Crash Nitro Kart (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
Released: 2004

Crash Nitro Kart is a racing game that was also released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

+ Similar to Diddy Kong Racing (1997, N64), there's an immersive Adventure mode, along with side challenges and multiplayer.

+ Decent course design, timing-based powerslide mechanic is rewarding, and some of the non-racing collecting tasks are fun.

- Camera is excessively zoomed in, which doesn't allow you to see fellow opponents and item boxes with any degree of certainty.

- Likewise, the portrait screen limits visibility, making it alarmingly difficult to see upcoming turns and actually stay on the track.

- Has an enormous amount of over-steer when trying to turn corners, which leaves you disorientated and scrambling to correct.

- Drifting doesn't feel as natural as on the GBA due to the lack of shoulder buttons, and using multiple face buttons is convoluted.

- There's nothing here that advances the kart racing genre, and the Arcade cup mode only allows for singular laps.

Glimmerati (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Bugbear Entertainment
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2005

Glimmerati is a racing game that's exclusive to the Nokia N-Gage.

+ Solid racing, good frame-rate, and the amazing track design tests your skills in nighttime Paris streets and narrow lanes in The Alps.

+ Usually has multiple missions open at once, and the branching paths provide impetus to replay the Story mode to see everything.

+ Challenges are a neat incentive to take on bite-sized races, as you can unlock faster cars that will benefit you in the championship.

+ Has a few non-racing objectives, such as timed quests and a fun mission involving launching over a draw bridge to start a TV show!

+ Includes an enormous amount of voice clips, and the gorgeous graphics have impressive lighting effects and detailed scenery.

- Doesn't always give enough notice of upcoming turns, the voice acting is atrocious, and the in-game characters lack personality.

- Brutally hard finale strips away your unlockable cars in favour of a rickety speedboat that's infuriatingly tough to control.

NCAA Football 2004 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Exient Entertainment
Publisher: Jack Of All Games, Electronic Arts
Released: 2003

NCAA Football 2004 is a sports game that was also released on the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003.

+ Boasts a deep playbook, along with over 100 Division 1 schools, head-to-head multiplayer, and adjustable depth charts.

+ Running game is excellent with competent blocking from teammates, and the intuitive kicking game resembles early Madden titles.

- Passing game is an abomination, as it's tough to see players when the screen zooms out and receivers don't always try to catch.

- Portrait screen means those who enjoy controlling wide receivers or defensive backs are out of luck due to the limited field view.

- CPU takes control of your player if the d-pad is left untouched, and the game doesn't remember your preferred defender after each snap.

- Graphics are super ugly with pixelated sprites and broken player animations that are clearly missing multiple frames.

- Info regarding injuries only appears for a split-second, teammates take forever to get to the line, and there's no post-game stats.

FIFA Football 2005 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Electronic Arts Canada, Exient Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 2004

FIFA Football 2005 is a sports game and the follow-up to FIFA Football 2004 (2003, Nokia N-Gage).

+ Has an impressive wealth of content (including a fun Challenge mode) and there's 5,000 more player licenses than the previous game.

+ Prestige Points are an inspired and addictive idea to encourage better play and team management in order to advance your career.

+ Addition of a through ball and 1-2 passes are meaningful improvements that open up the attack game and keep opponents guessing.

+ While still not perfect, teammate A.I. is more refined and they actually make a competent effort to mark rival players on and off the ball.

+ Slicker presentation all around, as you can choose camera angles, save replays, and there's more licensed music tracks in menus.

- Action is noticeably choppier than the 2004 edition, and teammates occasionally stand motionless next to a free ball.

- Radar is still too small for locating teammates, and simulating games is more cumbersome due to extra menu clicks.

FIFA Football 2004 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Electronic Arts Canada, Exient Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 2003

FIFA Football 2004 is a sports game that was also released on the Game Boy Advance (2003).

+ Includes an enormous amount of competitions, teams and player licenses, and there's even a Bluetooth multiplayer mode.

+ Gameplay is much faster and more fluid than Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer (2004, Nokia N-Gage), with no player animation lag.

+ Action is easy to pick-up-and-play, button placement is well implemented, and the game engine is terrifically optimised.

+ Plenty of customisation options for managing your team, such as in-game statistics, performance charts and key players.

+ Has better presentation than Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer, including replays after goals and highlights at the end of each match.

- Teammates prefer to stand around, so you'll constantly have to switch over to control them when the ball approaches.

- No commentary during matches, and the tiny on-screen radar makes finding neighbouring teammates a guessing game.

