Free N-Gage Game Inside Official Playstation Mag (UK Only)

Just like Last months (Decembers Issue) of the Official Xbox 360 magainze, in this months (or quite possibly last months) Official Playstation Magazine another “N-GAGE CD” with a FREE Activation code is inside.

The Design of the CD is exactly the same as the one that came with the Xbox 360 Magazine, except, as you can see, it has “Star Wars” images all over it and looks “playstation styled” with the black casing.

As you can see on the image above the games that can be chosen are the same as on the previous disc, You can only choose from a selection of 7 different games and as always you can try a game before activating it. The games you can choose from are:

* Asphalt 3: Street Rules
* Creatures Of The Deep
* Dirk Dagger & The Fallen Idol
* Pro Series Golf
* ONE
* Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
* Tetris

The Magazine itself costs £5.99, same price as the Xbox 360 Magazine, and the some of these games, to buy on their own, cost £6 or £8, so your saving a maxium £2.01 and getting a mazgazine to read, aswell as a Blu-Ray disc filled with Playstation 3 Demos & High Definition Videos - So its all good if you’ve got a Playstation 3 and wanting a new N-Gage Game!

Id Recomend checking the magazine (to see if the N-Gage Disc is inside) as im not 100% sure which issue it was in, however if it is in this issue then id recomend getting it for a Free N-Gage Game!

New N-Gage Games To Be Released Soon

January may nearly be over however we can expect to see one more N-Gage title released this month, and sources say its going to be "Digital Chocolates: Cafe Sudoku", However if your not a puzzle you should wait and see whats coming out in february, as 3 more n-gage game pages have gone up on the n-gage arena this mourning, 1 of which will definately be coming out in february - but we will have to see which game it is.

The game pages that have gone up on the n-gage website are:

* Prince Of Persia
* Monopoly: The World Edition
* Real Football 2009

Real Football 2009 and Prince Of Persia are looking like pritty sweet games, so id keep my eye on thoose if i were you, of course more games will be coming out in february im just not sure which ones.

N-Gage: Portable Or Home Entertainment

Ever since i got my N96 2 weeks ago i have been putting my games back onto the deivce and re-activating them (with a little help from N-Gage Arena Moderators) - but while i was waiting for them to work they’re magic in the background i decided to play around with the TV-OUT Option on the N96 itself.

I know the previous model, the N95 and the N95 8GB had TV OUT Options, however the N96 TV OUT Option seems to function alot better, espically with the widescreen option, as it seems to fill out the entire screen without giving you as much pixel distortion, espically on N-Gage Games.

Now this is where N-Gage can evolve, at the moment most of us think N-Gage Gaming as portable and on the move, which is in fact true, however if you wanted to experience a more “home entertainment” style of gaming you can easily connect your N96 (N95 or N85) to your TV and play games like you would on an Xbox, except with different graphics and buttons.

For example over the past few days i have been playing Pro Series Golf online while my N96 has been connected to the TV - for some strange reason it makes it feel like a “home based console” rather than an application on a phone, heck i didnt even have to look at buttons - the phone turned into a wired controller and TV became my screen - i guess im just a junkie for big screens.

The only downfall with doing this is that some games will loose their graphical status, for example Pro Series Golf and even Creatures Of The Deep looks nice on the phone, but when hooked up to a 26″ Inch LCD TV it looks abit distorted and horrible, where as other games such as Resident Evil: Degeneration and Metal Gear Solid Mobile they look extremely similar to their PS1 Counterparts. Other Games such as Mile High Pinball, Space Impact and Brain Challenge, or any other game in portrait mode, are not displayed in full widescreen but have a small rectangle box for a picture in the middle of the TV Screen.

Even though the picture quality (on some games) may be distorted - the sound for the game will improve, even if your TV hasnt got very good speakers you can easily plug the LEFT and RIGHT Audio leads into a Home Cinema Kit or Speaker system - you wont get 5.1 Surround sound like on PS3 and Xbox 360 games - but the sound quality will be improved - but then again the N96 itself has very good speakers.

