Colin McRae Rally 2005

Earth is a strange place. Three years ago I never would have imagined that I'd be playing GameCube more than Xbox. Last year I couldn't imagine playing any portable console more than the Nintendo DS. But here we are, February '05, and which portable device is stuck in my hands? Which device is getting the best games? Surprise, surprise: N-Gage.

With a slight bit of hesitance, I picked up the box for Colin McRae Rally 2005. Theoretically racing games can be fun on the small screen, but have they ever really been? Mario Kart is great on the GBA, but it's two-dimensional. How can that compare to the experience of a home console?

Amazingly, that's the experience this game shoots for, that of a home console game. It does it incredibly well, with unprecedented physics, great controls, killer track design, and graphics that will make you say, "This is N-Gage!?"

Yep, we're stunned too.

Playing close to other versions available, Colin McRae Rally 2005 is the game you know and love, minus a few things we can live without. Although I always prefer to play racing games (or any game for that matter) with an analog stick, the lack of one here was not as big a detriment as it has been with other games. It's clear that the developers knew exactly what they were doing, making sure that all of the subtle nuances of a racing simulator were left intact.

That's one of the most amazing things about this game. You'll experience real videogame physics - physics that are based on those that exist in the real world. Translation: the vehicle's traction depends on the tires and the surface you're driving on. Even a good dirt road can become an ugly mess when your car starts spinning because you didn't judge the turn properly. Colin McRae Rally 2005 is pure simulation racing. Player-friendly physics are definitely there (the fact that I'm able to drive without crashing is proof of that). But the controls, course layout, vehicle details, et cetera, were made for a simulator.

The 16 vehicle designs are solid, to say the least. Colin McRae fans will recognize manufacturers like Peugeot, Citroen, and Renault. Audi, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volkswagen came along for the ride as well. Each one has the usual list of strengths and weaknesses, varying in speed, horsepower, driving ability (steering, turning radius), etc.

Game modes include Championship, Multiplayer, Single Rally, Single Stage and Time Trial. Multiplayer is set up for two players via the N-Gage's built-in Bluetooth capabilities. Although the N-Gage Arena can be accessed through the game, it's not for true multiplayer gaming - just ghost races versus those who have raced before you. It's more or less a global version of the Time Trial mode.

Disappointing, but not game damaging. Colin McRae Rally 2005's single-player features, most notably the deep Championship mode, will satisfy everyone. That's right, everyone. Don't let your friends play the game, because if they don't have an N-Gage they'll never want to give yours back.

The graphics are unbelievable. Not unbelievable in the sense that it's something we've never seen before - unbelievable because it didn't seem possible on such a tiny screen. From dirt roads to snowy winter wonderlands, Colin McRae Rally 2005 is an instant eye-popping racer. Not even the launch titles for the Nintendo DS's can compare to Colin McRae's visual prowess. The tracks aren't littered with cars like they should be, but that's not how rally racing works. Competition is there, but it's in the form of a depleting clock.

You can't deny how much detail has been put into the vehicles and environments. You can actually see what's in front of you! The graphics tend to pull in the background as you race along the track - that wasn't an unexpected hitch considering how common a trait this was on the PSone.

No question, no pondering, no doubt. Colin McRae Rally 2005 is THE best N-Gage racing game. Forget the rest exist - they're just half-baked ports. Colin McRae Rally 2005 is a true console-to-N-Gage port with all the goodness of the other versions baked right in.

Gameplay: 8.5
"Fast" and "intense" are not two words you'd use to describe the N-Gage, at least not at launch. But they are two words I'm using to describe the system's best racer, Colin McRae Rally 2005.

Adored for its simulation gameplay, the Colin McRae series has sold millions of copies worldwide. Against all odds the key components of this successful series – driving physics (the way the cars handle), general physics (the way they interact with the environments), course and vehicle design – have not been lost in the conversion.

Fans of the series will love the 64 tracks. The vehicle list has been limited to 16, but that's plenty for most racing games. Tracks are most important, especially for a series whose developers work day and night to create ones that are fun to race. They've accomplished that here, and they've done it without sacrificing too many of the real-world mechanics.

Graphics: 8.0
Graphics are always improving, so I can't go too high. Really though, Colin McRae Rally 2005 is practically a 9. Just watch someone else play it for a few minutes. You really won't believe your eyes.

Sound: 7.0

Difficulty: Medium
This N-Gage port is no pushover. Don't expect to be a master of it in a day.

Concept: 6.5
Can't give a game too much praise for being a port. However, you can give plenty of kudos to the developers who made this game play so smoothly. It must've been a tester's nightmare. I know it's "just a port," but this is not familiar architecture. Most developers are used to working with Xbox and PS2 by now, but not everyone's designed games for the N-Gage. And even if you had, it's still not an easy undertaking.

Multiplayer: 6.5
Fun for two-players standing nearby, nonexistent for everyone else. The N-Gage Arena ghost races get old just as they did with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and countless other N-Gage games.

Overall: 8.2
The world hasn't seen a mobile racer this good before and it probably won't see another until the PSP is released. Why wait two months for something that might not even occur when you could be engrossed in a great game right now? You've already got an N-Gage. Whether it's sitting in your closet, buried under your desk, or collecting dust under the bed doesn't matter. All that matters is that you spent a fortune for a mobile game device that didn't have nearly enough reasons to justify its hefty price tag. With games like Colin McRae Rally 2005 in stores now, N-Gage is finally justified.