ships (that includes Advance Wars). Good gaming is good gaming, regardless of the platform. Sure the N-Gage has its limitations (which are numerous), but when it takes advantage of its unique capabilities (always with you, with the ability to network from nearly anywhere), it opens up a lot of new gameplay opportunities. In that sense, the N-Gage is capable of just as much innovative gameplay as any other mobile platform.
As for the phone functionality being a joke, you clearly have never used QD. It's a great phone for any gamer, and is the least expensive Series 60 smartphone on the planet. Cost too high? You can get it for 49 Euros with a game in some markets. If 49 Euros or $99 USD is too much money for a handheld or a cell phone, then you're either ten years old or the ultimate cheap ass gamer.
(and to say that the cost is actually higher because you have a monthly cell phone payment is nonsense, because most gamers 16 - 34 years of age would have that expense anyways)
Project Midway
Member
yeah, Pathway to Glory is totally awesome....I have playing the demo over and over again. I'm waiting for PTG, Fifa 2005 and Rifts....Rifts is supposed to have Laser Squad -like gameplay:
Project Midway
Member
Gamespot has reviewed Ghost Recon for N-Gage
http://www.gamespot.com/ngage/action/ghostreconjunglestorm/review.html
http://www.gamespot.com/ngage/action/ghostreconjunglestorm/review.html
Project Midway
Member
Its an online game... you are fighting against real people and you can chat with them. But yeah, those captions are hilarious. They are even on the official N-gage site. lol.aku:jiki said:
What's going on with the text in this game?
Either way, it rules and I want it.
Project Midway
Member
I think he meant its physical dimensions are too small. Resolution is a different thing altogether.mrklaw said:
jecclr2003
Banned
Once,again I can't believe people defend this thing..... the mind boggles. Seriously people....
Once again, people need to look beyond their 30 second experience on a demo-pod, and realise that there's a lot of non-advertised functionality, and for the price point its at its unbeatable as a tech-gadget.
Mind you, I dont know anybody who uses it for a phone, its more of an uber-gameboy where all my games fit on one MMC cart and it also has Bluetooth, WAP, GPRS and Infra-red connectivity and plays DiVX films, MP3s, FM radio etc all through the inbuilt speaker. Seriously, it's the ultimate travel entertainment kit; so haters keep hating, you're only revealing how little you know.
Edit: As an aside I'll mention that it also ships with its own stereo headset, an N-Gage to your headphones adaptor, and an N-Gage to your stereo adaptor, all of which have come in handy many times since I bought it - greedy fat-cats at Nintendo plz take note, this is how you look after people who pay good money for your product.
Mind you, I dont know anybody who uses it for a phone, its more of an uber-gameboy where all my games fit on one MMC cart and it also has Bluetooth, WAP, GPRS and Infra-red connectivity and plays DiVX films, MP3s, FM radio etc all through the inbuilt speaker. Seriously, it's the ultimate travel entertainment kit; so haters keep hating, you're only revealing how little you know.
Edit: As an aside I'll mention that it also ships with its own stereo headset, an N-Gage to your headphones adaptor, and an N-Gage to your stereo adaptor, all of which have come in handy many times since I bought it - greedy fat-cats at Nintendo plz take note, this is how you look after people who pay good money for your product.
Sure the screen is small - but all small portable devices have small screens, so I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make. Short shows like The Simpsons etc are great to watch on it.
Also, the inbuilt speaker is surprisingly loud and clear, I'm not sure if you knew that, but its perfect for listening to the radio or music in a hotel room for example. Also, you're obviously unaware that I've got 512meg of storage in my N-Gage, not 3.4 meg.
belgurdo, lol.
Also, the inbuilt speaker is surprisingly loud and clear, I'm not sure if you knew that, but its perfect for listening to the radio or music in a hotel room for example. Also, you're obviously unaware that I've got 512meg of storage in my N-Gage, not 3.4 meg.
belgurdo, lol.
The only game I have played to the end of N-gage's woefully inadequate battery life has been the Pathway to Glory demo. But to say it will be better than Advance Wars or even Fire Emblem is stretching the expectations much too far.
The inherent limitations - small screen, oriented the wrong way; bad 3d performance; lack of shoulder buttons and too many face buttons; convergence meaning it might be the jack of all trades but master of none (much happier with my iPod/GBA SP/Tungsten3 combo) - are just too much to overcome in the current generation.
I'll give Pathway, Pocket Kingdoms and Rifts the benefit of a doubt, though. Anyone notice: they are all basically 2d. 3d just doesn't work on an N-Gage, just as it does not on a GBA.
But maybe the next gen one will do better. They do have a lot of smart people working on it at Nokia.
The inherent limitations - small screen, oriented the wrong way; bad 3d performance; lack of shoulder buttons and too many face buttons; convergence meaning it might be the jack of all trades but master of none (much happier with my iPod/GBA SP/Tungsten3 combo) - are just too much to overcome in the current generation.
I'll give Pathway, Pocket Kingdoms and Rifts the benefit of a doubt, though. Anyone notice: they are all basically 2d. 3d just doesn't work on an N-Gage, just as it does not on a GBA.
But maybe the next gen one will do better. They do have a lot of smart people working on it at Nokia.
I guess we all define "perfection" in different ways
Keio said:I guess we all define "perfection" in different ways
Well when you're in a hotel room in another state on your own, bored, and with no other way of listening to music and you have an N-Gage in your bag - then it's a perfect solution.
u_neek said:
N-Gage - AUS$150 with Tony Hawk and $30 worth of pre-paid phone credit
512 MB MMC card - AUS$110
xe.com Universal Currency Converter ® Results
Live mid-market rates as of 2004.10.06 13:16:11 GMT.