The Whole point of this post is that Phones with TV OUT and that are used for N-Gage gaming can become more enjoyable and feel more like a “dedicated gaming device” rather than just a phone game via a TV. I Suggest if you have the option to try it out - espically online or on games like Resident Evil., as small things (like switches) tend to stick out more on a bigger screen.

Originally Posted on symbianworld (by me) - to view it on symbianworld (with a few more pictures) then click here.

Resident Evil 5 Demo Hits UK XBL Severs

The Highly anticipated Resident Evil 5 game may not be due out for another 2 months, however the demo is now available on the UK Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Demo itself is exactly the same as the demo released onto the japanese xbox live severs, so if you downloaded that demo (or torrented it) then you dont have to bother downloading it again, not unless you want it on your 360's Hard drive for easy play.

The game itself is very detailed, and plays exactly like Resident Evil 4, the demo offers 2 different chapters and both can be played on your own or with a friend, yes reident evil 5 features 2 player co-op.

The demo is only 600mb, so if you havent downloaded it already then i suggest you do it now!

Skate 2 - Out Today! - Pre-order Bonus!

EA's attempt to knock "Tony Hawks Skateboarding" off the skateboarding crown is back again with Skate 2, even though the control scheme and gaming mechanic's are alot different to the tony hawks series the game itself is alot more realisitic and enjoyable.

Skate 2 was released today in the UK and if you pre-ordered if from gamestation, for either PS3 or Xbox 360, you would get a free OFFICIAL entines "Skate 2" T-Shirt.

Basically Entines is an official skateboarding style shirt maker, and they made these shirts just for Skate 2's launch, the shirt itself is black with the "Skate 2" logo on the front - not sure what is on the back as i havent opened the shirt yet though.

These T-Shirts were limited to pre-orders only, and i only pre-ordered my game about 4 days ago, so in a sense i was lucky. Skate 2 (from gamestation) costs £39.99 - same as any other online price - so in a sense for those people, like me, who pre-ordered it they got a sweet deal.

Skate 2 is now out on the Xbox 360 and PS3, however if your still "un-sure" about the game there is a demo available on the PSN Store and on XBL, but be warned the demo is 1.57GB, so it will take awhile to download.

Asphalt 4: Elite Racing Now Available on N-Gage Platform

January's first NEW N-Gage Release (and the first release of 2009) and its Gamelofts "Asphalt 4: Elite Racing".

Early in the month the official gamepage for "Asphalt 4" went up on the N-Gage website, but no-one expected it to be released so soon, espically when "Cafe Sudoku" and "Yamake" had been up in the showroom longer, either way its a nice surprise addition to the N-Gage Platform.

The game itself features 28 real-life luxury cars and bikes to choose from (three times more than any other racing game on a mobile title) including the Ferrari F430 Spider and Bugatti Veyron. Players can also tune their cars, much like in Asphalt 3, however their is supposed to be alot more to choose from.

New Features include improved handling, including a new drift engine for sharper corner control and a brand new multiplayer mode thats only available in the N-Gage Version, however the multiplayer mode is only offline bluetooth.

Asphalt 4: Elite racing is now available to buy in the N-Gage Showroom on your N-Gage Application (on your phone) and the Web Showroom version will be updated with the game in the next few days! Happy Racing!

N-Gage: Incoming Games for 2009

2009 Might be a dry year so far, however the year is still young and so is the month.

Digital Chocolates Sudoku cafe has an estimated release for this month (January), but the better titles are on the way - with lots more still in production and not on the list yet, such as Worms World Party.

Over on the N-Gage website a "INCOMING!" list of games, with a breif description of each game has been posted up - so if your worried about no new games coming out, then STOP - as all the titles on the list are confirmed for released this year! So check it out Here.

Not only that Gameloft's 4th Racing installment, better known as Asphalt 4: Elite Racing will be heading to the next within the next few months, however to enertain us the gamepage for the game has been uploaded to the showroom on the N-Gage website - but for once it isnt empty, it has 2 videos and a fair amount of videos - plus the summary of the games hints towards online multiplayer, if this is true its will be a great game from gameloft. You can check out the gamepage here.

