PocketGamer Mike Abolins has written a nice review on the Nokia N95 as a gaming device:
Let’s get the negative out of the way first: the controls aren’t up to scratch. When we saw that the N73 brought with it a thumbstick, we rejoiced; it’s a far preferable manner of control over the directional pad. Sadly it’s the latter that the N95 is burdened with.
It’s not as bad as it could be, slightly raised as it is above the bracketing Menu and Gallery buttons. But while we’re happy to make do for playing Java games and occasional foray into the more sophisticated Symbian titles that the N95 can play host to, we’re not entirely convinced that the directional pad will be suited to the longer and more complex games that the next-generation N-Gage platform will hopefully usher in.
Sure, the hardware behind the scenes is capable of generating enough grunt to make those new games look and sound utterly brilliant, but we’re sceptical about sitting down for marathon sessions of whatever the next gen mobile equivalent (or installment) of Pathway To Glory is.
It’s simply not as comfortable to hold and use for long periods of time as our faithful old N-Gage QD, though that’s the only area in which the QD outperforms the N95. One of the new handset’s major party pieces, for instance, is the ability to rotate the action through 90-degrees. The option to switch from a portrait view to a landscape one will be nothing new to owners of many of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range but it’s something a bit different from Nokia and one of the N95 handset’s numerous nods to leisure and entertainment.
The sliding screen can move both up (to expose the main keypad) and down (revealing a dedicated set of media player controls) and you can orient the screen in either fashion when viewing photos, videos or playing supported games.
Both of the pre-installed games on the N95 (Snake 3D, and two levels from the much-anticipated System Rush Evolution, which looks breathtaking but plays like little more than a technical demo, so limited is your interaction) can be played with a landscape view, though neither really benefits from the extra width available.
This is indicative of one of the N95’s three other niggles. Firstly, it’s so far ahead of its time in terms of hardware and performance that there’s nothing available on the mobile games scene, as yet, to really take advantage of it (even compatible Java games are thin on the ground).
Second is that, as a handset to live with and use, there aren’t any features that really make you pause and issue a mental ‘wow!’ The built-in WLAN adapter and GPS receiver are nice additions, but unless you’ve got a hotspot account for the former and a generous data plan for the latter (you need to download maps, and voice directions only come with an additional subscription fee), both are less useful than you initially expect.
Third and finally, while the screen, visual grunt (3D games are a cinch) and audio quality are second to none – they really do need to be seen and heard to be believed – all of the microchippage that makes the magic happen drains the battery with astonishing rapidity, even for a 3G phone.
Despite these drawbacks, we’re still hugely excited about the N95 and that’s because of one thing: its potential. When game publishers catch up and the next generation N-Gage platform finally makes its debut later this year (while N-Gage supported handsets have yet to be confirmed by Nokia, it’s almost a cert that the N95 will be one of them), devices like the N95 and its ilk should rule the mobile phone gaming roost.
There’s nothing, really nothing, that’s as capable of taking mobile games to the next level and for that, the N95 is to be applauded. Now we just need to be patient.
Reading this I think of the hardware mods that were made for the PSP… It should not be that hard to make a case that has a better joystick and dedicated buttons for the N95. Just like the PSP, the N95 has a USB port that might be used for gaming extras…
Any ideas how the hardware could be improved?
Comments 2
Clearly, the main issue is the comfortability and joystick (or lack thereof) on the n95.
You have to ask yourself as well, even though the screen is beautiful and capable of enough colours to show a visually stunning, game, one of the major advantages is the simplicity of connecting the n95 to an external TV, for both video and sound. That said, with the option of an external usb joystick coupled with a TV, we could have some real potential. That of course wont satisfy people who want to play games on the move, so some kind of joystick that also has a mount for the phone would really be the only way of satisfying the hardcore. And having said that, who would want to be seen with something like that in public….? It’s that or stick with the existing controls which arent quite up to scratch, but are still usable for simple games.
Posted 24 May 2007 at 10:09 pm ¶This Bluetooth Gamepad works great with the N95 !!! So bring on the games !!!!
http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=651
Posted 25 May 2007 at 8:57 am ¶