The Future of Mobile Gaming
Title: The future of mobile gaming
Author: Charles March
Article:
Nokia recently released their long awaited N-Gage, putting it
head to head with existing devices such as Nintendo's GameBoy
Advance, a product that has sold over one hunderd million units
and has a huge stock of available games.
In contrast the N-Gage launches with a handful of games, none of
which are original, most of which are based on formats that are
several years old.
When the GameBoy was originally launched it game with a 'killer
application' - Tetris. People bought the device because they
wanted to play Tetris. When Sega launched their Mega Drive it
came with Sonic. There is no such game bundled with, or
available for, the N-Gage.
So does it have a 'Killer Application'; a reason why you and I
will buy this device over a GameBoy, or the mobile PlayStation
in development by Sony?
We see two possibilities; Firstly Nokia are counting on the fact
that users will not want to carry a phone and a games machine.
There is a lot of logic in this argument. We like playing games
on our phones and to date these have been lacking. Compared to
other mobile phones, the N-Gage is streets ahead of the
competition.
It has to be said that the designers seems to have struggled
getting a phone into a games machine (or a phone into a games
console.) Having to turn the device on it's side to make a call
is unique to say the least, but this is probably a small issue,
if you can play Tomb Raider while you are waiting for that call.
The second potential Killer App is the wireless connectivity
built into the device. The ability to compete against other
N-Gagers over Bluetooth, so avoiding paying connection charges
puts the N-Gage ahead of the competition. Other consoles have
Bluetooth add-ons in development or are being developed to
include wireless connectivity, the Zodiac being a case in point.
Nokia have the advantage of being the first into the market.
Whether this lead time will be enough to make the N-Gage a
market leader is yet to be seen. It should give developers time
to work on new games and maybe give Nokia a foot hold in the
market.
Read more about the new N-Gage at
http://www.mobile-phone-games-world.co.uk/mobile-phones/Nokia-N-G
age/3
About the author:
Copyright 2003 C March - www.mobilephonegamesworld.com
Coolboarders 2 by Chuck Bednar
Coolboarders 2
by Chuck Bednar
Sick of ESPN's X-games? Commercials promoting skateboards
and snowboards got you, well, bored? Longing for the days
when "gonzo" was just a character on The Muppet Show?
Join the crowd. Even the Playstation has been bombarded
with subpar games that attempt to re-create the extreme
feel of snowboarding down a mountain, biking a dirt track,
or hopping on a skateboard and shredding the halfpipe
(whatever that means).
The latest disc to capitalize on the growing extreme sports
craze, Coolboarders 2 allows you to choose from four
different characters, each with different abilities and
weaknessess, and a vast array of different snow boards and
you prepare to hurdle down one of a number of rock slabs at
vomit-inducing speeds. Yet another entry in a saturated
market.
But here's the funny part. Coolboarders 2 is a great game.
Really.
UEP-Systems succeeded where other developers failed. They
made the snowboarder easy to control. Actually, this game
plays more like Ridge Racer than, say, 2xtreme. You can
accelerate by grabbing the from of the board (pressing the
R1 button) and crouching (by pressing L1). The X button
allows you to jump, and if you hit the right combination of
directional buttons while airborne, you can pull off some
awesome tricks. The triangle button changes the games
viewpoint, which even allows you to see the game in first
person, if you so choose. To execute a sharp turn, press
the square button.
The graphics in this title are simply awesome. Coolboarders
2 is not hindered by the same tiny sprites as in the
aforementioned 2xtreme or like ESPN's Extreme Games.
Different levels have you zipping through a town, darting
through trees inside a forest, or gliding within a rocky
chasm. Road signs, waterfalls, and far off mountain ranges
add to a deep and gorgeous background, though odds are
you'll be moving so fast you'll hardly have time to notice
the tremendous graphics.
Even the sound is top notch. As you speed along, you can
hear the different sounds produced by thick snow (a woosh
like a heavy wind), lightly-packed snow (a light "shhhh"
sound like the air leaking from a tire or baloon), and ice
(a heavy sound which resembles that of rain during a heavy
thunderstorm). Each character has their own voice and catch
phrases, and an announcer cheers when you do something
right and taunts you if you screw up ("WHATTAYA DOING?"
seems to be a favorite of his).
Best of all, Coolboarders 2 is the type of game that never
loses its challenge or appeal. There's always the drive to
better your time, improve on your jumping technique, or
battle a comrade. There are four different types of
competition, including a Big Air competition and a timed
Halfpipe, and the game includes a save feature.
If you are a fans of racing titles like Ridge Racer or Jet
Moto, definitely give Coolboarders 2 a try. The graphics
are the best in the genre, but it's the speed that will
ultimately keep gamers hooked. Coolboarders 2 could be the
surprise hit of the year.
Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet -
http://certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREEWare
Content online.
Chuck Bednar is a full time freelance writer and sports
columnist. He currently serves as the North American Sports
Editor with the Canada Post and the NCAA Football editor
for Suite 101. Bednar writes a weekly column for e-sports!,
where he was recently voted the June Author of the Month,
as well as periodical features for InQuest, ByLine, Rockies
Golf Daily, WWWiz and others. He welcomes comments and
writing projects of all kinds -- email him at
sports@bednar.com or visit him online at
http://sports.bednar.com/
What to expect on this Blog
I will post reviews of gadgets, software, utilities, websites etc. as and when I com across them.
For a really smart site to get your cell/mobile phone ring tones and games etc. have a look at
http://www.socooltones.com/
until heated electrons communicate my next epistle....