Sing It & Play It Loud With Rock Revolution On Nintendo DS

Recently i got my hands on konami's attempt to bring the "rock" music to the gaming industry - this being Rock Revolution. I would have rather played the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions, however i got the Nintendo DS Version instead.

To start off with this isn't Konami's first attempt at a music based game, as during the PS1's golden years they released multiple arcade cabinets called "Guitar Freaks" (where you are a guitarist) and "Beat Freaks" (using a drumming machine) - Both games were really early versions of Guitar Hero & Rock Band, the only difference is konami's games featured made up music instead of well known music, hence why they never really took off. Then Konami shifted to the "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Dancing Stage Games" and milked them for all they were worth.

But konami are now back with Rock Revolution and they try to proove that they still have what it takes to make a decent music game, in my opinion they should go back to the drawing board.

Just Like Rock Band, and the recent Guitar Hero: World Tour, you can play on the Guitar, Bass, Drums and Vocals, even on the Nintendo DS Version (which i found quite surprising) you can sing the songs - however it only works in a quiet area, so busy places are a no go for this gaming mode.

On the console versions the game plays similar to Rock Band & Guitar Hero, just pressed the coloured fret buttons and strum in the correct places (or hit the corresponding colour on the drums). However on the Nintendo DS version for playing the guitar/bass you have to flick/move the stylus the way the arrow is pointing (usually left or right), seems basic but it does work, still it would have been nice if you could use the guitar hero grip (which i had ready). To play the drums - it gets abit more complicated. On the bottem DS screen you have a picture of the Drum kit (as shown to the right) and each of the 7 cymbals / drums can be tapped. Above the drum-kit is where the notes are displayed for example when the orange snare drum goes inside the yellow box you have to tap the orange snare drum on the drum kit, doing it correctly and on time will give you 500 points, if you do it too early or not early enough you only get 200 points. I tried doing it on medium and didnt get very far, however on easy it was an interestin concept, but its best putting the DS on the table and using 2 stylus pens for quick response times. Vocals are done exactly like on Rock Band and Guitar Hero, you choose a song the lryics appear and you have to try and match the exact tone and pitch - when i played it in a quiet area it seemed to work fine and i got a decent score, however when i added abit of background noise it didnt pick it up well - i wouldnt suggest singing it out in public either.

The console version features around 41 tracks, some of which are already on Rock Band's Downloadable Content selection, where as others, Avril Lavigne - Skater Boy , for example is a new addition. The Nintendo DS Version only features around 20 songs - but the songs that are on the DS Version are probably the best songs out of the whole game.

Just like the other guitar games Rock Revolution features Quick Play, Carrer, Multiplayer and Tutorials - im just hoping the carrer modes on the console version are alot better than the DS Version.

To sum up Rock Revolution on the DS makes a nice change from Guitar Hero, however id rather play Guitar Hero On Tour (on Decades) than Rock Revolution.

According to Wikipedia Rock Revolution was released in October 2008 in the USA, however the game itself has not been released in the UK or Europe yet, ive also read that Guitar Hero & Rock Band controllers work fine with the console version of Rock Evolution, however the drumming sections of the game requrie konami's own drum kit, however this has not been confirmed.

At this moment in time Rock Revolution has no UK or Europe release date, so if you want the game now then you would have to import it. Rock Revolution is available on the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS.

Worms World Party on N-Gage - Confirmed for 2009/2010 Release

Last Year, Team Arena (The N-Gage Arena Mods & Admins) announced that the N-Gage online favourite "Worms World Party" had been delayed "indefinately" - meaning no one knew for sure whether or not it had been delayed or cancelled, and everyone feared the worst, as when this usually happens it means the game will be delayed.

Well not this time, in a recent post by ikona on the N-Gage blog, he mentions that Worms World Party is back on the development track and will be ready for release in 2009.

"All About N-Gage’s survey of most anticipated N-Gage games, even though the game was no longer in production. As it turns out, that is no longer the case — we are pleased to announced Worms World Party for N-Gage is very much back in the lineup and we’re looking forward to its release in 2009."

So Worms is now "incoming" on the N-Gage Platform, what a great year 2009 is turning out to be! Check out more N-Gage information on the official N-Gage Blog.

