All About N-Gage reviews Asphalt 3: Street Rules

mmm...like what i said about brothers in arms, this game looks exactly like the version gameloft released for UIQ3 about 1 year ago...

you can also count it to happen with the snowboard, pool and bowling game then 😊

mmm...like what i said about brothers in arms, this game looks exactly like the version gameloft released for UIQ3 about 1 year ago...

I wouldn't be surprised, third party game developers want to sell as many games as possible so it makes sense to put them on as many platforms as possible. UIQ3 and S60 3rd hardware have pretty similar technical abilities and the same OS, so it's logical to release games on both. (It's also worth mentioning that N-Gage was supposed to launch last September, so Gameloft probably had this game ready quite a long time ago.)

But the crucial difference may be this: how many people actually bought the UIQ3 version or even knew it existed? Pirated copies don't count, I'm talking about people actually paying for the game.

This is what I think N-Gage's strength is, it lets people find and buy games more easily than other sales channels, you don't need a credit card as you can pay through the phone bill, and you don't need a PC because the game downloads direct to the phone.

Some interesting fact.Did anyone of you saw the credits of the game?If you did you problably saw some interesting names such as the producer etc.I just wanna tell you that they are all Bulgarians just like me.This is all possible because Gameloft have a studio in our capital city-Sofia.So,all of you are playing around 50-60% Bulgarian game.I'm very proud for this.

Plamen, you're completely right, I just checked and almost all the names on the credits look Bulgarian.

I was also playing this game about a year ago on my N95 as well as Brothers in Arms. Both of which, as an avid mobile gamer, are some of the best games available.
Although I do not understand why it takes so long for them to come out on n-gage, perhaps it has something to do with stability.

Although I do not understand why it takes so long for them to come out on n-gage, perhaps it has something to do with stability.

The reason they didn't come out earlier on N-Gage is because N-Gage only launched until a week ago! 😊

You can't release games on a platform that doesn't exist yet!

As I said before, N-Gage was due for launch last year but they had technical problems with the N-Gage application, so all the games which were ready for it had to be delayed. Asphalt 3 for N-Gage was probably ready last year but they had to sit on it until N-Gage actually launched in April 2008.

According to Pocket Gamer, Asphalt 3 for N-Gage is a graphically enhanced version of Asphalt Street Rules 3D, which Gameloft released last year, which is probably what you were playing on your N95.

Both of which, as an avid mobile gamer, are some of the best games available.

Just out of interest, where did you buy them from?

I got fed-up waiting for N-Gage to launch a few months ago so bought the S60 versions of Asphalt 3 3D and Brothers in Arms directly from Gameloft. Apart from the online highscore table (whoop-dee-doo) is there any difference between this and the version I have? The screen shots certainly look the same - maybe this one is just without the Pussycat Dolls tie-in? Buying direct from Gameloft it only cost about �5. So far I'm still waiting to see a real N-Gage killer app!

Apart from the online highscore table (whoop-dee-doo) is there any difference between this and the version I have?

Pocket Gamer has reviewed both versions and they said the N-Gage version has improved graphics which make it easier to see oncoming cars. They gave the N-Gage version 8/10.

So far I'm still waiting to see a real N-Gage killer app!

Creatures Of The Deep is pretty darn excellent, and I expect System Rush will get a good review too (I'm not doing that one though). In their own way I think Creebies and Dirk Dagger may do rather well.

However, I wouldn't expect too much from ANY gaming platform in its first year, especially not from third party companies. Look at the history of any console or home computer and its first year of third party games is pretty abysmal.

Third party games start getting really good after they've had time to get to know a platform, and also after the platform has built up a large enough userbase to generate large sales.

Having said all this, Asphalt 3 for N-Gage is a good game, it's fun and there's a lot of variety in it. It may be a port of an older game, but that's a typical third party release in the early days of a new platform.

Great well-balanced review,though I just have to point out that even though the game may show the Lamborghini as just an LP640,the full name is a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640.Same goes for the Nissan GTR R34,the correct name is Nissan Skyline GTR R34.May sound trivial but for a racing game can be important for many potential buyers.

I'm still thoroughly underwhelmed by the whole NGage2 thing. it feels like (primarily!) just another way of buying games for your phone. I know it's my fault but I just don't get that excited about online high score lists. calling something what is essentially an online shop a "gaming platform" feels like a serious overstatement.

5 games running on 3 types of phone just doesn't look like a real launch. making a game for such a small number of handsets instead of all the phones running the same version of symbian is everything but a step forward. it is better than the 1 phone type of the first NGage but a huge step back compared to games written for "generic s60 v3".

it's the upgrade to s60 v3 happening all over again. developers hardly make new games, because they are busy re-writing their old games so they would run on the new phones. of course they wouldn't want to miss out on the potential buyers who hasn't bought the game when it first came out.

the old games are missed by the owners of new phones, the new games are sought after by owners of older phones. this is just plain mean if you consider that both types of phones run the same OS with the same screen resolution. oh and don't come with 3D chips and improved CPU speeds, those are not a reason for the lack of backward compatibility.

I'm sure there are good reasons for all this silliness, but it also makes it very hard to take mobile (read: symbian) gaming seriously if everything works only for two years.