Smaller, sleeker and better than ever

You can't revise a game console -- any game console -- without making it smaller and sleeker.  Just look at the Nintendo Entertainment System.  When Nintendo decided to release a new version of it in the early 90s, they scrapped the old, boxy design and replaced it with something much more compact.  The new NES looked more like the baby brother of the SNES, not the parent that started it all.

Sony did the same thing with the original PlayStation.  They made the new one so small that it in fit inside of a lunchbox!  You can even attach a tiny LCD screen, a car adaptor and play the console in a motor vehicle.  It's not something you're encouraged to do while driving, but it's a nice feature nonetheless.

When it came time for Nokia to update the N-Gage, they knew what they had to do: keep everything gamers liked, scrap everything that they disliked or didn't need.  They started things off right with a new design. 

The unit feels sturdier, if not slightly heavier.  The plastic seems harder, and the buttons are more button-like.  What I mean is, I no longer feel like I'm dialing numbers when I play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.  Each button is raised higher, has a firmer feel, and is shaped more like the circular buttons you're used to having on a game console.  The D-pad has also been improved, matching the D-pads of console gaming's past.

The N-Gage QD's smaller size means that it won't take up as much space in your hands or in your pocket.  I noticed an immediate difference.  It's great for a guy like me who carries way too much stuff in his pockets.  It also means that you have more room to cram in the important N-Gage accessories (like headphones) and more games.

What the size has not affected is the game screen.  It's still just as bright and beautiful as ever.  The menu options have been redesigned, but all of the changes seem to be aesthetic-only.  The buttons still glow when you touch them, and thanks to the see-through plastic they look better than ever.

Load a Game, Any Game

The number-one complaint about the design of the first N-Gage: you had to remove the battery to load games.  It was a strange and unfamiliar way to do things.  Console gamers, especially those who have a portable unit, do not want to go through the trouble.  They want to load games as they get them and exchange 'em with ease, no ifs, ands, or butts about it.

Nokia heard gamers loud and clear, redesigning the whole battery and game load system for the N-Gage QD.  Everything works great now.  Once the battery is loaded it can stay there.  Games are now loaded through the bottom of the unit.  You insert them just as you would insert a memory card into a digital camera or an MP3 player.  A rubber cover is used to protect the area when you're not exchanging games, which goes along with the rest of the unit's improvements and follows suit with its tougher feel.

Even the SIM card loads easier.  It slides into its own personal slot, which fits right underneath the battery.  Since you don't exchange SIM cards having it underneath the battery is not at all a problem.

SIM cards are what Nokia uses in many of their new phones to activate the phone service.  This way you can save your cell phone number and get a new phone whenever you please.  In this case N-Gage users could take out their SIM card and use it with the N-Gage QD.

What if you don't have a SIM card?  The old N-Gage gave you one.  T-Mobile provided limited phone service, letting new users check out all the N-Gage Arena features.  T-Mobile no longer provides that service, so Nokia has included a "Dummy SIM" with the N-Gage QD.  You can't log into the network or make phone calls with it, but you can still play your games, and that's all that matters.  Should you choose to go online with the device (and you don't already have a SIM card), call your cell phone company for a new one.

No More Taco-Talking

Not many people used the N-Gage as a cell phone.  For one thing, it's primarily a game console.  Second, it didn't feel much like a cell phone.  Crystal clear sound, yes.  But you had to hold the phone sideways to talk into it, hence the complaints that everyone made about it feeling like you're talking into a taco.

The N-Gage QD's new design means you no longer have to hold the phone on its side.  Just pick it up like you would a regular cell phone, put it to your ear and talk.  It's as simple as that.

Pros:

• Improved design (it looks cooler)

• Smaller and sleeker, feels more comfortable to hold

• Better buttons

• No more taco-talking

Cons:

• No technological improvements

• No more MP3 player

• No more radio

Overall: 9

Why buy the regular N-Gage when you could get the N-Gage QD?  It retails for $100 less than the original N-Gage sold for at launch.  Many stores offer bundle packages that give you free games.  And some cell phone providers offer deals that lower the cost of the unit in exchange for a cell phone service agreement, something most people have or are likely to get.  The recent release of Ashen brings a great first-person shooter to the console.  Whether you have the new N-Gage QD or the original model, Ashen is definitely worth picking up.