Free N-Gage Game Inside Issue 42 Xbox 360 Mag! (UK Only)

Does any UK N-Gagers out there fancy a round or better yet a free N-Gage game? Well in this months (January’s Issue / Issue 42) of the Official Xbox 360 Magazine you can claim a free N-Gage game, worth up to £8.

The Official Xbox 360 Magazine (Issue 42) itself costs £5.99 and comes with a 360 Demo Disc (to be used in a PAL Xbox 360 Consoles) and an N-Gage disc which holds all 7 N-Gage Games and the N-Gage Application for your N95 or N95 8GB.

The Disc that comes with the Magazine is entirely made for the N95 models, however the activation code will work on any phone, but the activation code can only be used ONCE on ONE Game, so choose wisely.

You can only choose from a selection of 7 different games and as always you can try a game before activating it. The games you can choose from are:

* Asphalt 3: Street Rules
* Creatures Of The Deep
* Dirk Dagger & The Fallen Idol
* Pro Series Golf
* ONE
* Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
* Tetris

Most of the games here cost £8 to buy on the N-Gage Application, so your saving £2.01 and getting a magazine to read, so even if you dont have an xbox 360 console its still worth the money.

This is the second time N-Gage (Nokia) and Xbox 360 (Microsoft) have teamed up to do an offer with N-Gage games, as last time on the day the Xbox Live Servers went down (for maintence) the Nokia Flagship stores in the USA gave out Star Wars Force Unleashed for FREE!

The Magazine is NOW AVAILABLE to buy in most shops, supermarkets and newsagents, however the next issue is due out soon, so if you want a magazine and a free N-Gage game you better buy the magazine while its still in stock! Happy Gaming!

Back In The Game: N-Gage Wise, The N96 Has Arrived!

After a week (if not more) of no N-Gage Gaming i finally went out and got myself a Brand New N96. The N96 was to replace my broken N81 8GB (which was mainly used for N-Gage Gaming) and to replace the bulky brick-shaped N95.

The N95 is a great phone, however the phone itself does not feel comfortable enough to play games on, but the N96 feels perfect and very similar to the N81 that im used to.

The N96 i bought from CEX (Computer Entertainment eXchange) in Sheffield, though they only sell 2nd hand products, the contents in the box were sealed, the Tetris activation code was unused and the phone itself still had both protective screens on (front and back) - all this for £375. So im guessing i was lucky to find this phone in this condition at that price, either way i am happy.

The only downfall i seem to be having is that v12 seems a little slow and "non-responsive" at times, espically compared to the N81 and N96, not to mention that whenever i try downloading an N-Gage game all i seem to get is "Downloading files", but installing them through the PC is always easy enough to do so it isnt a "huge problem".

The phone itself however is just a "tech guys" dream, 5 Megapixel camera, BBC Iplayer, N-Gage Compatible, 16GB Hard Drive, 3G Compatible, everything you can think of this phone has it and its way superior to the N96 in every possible way!

So i now have my N96, but im still looking for a decent priced N85, either way happy gaming!

Symbian World Introduces Emo185

Norman John (Symbian World Owner, aswell as a pritty sweet guy) has invited me to join him on his blog to post N-Gage related articles, and being the nice kind i gladly accepted, so now youll see my "N-Gage" related posts on his Blog, ill still post on here, but Symbian World may get the post first and may look more flashy (as they do use some cool tools). Ill still post other random goodness on here though - so dont go away, just yet!

check out my "introduction post" on the symbian world blog.

New Year, New Problems - Now I Need A New Phone!

Well theres a great "new years gift" for you, to start off with i get a text message from my boss at working telling me to get to work 2 hours earlier than normal (and the text message was sent 30 mins before he wanted me in) and not only that 2 seconds later my dad breaks my N81 8GB.

On the bright side ive now got an excuse to buy a new N85 or N96, since my main phone is broke and non-useable, the other problem is that i cant play ANY of my N-Gage games since they are all stored and linked to my N81, so ive got to get that sorted aswell.

So in a sense untill i get a new N-Gage compatible device impressions on new N-Gage games wont be put on here, however releases for games after christmas are always slow, so i may get a new phone before a new game is out!