Having Cake and Eating It Too

by Louis Bedigian

You've seen the games.  You've seen the unit.  You know it's a cellular phone, but do you know what else the N-Gage can do?  GameZone investigates.

N-Gage Arena

Some of N-Gage's launch titles are being promoted as having innovative N-Gage Arena content.  You've probably heard by now that gamers can have the fun of multiplayer combat with Bluetooth.  Take at least two N-Gage game decks, grab two copies of the same game and go nuts!

What you probably haven't heard is that there's another way to compete with gamers, this time from around the country.  (And possibly from around the world, depending on the game.)  By logging into a game's N-Gage Arena server, you can view movies of game strategies, get tips on how to succeed, or best of all, engage in a shadow race.

"A shadow what?"

A shadow race.  It's more addictive than you'll ever believe.  Now that the N-Gage has been released you won't be able to log in without seeing at least 10 gamers who are anxious for you to challenge their score and lose.  The score starts at 100 in Tony Hawk and in Pandemonium, so it's safe to say that's the N-Gage Arena standard.  You can gain or lose points by winning or losing a race.

The reason for the title is because you truly are racing a shadow.  The guy you're racing exists -- he was really there, trying his best to succeed.  But now his race is done and all that's left is his statistic (his time limit).  You can race that statistic, and when you do it appears on-screen as a shadow.

There's no danger in losing your high score.  When you log out, your content goes with it.  However, other players are entitled to continue playing as much as they want . So you may leave at 8th place and return at 15.

Talk the Talk

Outside of being a great game machine, the N-Gage functions as a cellular phone.  "Big deal, I've already got one of those," you say.  That's probably true.  Most people already have a cell phone, so why would you need another?  It's not so much a need to have another phone as it is a need to replace your old one.

The sound quality is excellent.  I've used a lot of cell phones from a lot of different service providers, and the N-Gage sounds just as good, if not better than the best phone I've used.  N-Gage includes a speaker phone for hands-free talking.  It's also a good way to include more than one person in a conversation.  Amazingly, the sound is much clearer than the speaker phone I purchased earlier this year.  My phone was supposed to be dedicated to amplifying the sound of me and my caller, but the results were a bit disappointing.  On the other hand, N-Gage is so clear that you could have a conference call with it!

Looking at the N-Gage pictures, you may be concerned with how it feels in your hands.  The shape is weird, there's no denying that.  The phone speaker is located above the keypad.  Because of this, you have to hold the phone sideways to talk.  Many have referred it to as "talking into a taco," but I like to think of it as talking into a grenade.  In fact, if held like a grenade (fingers, not finger tips, wrapped firmly around the phone), the N-Gage is a lot more comfortable to use.

The dialing interface is easy to use, and N-Gage automatically keeps track of things like incoming calls, outgoing calls, and missed calls.  As with any cell phone you can save numbers for quick one-button dialing.

For those of you who like to keep track of how much rambling has been going on, the N-Gage allows you to check exactly how many minutes have been used.  You can also check to see how many bytes have been used while using the Real One Player or any other Internet feature.

Real One Player

Do you like real content?  Do you like to see real people on a game machine?  Do you still wonder why Real Networks never came through for PlayStation 2?  If you answered yes to any of those, then you'll want to check out the Real One Player developed for N-Gage.  Only specific content is available for N-Gage (the same goes for any mobile device that uses Real Networks software), but what's there is pretty cool.  You can check out some music from artists like Michelle Branch, or watch a few of the latest movie trailers, including Cat in the Hat.

You can also use N-Gage to surf other mobile sites.  Ironically, you can find out more about those through the standard World Wide Web.

Radio/MP3

You won't buy an N-Gage to listen to the radio.  Nor will you buy one to play MP3s.  But if you've already got one, or plan to buy one for its desirable game content, you'll be pleased by these musical offerings.  The MP3 player requires a separate memory card, but the radio is built in.  To activate it, all you have to do is plug in the included headset.

APDA

Almost a PDA.  PDA stands for "Personal Digital Assistant."  The N-Gage isn't a PDA and it doesn't try to be one.  However, it does have some usefull features that will help you stay a little more organized: 

• Contact List

Keep track of your friends, colleagues, and family members with this handy folder that stores e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers and more. 

• Calendar

Got a date that you just can't miss?  N-Gage includes a basic calendar to help you remember.  Enter memo, meeting or anniversary data to keep your brain from going blank). 

• Notes

STILL having trouble remember?  Type yourself a message and leave it here. 

• Alarm Clock

If all else fails, hopefully this alarm will remind you of your important meeting with the President of the United States.  Or at least help you get to class on time. 

•  Calculator

Impressive lineup, isn't it?  Come back tomorrow for the grand finale to our N-Gage Blowout.