When the Nokia N-Gage was announced, a lot of people were very impressed with it. It was supposed to eliminate the need to carry multiple devices in your pocket, it was going to have the best graphics ever seen on a handheld, it was going to have a cohesive online multiplayer system, and it was going to play all sorts of multimedia.

Then it was actually released, and people were thoroughly unimpressed. The complaints were numerous, and most were completely legitimate and well-founded. The system was large, the controls were bad for games, the speaker and talking piece of the phone were on its side rather than the face (leading many people to jest that they were talking into a “taco”), and you actually had to physically remove the battery in order to change games. And even if you looked past all that, many gamers complained that it was simply a hassle to dig through the menus long enough to actually start a game. It was clear that Nokia was a rookie in the gaming market. As a result of its many flaws, the system became the target of many jokes and it received a lukewarm reception overall.

But Nokia, unwilling to give up so easily, released the QD. And the QD makes it apparent that Nokia had been listening to criticism and trying hard to make gamers happy. Here is a picture of the QD and original N-Gage, along with other common handheld devices for size comparison:

N-Gage is bottom-left, QD is middle-left. Picture courtesy of Kotaku.

Some changes are obvious, while others are more subtle. First and foremost, the unit is a lot smaller and more ergonomic. You’ll also notice the more tradition directional pad and smaller spread on the keypad. These changes make the system a hell of a lot more comfortable for gaming. The phone is also now more suited to talking, as the speaker and mic are on the face instead of the side. But probably best among the changes is the cartridge slot, which is now on the bottom of the system rather than inside the battery cover. You can change games easily and while the phone is running. Also worth noting is the button right under the d-pad, which will automatically start a game when pressed.

The N-Gage QD makes the jump from “phone that can play games” to “game console that can make calls”. The QD is a legitimate gaming platform, which thus far cannot be said about any phone coming before or after it (including the original N-Gage and the iPhone).

Something to note is that the system will NOT boot without a SIM-card. It doesn’t gave to be active, meaning that you don’t actually have to use it as a phone, but you will need a card for the carrier the phone was locked to (in my case, Cingular).

Hardware-wise, the N-Gage was very advanced for its time. It came out in 2003, placing it in the sixth generation and in competition with handhelds like the Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Wonderswan Color. Considering that, it’s quite impressive to think that the N-Gage can render true 3D graphics. The system is more or less on par with the Playstation, meaning it is less powerful than but comparable to the Nintendo DS.

Holding the system, it feels like a handheld gaming device should. The directional pad and buttons are all responsive and well-placed and the system as a whole is pretty ergonomic. The only game I’ve ever had any discomfort with so far is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, because you’re essentially holding the “5″ key throughout the whole game. But the discomfort was pretty minor, and I was playing for quite some time.

Let’s move on to the other features of the system. Obviously it can make calls, and also texts and media messages. It has no camera, which is lame, but I don’t really miss it. It has a web browser, it can play video, and it can play MP3s (Nokia officially removed this capability from the QD, but the homebrew community has since restored it). The system is also quite capable of running emulators for systems like NES, Game Boy, and Genesis among others. Don’t ask me where to get them or how to install them.

And now for the games. There were less than 60 titles ever released, which puts it at a distinct disadvantage. Also working against the system is the fact that it has very few worthwhile original games. Its handful of great originals include Pocket Kingdom, Pathway to Glory, Glimmerati, ONE, Mile High Pinball, and Snakes (which is free). Most of the rest of the good games are either ports, remakes, or simply very similar versions of games you’ve played before. Sonic Advance, Rayman 3, Tomb Raider, Red Faction, Colin McRae, Bomberman, Spider-Man 2, Tony Hawk, Colin McRae, Splinter Cell, The King of Fighters, Puyo Pop, Puzzle Bobble, Asphalt, Atari collections, Call of Duty, Crash Nitro Kart, The Sims, SEGA Rally, SSX, Ghost Recon, Virtua Tennis, Worms, etc. Those are all good games, but you’ve probably played them before. If you like the idea of having that list of games available to take with you when you’re out and about, then you should buy an N-Gage QD. If you don’t, then you shouldn’t buy one. That’s what it really comes down to. I’m an old-school gamer, so that list really appeals to me.

The system gets great battery life, boasting 10 hours of consecutive play time. You can just leave it on all day and stick in a game when you want to play and not worry about it. As a phone, it offers 5 hours of talk time. Most of the N-Gage Arena multiplayer features are shut down, but there are plenty of games that offer local multiplayer (assuming you know someone else with a system). Most of the games are very, very cheap and there are not many of them, meaning it wouldn’t be hard at all to build a sizable collection. And although the system is solidly built, the rubber strip that runs around the outside of it is likely to bubble up and come off. It’s easily replaceable and cheap, but it’s still a pain in the ass. And some systems fall victim to the “White Screen of Death”, which requires professional assistance to fix. But most of those issues occurred early on in the system’s lifespan, so odds are if you find one in the wild you’ll be just fine.

The breakdown:
Build quality: C+
Controls and ergonomics: C+
Battery life: A
Library size: F
Library quality: B-
Other features: A
Community: C+
Collectibility: B-
Overall: C+ if you don’t use it as a phone, A- if you do.

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