260.00 AUD = 187.569 USD
I thought Xbox haters were clueless, but you N-Gage haters really take it to the next level.
The people extolling the massive functionality of the Ngage are ignoring the fact that the Ngage doesn't perform any of its functions particularly well. As a handheld game machine, the controls are poor and the library is extremely limited; as a phone, the shape is inferior; as an MP3 player, it is limited by capacity; as a portable movie player, the screen lives much to be desired, etc.
If you absolutely need all of these devices but don't have the money to pay for them, the Ngage is good enough for you, I suppose. But I suspect for most people, the hassle and cost of carrying around multiple gadgets that excel at the one primary function they were designed for outweighs the relative convenience of carrying around one substandard piece of hardware that tries to cram all of them into one place.
If you absolutely need all of these devices but don't have the money to pay for them, the Ngage is good enough for you, I suppose. But I suspect for most people, the hassle and cost of carrying around multiple gadgets that excel at the one primary function they were designed for outweighs the relative convenience of carrying around one substandard piece of hardware that tries to cram all of them into one place.
evilromero
Member
I went into Gamespot yesterday and gave the N-Gage a try. But I couldn't figure out how to get out of the pause screen and into the game so I gave up and walked away. I pushed everyone of its 50 buttons but it would just take me somewhere else. Nothing seemed to work.
Coz I'm bored and cant get to sleep, sorry for the formatting, this is in reply to humans post.
>>As a handheld game machine, the controls are poor
The controls are fine for me, I have the original N-Gage, not the QD and imo the buttons are all easy to press and I never accidentally move in the wrong direction or anything. Dont forget all new controllers feel strange until you use them for a while and then you usually get used to them, so if you're basing that comment off a short demo-pod play then I can understand why you'd think that.
>>The library is extremely limited
Not withstanding that you can only play one at a time, I've got a truckload of N-Gage games on mine. It also supports series 60 java games and even has emulators for the Megadrive and SNES etc.
>> as a phone, the shape is inferior;
Granted. I did mention I dont use it as a phone, but the times I did I used my BT handsfree and didnt even need to take the N-Gage out of my bag.
>> as an MP3 player, it is limited by capacity;
512 meg, more than most flash based players and easily enough for 7 or 8 albums, thats enough for me.
>> as a portable movie player, the screen lives much to be desired, etc.
Sure, thats also granted, but dont forget its limited by the size of the device as well - for the record I've never had a problem seeing the screen, even all the small detail in something The Sims is always clear and easy to see.
>>As a handheld game machine, the controls are poor
The controls are fine for me, I have the original N-Gage, not the QD and imo the buttons are all easy to press and I never accidentally move in the wrong direction or anything. Dont forget all new controllers feel strange until you use them for a while and then you usually get used to them, so if you're basing that comment off a short demo-pod play then I can understand why you'd think that.
>>The library is extremely limited
Not withstanding that you can only play one at a time, I've got a truckload of N-Gage games on mine. It also supports series 60 java games and even has emulators for the Megadrive and SNES etc.
>> as a phone, the shape is inferior;
Granted. I did mention I dont use it as a phone, but the times I did I used my BT handsfree and didnt even need to take the N-Gage out of my bag.
>> as an MP3 player, it is limited by capacity;
512 meg, more than most flash based players and easily enough for 7 or 8 albums, thats enough for me.
>> as a portable movie player, the screen lives much to be desired, etc.
Sure, thats also granted, but dont forget its limited by the size of the device as well - for the record I've never had a problem seeing the screen, even all the small detail in something The Sims is always clear and easy to see.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
The main reason why I just can't bring myself to buy an iPod. As good as it is for it's music playing capability, I find that it's ultimately limited by it's functionality/size ratio for me to cary around, considering that I have to bring a cellphone and a Pocket PC as well. In a nutshell, PPC is smaller, does SO much more, and plays music, the only limitation being the amount of music I can put on it. Sorry iPod, and other music players, but you are too focused for your own good.
I seriously believe that convergence devices are the way to go, as far as far as handhelds are concerned, as long as they don't mix unnecessary ingredients into the design. Modern cellphones are perhaps the best example of this. They have everything and a bag of chips in them, and people love that. As their MP3 playing capabilities improve (and they will, they already do), I don't see too many people choosing anything else for music playback. Cellphones will always be bound by their small screen and key setup though, so dedicated entertainment devices will have their purpose, at least for the foreseeable future.
Maybe, but 3D on nGage still looks a hell of a lot better than 3D looks on GBA. I think it's the clumsy controls, and game design that cripple it more than anything.
Also, what about emulators on nGage? Isn't there a Genesis emulator already available for it? I know there are NES and Master System emulators.
I'm glad you don't find them too difficult to navigate, but the majority of opinions I've heard state the opposite for both models of the Ngage.Fusebox said:
I'm only talking about official Ngage games, of which there are very few out now and very few slated for release, especially when compared to a traditional handheld like the GBA. Emulators don't count because they're technically illegal.
As with the controls, it may be good enough for you, but when compared to dedicated MP3 players such as the iPod (which was the point of my original post), it just doesn't measure up.
As I said, the Ngage may be good for some people who don't mind its deficiencies, and I'm happy you're satisfied with it. In comparison to dedicated devices, though, it falls extremely short.
That's not really an Ngage-specific problem, incidentally -- most convergence devices suffer from this. It comes with the territory, I guess.
gunstarhero
Member
Um...no.
BUT - they do have some awesome commercials running -
JUMP! JUMP! JUUUMP!