N-Gage smashes sales records.

**raziel** · 19 Oct 2003, 02:05 AM

getting n-gaged is sorta like mariage. it's cool for awhile and it's expensive. after awhile, you noticed you just made the worst mistake of your life and realize that it sucks.

**Korly** · 19 Oct 2003, 10:13 AM

Dreaded Fist, is that the Latino version of Ryu in your avatar?

**Mzo** · 19 Oct 2003, 10:35 AM

I wasn't going to be the first one to comment on it, but that Ryu looks like some man/animal hybrid to me.

Furry Ryu?

**amitavc** · 19 Oct 2003, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Mzo

I wasn't going to be the first one to comment on it, but that Ryu looks like some man/animal hybrid to me.

Furry Ryu?

furryu.

**RoleTroll** · 19 Oct 2003, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by raziel

getting n-gaged is sorta like mariage. it's cool for awhile and it's expensive. after awhile, you noticed you just made the worst mistake of your life and realize that it sucks.

Aha, now it all makes sense. I had heard that when you get n-gaged, you have to fork over two months pay. I guess it's true.

**MarkRyan** · 19 Oct 2003, 04:46 PM

The n-Gage is probably the worst designed product introduced to the game market in years.

Worse than that silly 3D controller with the ball attached, for the PlayStation.

As a gaming machine, the vertical screen is positively horrible. From the reviews I've read, the consesus seems to be that the screen ruins Sonic...and I imagine the effect will be similar with any other side-scroller. Some genres may work (shooters for the better), but generally speaking it's a terrible terrible idea. For the past thirty-plus years, video gaming has been on screens that are wider than they are tall. Why the hell did Nokia ignore that? Having to remove the battery to change game cards isn't the smartest move, either.

No need to even mention the cruddy library of games.

As a cell phone, the n-Gage is just about as poorly designed as a portable game console. When I first learned that to talk on the thing you have to hold the phone's EDGE against your head I giggled. It just sounded silly. And then I considered how it'd affect actual use. About 50% of my cell phone usage is done with the phone placed between my head and my shoulder, letting my hands be free. This really isn't possible with the n-Gage, unless you somehow balance the phone and cease all movement above the waist.

Suffice to say, I don't see where the n-Gage's market is. If someone offered to trade me my Game Boy Advance SP for an n-Gage, I wouldn't even consider it. If someone offered to trade my current, $80 cell phone for the n-Gage, I might hesitate, but just because it's new hardware and that's sort of cute to me.

**Dolemite** · 19 Oct 2003, 08:52 PM

Played a demo unit in an EB yesterday. Holy shit, does this thing suck. The game was Pandemonium.

First off, the games have to LOAD?!? I never thought I'd ever see a handheald with a loading screen..well, there's the upcoming PSP...

Second, the screen was so small that I had almost no idea what was going on...if I hadn't played the PS1 original, I would have been totally lost. Also, the game would slow down every time the camera would come in clost to the character. Lower on the annoyance scale was the fact that they used the CG character art from Pandemonium 2 for some reason.

Also, I had to go through 100 menus just to be able to play the friggin' game...this thing is not well designed in any sense. I wouldn't but it for a quarter.