N-Gage Freestyle (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: StormBASIC Games
Publisher: Nokia, Technobubble Entertainment
Released: 2005

N-Gage Freestyle is an extreme sports game that's exclusive to the handheld.

+ Method of unlocking jumps is clever, as some require you to reach certain criteria (e.g. beat three stages in order without failing).

+ Tricks are well animated, load times are fast, and there is mild enjoyment from finally nailing a problematic jump.

- Your sole interactivity takes place on static ground (prior to moving), yet mid-air adjustments would have been more engaging.

- Game engine isn't up to the task, as it often skips frames or stutters while you're trying to input precise button commands.

- Diagonals don't always register correctly and it's the main reason you'll fail stages despite seemingly inputting the right prompt.

- Shockingly low on content, as there's only 15 jumps available in the entire game, with each lasting mere seconds.

- Despite being a score-based title, there's no option to play against a friend or versus the CPU in competitions.

Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: G Artist
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2004

Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer is a sports game that was also released on the Sony PlayStation (2002) and Sony PlayStation 2 (2002).

+ Good range of modes on offer, along with lots of tactical formations and a decent selection of club / international teams.

+ Coaching aspect of managing team fitness levels during matches is fun, and your progress is saved in cups and leagues.

+ SFX do an excellent job of creating a raucous atmosphere, and there's some humorous animations when you score a goal.

- Sprites are incredibly tiny and the minuscule map of your teammates is all but useless for locating their whereabouts on the pitch.

- Suffers from the occasional animation delay whereby button inputs will eventually register a few seconds after being pressed.

- A.I. is dumb, as your teammates rarely put in the effort to tackle and opponents sometimes dribble the ball out of bounds.

- Presentation lacks flair and excitement, and the game doesn't even have the decency to show you replays of your goals.

Operation Shadow (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Torus Games
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2004

Operation Shadow is a third-person action game that's exclusive to the Nokia N-Gage.

+ Objectives are varied and there's a nice range of vehicles (including helicopters and jeeps) to compliment the on-foot action.

+ First two missions are enjoyable, especially for fans of the Contra series, and the game saves your high score after each one.

- However, the difficulty then skyrockets to an absurd degree with swarms of tanks that can instantly kill you from off-screen.

- Vehicles are severely under-powered and ammo is too scarce to make them a valuable tool in your combat arsenal.

- It's impossible to get close enough to most targets without first taking damage, meaning skill-based play is thwarted.

- Mission objectives sound simple, but they typically have a confusing nuance that's only decipherable through trial-and-error.

- Narrow draw distance, low polygon count and extreme pop-in magnify the game's woefully unpolished feel.

Colin McRae Rally 2005 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Ideaworks3D
Publisher: Codemasters
Released: 2004

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is a racing game that was released on numerous systems including the Sony PlayStation Portable (2005).

+ Lots to keep you occupied in solo and multiplayer modes, with a whopping 64 courses split across eight different countries.

+ Difficulty caters well to both newcomers and experts, and the amazing course design mixes in wide turns with narrow, twisting roads.

+ Optionally, those who enjoy customising their car will find plenty of options to tinker based on factors such as weather / road surface.

+ Limited repair times at midway intervals force you to strategise on the most important adjustments for the second leg of the race.

+ Detailed graphics, excellent draw distance, and your co-driver gives you ample notice to prepare for upcoming turns.

+ Smooth performance and the seriously impressive frame-rate wipes the floor with Sega Rally Championship (2004, Nokia N-Gage).

- Controls can be tricky to become accustomed to, and for a while it can feel like you're trying to wrestle the car into staying on track.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2005

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a stealth game that was also released on the Nintendo DS in 2005.

+ Contains ten sizeable missions with intricate layouts, and the gameplay has a great mix of pure stealth and weapons-based scenarios.

+ Scouring the environments for paths to avoid detection is captivating and there's typically multiple ways to tackle situations.

+ Each area feels like a mini-puzzle and there's many awesome gadgets to assist, such as the Optic Cable that lets you peak under doors.

+ Dramatic music evokes a tense atmosphere, and your need to remain in the shadows makes light an unrelenting source of fear.

+ Load times are super impressive and the game has many checkpoints to alleviate any frustration from failed mission attempts.

- Frame-rate isn't the best, which creates the knock-on effect of a jittery reticle when trying to precisely line up a shot.

- Complex controls take a while to adjust to, and the dreadful microphone hunt in the Hokkaido mission is busywork at its worst.

Space Impact Evolution X (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2003

Space Impact Evolution X is a vertically-scrolling shooter that was available as a console pack-in on the included CD-ROM.

