The Nokia N-Gage was yet another attempt to release the industry from Nintendo’s stranglehold on the video game market. Unfortunately it was doomed to fail from the start. It launched around the same time as the new and shiny Game Boy Advance, was more expensive, and was awkward as all heck to play. While Nokia is mostly irrelevant now they were at the time one of the biggest cell phone manufacturers in the world. They saw that there was a market for people who wanted to play games on their mobile devices, and answered that call with this hardware. Unfortunately the N-Gage didn’t function particularly well as a gaming device or even cell phone. Like most failed consoles the library for the most part is rubbish. There are some gems however. Today we’re going to highlight the top 15 best Nokia N-Gage games. Let’s dial in and check them out!
#15. – Tomb Raider
I’ve never been a big fan of the Tomb Raider franchise. At the time of release 3D gaming was in its infancy. Unfortunately t’s hard to give this clunky, awkward, chore of a game to play any grace considering it launched after Super Mario 64. The two titles almost feel like they’re an entire generation apart to be honest. This N-Gage port of the original title was one of the showcases for the platform. It’s replicates the graphics and gameplay surprisingly well. For better, or for worse. You play as Lara Croft as you explore 3D ruins and caves battling against a myriad of different rabid animals and monsters. Tomb Raider is not a good game by any measure, but with a library as small and poor as this it’s only fair to highlight it as one of the best N-Gage games released.
#14. – Virtua Tennis
Spoiler alert; this list is going to contain a lot of Sega titles. They were one of the few big publishers that heavily invested in the platform. They had a laundry list of classic franchises to bring over, and thankfully Virtua Tennis was one of them. As you can guess from the title this is one of the few sports titles available for the platform. You play a series of one-on-one tennis matches against AI controlled opponents, and it’s actually a decently fun time. My big complaint is the graphics engine used here. It just didn’t seem up to the task of re-creating the smooth gameplay Virtua Tennis is known for. Things feel a bit clunky, but if you can look past that you’re in for a decent time. More Virtua Tennis is never a bad thing.
#13. – SSX Out of Bounds
Even SSX reared its head on the N-Gage. At the time EA’s snowboarding franchise was at the peak of its popularity being one of the best early PS2 titles. Why they bothered with an N-Gage version while passing on the GBA is beyond me, but here we are. SSX Out of Bounds is a downhill race to the finish line against other snowboarders. The game had to be scaled down from the original concept due to the limited hardware. This one is at least on par with early PS1 snowboarding titles such as Cool Boarders which is okay by me. I was really impressed with how much of the mountain the N-Gage can render at once, and in total polygonal glory. It’s a pretty impressive handheld game for its time, and the gameplay is decent.
#12. – Red Faction
Having a first person shooter on a handheld at the time must have been truly novel. Red Faction started out as a PC/PS2 game and apparently the powers that be thought it would be a good match for the N-Gage. Unfortunately it had to be scaled down to the point that the unique features of Red Faction are largely gone. This was a title that boasted destructible environments. You could basically make your own path through walls which was really a cool idea. In this N-Gage version you can only blow up the walls in specific places revealing a static way forward. Regardless, this version is a pretty decent but very generic first person shooter. Red Faction makes the list of best N-Gage games simply because it’s the most enjoyable first person shooter for the platform.
#11. – The King of Fighters Extreme
Even SNK wanted a piece of the action on the N-Gage courtesy of publisher Hudson Soft. King of Fighters was their biggest franchise at the time. It combined the fighter rosters from SNK’s storied list of franchises all into one mega game. This version has 23 different fighters, and most of their special moves are intact. The only drawback in my opinion is it still uses the team set up where you have to select three different characters that you can tag in or out. The animations have seen a severe downgrade and nothing moves as smoothly as it should. Due to the vertical nature of the screen on the N-Gage the play boundaries also feel smaller and more claustrophobic. Regardless it’s still King of Fighters, and if that’s your thing you’ll feel right at home here.
#10. – Bomberman
Hudson Soft’s unofficial mascot has made appearances on just about every console and handheld up to this point, and the N-Gage is no different. Despite the name of this title this isn’t merely the original installment. Instead it has more modern features such as the louies which is really what propels this one to such heights. Bomberman on N-Gage is also one of the few multiplayer titles for the platform. I haven’t been able to test out this feature myself (good luck finding someone else who actually owns the platform) but at least Hudson Soft knew what fans wanted. Besides that it’s Bomberman for better or worse. You wander maze-like arenas placing bombs and blowing things up. One complaint I do have is that the arenas are super small. There’s no screen scrolling here and the developers decided to cram everything into the small screen.
#9. – Sega Rally Championship
I’m not huge into realistic racing games. I have been known on occasion to make exceptions for Sega Rally. On the Saturn console it was one of my favorite games. On the N-Gage it’s the same story. Not because this is an incredible port or anything, rather, there just isn’t a whole lot else to choose from. For this version Sega retained the 3D polygonal graphics, but the hardware struggles to re-create the experience perfectly. You compete in a variety of off-road rally races across various types of terrain. You can choose between multiple cars, and there are several options for competition. My main complaint here is that the physics are off. Smacking into walls does not cause you to lose momentum. Novice players will appreciate this approach, but serious race fans should look elsewhere.
