The much talked-about Star Wars: Force Unleashed is now available from the N-Gage application's showroom (select "Options" and then "Update Now" if you can't see it). We'll be bringing you the review in due course as always. See AAN's game page for more info including screenshots and the official trailer video.
Read on in the full article.
And, amazingly, this game came out on time: it was announced in at least one interview as coming out in September 2008 and here it is. Hopefully this is the start of a trend... 😉
Well to be honest yet again Nokia disappoint with software 3D rendering, Nokia have really missed a trick and let Apple steal a march on them, come on use the PowerVR chip for crying out loud!
Well to be honest yet again Nokia disappoint with software 3D rendering
You seriously think the 3D looks bad on this game? Did you watch the video?
Also remember that these are games for mass market devices with 2 inch screens, not high-end low-selling tablet-style devices. It's very hard to tell the difference between software and hardware rendering at that scale, and judging from the sales figures of 2D titles like Tetris graphics don't really matter that much on phone games anyway.
I would have loved to have had a nice high quality soundtrack on this, rather than one that sounds like MIDI, given the importance of the music in setting the mood for a Star Wars game. I guess it's limited by the file size, but I'd hoped the soundtrack from the trailer was in the game was representative (maybe it is in the full game).
As far as the graphics.. they seem okay to me. It's not really a "high speed 3d" game, so wouldn't benefit from the acceleration as much as many of the other n-gage games. Possibly some nicer particle effects, but nothing major. The 2D backdrops are nice.
Look to Crash Nitro Kart for how smooth a game like Asphalt 3D could have been, though! (see my post here in the AAN "unofficial game section doubles in size" thread for more comments on Crash).
Look to Crash Nitro Kart for how smooth a game like Asphalt 3D could have been, though!
IMHO the main problem with Asphalt 3D is that it uses Gameloft's game engine, which seems to be rather jerky even in 2D (Block Breaker Deluxe stutters a fair amount for example).
Compare that to System Rush Evolution and Bounce Boing Voyage, which are both fully 3D, much smoother and prettier, and were written exclusively for the platform.
The problem may lie with Gameloft using some kind of porting system to develop for many platforms at once, which compromises how well it uses a target platform's hardware.
Having said all this... the sales figures seem to defy everything. Asphalt 3 is almost certainly N-Gage's biggest selling game despite having lower quality graphics and gameplay than the exclusive titles. It seems a familiar brand name counts for quite a lot, which is nothing new in the gaming world.
I'm almost 90% certain that the iPhone version is software rendered too.
One of the highlights of my week is seeing Tzer2 dig his heels in & continuously argue about how we should all be so content with average graphics! Love it! Keep it up big fella!
WTF? The graphics on this game are really nice. It doesn't matter they are software-rendered. And they look as nice as iPhone's one. Maybe because it has a larger screen it looks better on iPhone.
at least with n-gage you can try before you buy - unlike app store.
the graphics seem ok - its very much on the rails
and they have tried to be innovative.
usings the pad to 'draw' gestures and an on the rails story mode.
though i only just managed to finish the tutorial before the trial timed out 😞
i imagine it works in a much nicer fashion on a touch screen
will ngage support optional touch control when S60 5th comes out?
must like many Wii games support pad play vs wiimote
mario kart is way more controllable via classic controller than the WiiWheel for example.
but overall its a big step in the right direction for n-gage.
they still need a real n-gage handset as well
as the n95 direction pad is useless as a game controller.
i doubt the n95/n85 will be any better
humm looking at the 5800 - im assuming it wont support n-gage
as its got no buttons. unless touch n-gage is coming out.
macwhu wrote:though i only just managed to finish the tutorial before the trial timed out 😞
That's not a time out, you can take as long as you like. The trial only includes that part. Seems reasonable - it gives you the general idea of how the game will play out.
I'd be interested to find out how long the game is, though. Looking forward to the AAN review 😊
Surely better graphics would equal a better all round gaming experience, still don't understand why you guys get so defensive around software rendering and make excuses for it!!