+ Action is perfectly suited to the handheld's portrait screen, and the game has a good range of locales and multiple continues on offer.

+ Features detailed sprite work (particularly on the bosses and orb enemies), and some areas have awesome background layering.

- Takes a long time for the action to heat up due to predictable enemy patterns and your ability to safely blast their own shots.

- Difficulty options are entirely absent, so unless you want to try and beat your high score there's little reason for repeated play.

- Manages to suck the fun out of powering-up, as collected items are only available to use for a few precious seconds.

- Collision detection is awfully sketchy and you'll likely lose many lives despite clearly being a few pixels away from a projectile.

- Seriously lacking in atmosphere, as the gameplay doesn't include a note of music and the SFX often randomly stop playing.

Rayman 3 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2003

Rayman 3 is a platformer that was also released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

+ Exploring each level to obtain all the lums and caged creatures is extremely addictive thanks to well-designed stage layouts. 

+ Mixes in various challenge types to spice things up, such as vertical platforming and hitting switches to unlock gates.

+ Slowly introduces new power-ups to aid progression, and does an admirable job of explaining the fundamentals in-game.

+ Often has a rhythmic, parkour style quality, such as in Boulder Brink where fast reactions are required to avoid crumbling platforms.

- Despite the levels needing precision, the game engine frequently has a stuttering issue that results in button presses being ignored.

- Dreadful checkpoint spacing and stingy life counters make for rage-inducing platforming that relies on trial-and-error.

- Minimal horizontal vision does hurt the gameplay, as you can't always see hard-to-reach platforms or enemy projectiles.

Asphalt: Urban GT 2 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: 2005

Asphalt: Urban GT 2 is a racing game and the follow-up to the 2004 Nokia N-Gage original.

+ Gigantic range of races and vehicle upgrades, and the Championships mix in different challenge types to test your driving skills.

+ Winning races and driving recklessly results in dopamine-style rewards that hook you into the game's awesome progression system.

+ Breathtaking speed and the addition of nitrous top-ups on the road means you'll need to take some gambles to stay ahead.

+ Inclusion of police chases gives the action an exhilarating edge that's reminiscent of Road Rash (1991, Sega Genesis).

+ Amazing course design and the graphics are a real showpiece with an enormous amount of detail and scenic variety.

- Can be tough to spot upcoming turns due to the game's low resolution, and the frame-rate tanks in higher speed classes.

- Swooping camera when riding a bike can be disorientating, and the random screens featuring The Pussycat Dolls feel tacked-on.

Barakel: The Fallen Angel (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: StormBASIC Games
Publisher: Nokia, Technobubble Entertainment
Released: 2004

Barakel: The Fallen Angel is a hack and slash game that was only released in Portugal and Spain.

+ Supports local multiplayer and a nice feature is how friends can share objects, gold and potions to keep inventories stocked.

+ Does a very good job of signposting you to your next objective, both with in-game arrows and via menu reminders.

- Has severe glitches, including a consistent game-breaking crash shortly after the third boss due to a memory overflow issue.

- Saving your game costs too much currency and the risk of losing tons of progress makes farming a boringly stressful necessity.

- Despite enemies typically swarming in groups, your attacks can only hit one at a time, leaving the other foe to freely drain your life bar.

- Limited field-of-view can make it hard to see the exact location of NPCs, as well as the placement of switches in dungeon areas.

- Features an egregious amount of typos from the outset, which does ruin the immersion and gives the game an unpolished feel.

SSX Out of Bounds (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Exient Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 2005

SSX Out of Bounds is a snowboarding game that was also released on the Gizmondo in 2005.

+ Courses encourage you to explore, as there's a ton of different routes to the finish line that will take you off the beaten path.

+ Catching big air and successfully executing huge trick combos is intoxicating, particularly when linked with rail grinds.

+ Plenty of modes to sink your teeth into and the different event types force you to adapt to new ways of playing in order to advance.

- Rough frame-rate, making it hard to see upcoming turns and resulting in a lack of precision when attempting to navigate.

- Contains numerous bugs and clipping issues, which either cause you to inexplicably bail or push you into an out-of-bounds area.

- Controls are very unpredictable and there's many times where your button presses are randomly ignored by your character.

- Lengthy load times and elongated courses don't really lend themselves to the handheld's pick-up-and-play nature.

Flo-Boarding (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Housemarque
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2003

Flo-Boarding is a sports game and a cut-down port of Supreme Snowboarding (1999, Microsoft Windows).

+ Courses are very well designed and allow you to play to your own style whether it's with air-based tricks, or rail grinds.