#8. – The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey
The most unexpected game in the N-Gage’s library is a completely original installment in the Elder Scrolls series. This isn’t as fleshed out or option heavy as the console/PC iterations, but it’s a very impressive title in its own right. From a first person perspective you trek into dungeons, slay baddies, and grow your character through experience based progression. There’s even an in depth character creation system with most of the races and classes intact. Shadowkey is rendered in full 3D glory and it even runs decently. This one didn’t score higher on this list because I’ve never been a fan of the franchise. The games have always felt soul-less to me, and more like elongated tech demos. Unfortunately that’s still the case here, but I couldn’t leave such an important game off this list.
#7. – Pandemonium!
Pandemonium was a somewhat underrated 2.5D platformer released early on for the PS1 and Sega Saturn. Nokia was looking to score some big name ports for the N-Gage but this seems to be the best that they could do. Not that I’m complaining; I actually like Pandemonium and this port is pretty darn competent. The music seems to have been lost in translation but that’s not a big deal for me. Basically this game has you playing as one of two characters (one is a jester for some reason) as you hop and bop your way through a series of fantastical levels. This version doesn’t run as smoothly as the console iterations, but it’s still an impressive port and decently fun to play.
#6. – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
So far this list has been full of PS1 ports but we aren’t done yet! Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was a huge hit on the original PlayStation console (and to a lesser extent the Nintendo 64). The N-Gage port is largely the same thing, but shrunk down to handheld form factor. This was another of the headlining releases for the platform and for good reason. Having a fully 3D world in which to skate around was really impressive for a handheld at the time. Most of the content has been retained. You skate around various courses performing tricks trying to rack up points within a time limit. For the most part the tricks have all return in this port. The graphics aren’t quite up to par with the home releases but they’re close enough. The soundtrack unfortunately had to be downgraded, but that’s not a big deal.
#5. – Rayman 3
My initial concern was that the developers here were going to try to release a downscaled port of Rayman 3. Clearly the hardware wouldn’t be able to replicate this, and the port would be doomed to failure. Thankfully this was not the case. They created a brand new version of Rayman 3 specifically for the N-Gage. I’m happy to report that this is a 2D platformer in the vein of the original. You run from the left side of the screen to the right throwing your detached fists at any enemy that gets in your way. Several abilities return here such as Rayman’s helicopter hover which helps a lot. The developers even compensated for the small screen by having the view scroll forward so you can see more of the stage. It’s not hard to see why this is one of the best N-Gage games of all time.
#4. – Super Monkey Ball
Here’s another Sega game, and this one is a downport of an Arcade/Gamecube release. Super Monkey Ball is a strange game wherein you guide a monkey trapped inside a sphere to an end goal as you gather bananas along the way. You don’t directly control the character, and instead tilt the environment in all directions to get them to roll where you want. It’s a novel concept that works exceptionally well. While the graphics have obviously been downgraded, and using a directional pad is not as good as a joystick, this is a fairly good port. It’s fully 3D and the polygonal graphics really push the N-Gage hardware. It’s not going to take the place of the Gamecube port, but if you want Monkey Ball on the go then it’s not half bad.
#3. – ONE
The N-Gage was seriously lacking when it came to 3D fighters. Developer Digital Legends decided to fill that void, and their answer was ONE. This is a one-on-one (no pun intended) brawler where you face off against a foe in 3D space smash and bashing down their life bar. It goes the more realistic route with no projectile attacks and instead focuses on martial arts. Seeing this game in action on the small screen is absolutely crazy. It’s absolutely the most technically advanced N-Gage title. It even looks a step above most PS1 fighting games. Unfortunately the frame rate is a bit spotty. ONE also suffers from relatively generic gameplay. It’s fun, and impressive, and definitely one of the best N-Gage games ever released.
#2. – Sonic-N
This is the last Sega game on the list. I promise. Sonic has a history of appearing on failing handheld devices and the N-Gage was no different. Instead of making an all new adventure however they simply opted to port Sonic Advance to the platform. While the game was fantastic on the Game Boy Advance it’s not quite as good here on the N-Gage. Unfortunately the smaller screen size does cause some issues. You see, Sonic is all about running through stages fast and not necessarily jumping. The vertical oriented screen does this no favors. It can be tough to react to what’s coming next. Regardless it’s still a fun romp and one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog titles following Sega’s move to third party developer.
#1. – Snakes
How fitting that Snakes is the best N-Gage game. On Nokia phones Snake was absolutely addictive. It’s a very simple premise wherein you start with a single dot that as you consume more dots it grows a tail. Unfortunately if you crash into yourself it’s game over, and so when your body takes up most of the screen it can be extremely difficult. That’s the same premise here, but with revamped 3D graphics and stylish presentation. There are now multiple stages with new hazards introduced. This allows for a lot more variety. What’s cool is the fact that you can even choose between 2D or 3D viewpoints as you play. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that Snakes isn’t the best N-Gage game of all time. What’s additionally very cool is the fact that it was a free download at one point for owners of the handheld.