+ Fast-paced action that gets more exhilarating as you learn the course layouts and figure out the optimal path to the finish line.

+ Includes many shortcuts if you're brave enough to wander off the beaten path, with the reward being huge time savings.

+ The need to consistently execute tricks to top-up your boost metre means you can never play it safe, which keeps suspense high.

- With only five courses on offer, the game is light on content with no real reason to stick around once you've beaten them.

- Can initially be tough to spot upcoming bends due to limited camera visibility, so course memorisation is an absolute must.

- For such a simplistic game, there's an unnecessary amount of grab tricks that make convoluted use of the numbered keypad.

Atari Masterpieces Vol. 2 (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Atari Interactive
Released: 2006

Atari Masterpieces Vol. 2 is a compilation of Arcade games and the follow-up to Atari Masterpieces Vol. I (2005, Nokia N-Gage).

+ Plenty of options to customise the controls and game settings, and features a video interview with Nolan Bushnell for historical context. 

+ Centipede plays surprisingly well and the fast-paced gameplay is entertaining with little in the way of compromise for the smaller screen.

+ Includes an excellent port of Tempest with awesome rapid-fire abilities and various playfield shapes to spice things up.

- Crystal Castles features an incredibly zoomed-out camera that makes it tough to accurately collect gems and turn corners with finesse.

- Liberator is barely functional, as it's almost impossible to see the minuscule enemies against the coloured backdrop.

- Pong and Warlords don't benefit from the transition to d-pad movement, as without a paddle, precision manoeuvres just aren't possible.

- Likewise, Asteroids Deluxe and Space Duel struggle with micro-control adjustments, and you'll often miss enemies right in front of you.

Snakes (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: IOMO
Publisher: Nokia
Released: 2005

Snakes is an action game and an updated version of Snake (1998) that came preloaded on Nokia mobile phones.

+ Bite-sized levels are perfect for handheld play and your progress is automatically saved so you can continue at a later date.

+ Does a terrific job of gradually introducing new mechanics and items to spice things up and stop repetition from creeping in.

+ Hexagon grids add a new wrinkle, as they require you to retrain your brain and make sure to account for extra d-pad presses to turn.

+ Strikes a perfect balance of being hypnotically relaxing (especially with its ambient music), while also pushing you to beat the clock.

+ Multiple camera angles to choose from (including a cool overhead view) and the Bluetooth multiplayer mode ensures longevity.

- Slight, but noticeable delay between pressing a direction and your snake performing that action, which can cause unwanted collisions.

- Frame-rate occasionally stutters, and the levels can feel very rigid in the way you're expected to beat them.

Sega Rally Championship (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Hitmaker
Publisher: Sega
Released: 2004

Sega Rally Championship is a racing game that was only released in Australia.

+ More scenic variety and courses compared to the original game (1995, Arcade), as well as an increase in the number of cars.

+ Shows you the road surface conditions prior to each race and provides you with an option to fine-tune your vehicle accordingly.

- Frame-rate is low and trying to make precise movements with your car is nigh-on impossible as it's overly-sensitive and jittery.

- Cars don't feel like they're connected to the road and slide around corners in an unrealistic fashion, while missing lots of animation frames.

- No real penalty for crashing into side barriers, and although your speedometer decreases, rival cars up ahead will rarely pull away.

- Gameplay is severely lacking in speed and when you're in the middle of a race you'll notice little variance between 60 mph and 110 mph.

- While most stages look semi-decent, the Sandstorm course resembles a developer test area, as it's incredibly barren and unpolished.

Stunt Car Extreme (Nokia N-Gage review)

Developer: Fathammer, QueenMeka
Publisher: Fathammer, QueenMeka
Released: 2005

Stunt Car Extreme is a racing game that was also released on the Gizmondo (2005) and Tapwave Zodiac (2003).

+ Track design is generally good and each includes multiple routes which is ideal for determining the most efficient lap times.

+ Unlocking new events and cars is gratifying, and your fellow racers have some personality that enhances the competition.

+ It's exhilarating to boost wildly and successfully pip the opponent to the finish line as you teeter on the edge of control.

- Frame-rate is choppy though which results in over/under-steering when cornering or attempting to line up for a ramp jump.

- Compared to other handheld versions, the portrait N-Gage screen makes it difficult to see items and hazards in your car's vicinity.

- Text overlay after a stunt obscures your already limited vision, and the game doesn't remember your chosen camera angle for each race.

- Graphics are average, with low quality textures and a severe amount of pop-in that can affect your racing lines.