I bought myself an n-gage

[Arrrhalomynn]

An N-gage QD that is, the newer improved model. So I won't have to disassemble it to change games. Unfortunately the QD can't be connected by usb to the pc, so I have to use a card reader.

Anyways, I'm pleasantly surprised with the thing. Like everyone else I loved to mock the thing when it was just released. The games supposedly sucked, it was way too expensive and nobody bought it. But it IS a gaming system and when I could get one for cheap with 3 games and a 256 mb mmc card, I couldn't resist.

On to the machine itself. It's pretty small, smaller than the wonderswan, gameboy color and neo geo pocket, and about the same size as the gba sp. It's rather heavy though for such a small thing.
As a result the screen is rather small too, and it's vertically alligned. This may be good for some games, but it's not for others. I guess it all comes down to what you prefer.
Seeing how this is a phone too it has 22 buttons on it, which may seem confusing, but really isn't. In fact it's really neat to have enough buttons for any kind of game you'd want to play. And although it takes some practice, it's really not as akward as one would think.
The screen is beautifully backlit and very bright. The GBA SP doesn't even come close.
Apart from the mixed feelings about the screen, the only thing I don't like is the sound. It sounds shitty through the speakers of the system and it's not much better with headphones. And of course you'll need special headphones, because the socket is made for plugs that are headphones and a microphone in one. I haven't found any easy way to change the volume either. Some games have it in their options menu, but for others you'll have to go into the system menu.

On to the games, like I said, I bought 3 games with the system and 'borrowed' 45 from the internet. So far I've only played 2 from these 45 though.

Puzzle Bobble VS. This game sucks. It's slow, jerky and the colors aren't clear enough. It's not always possible to see which color is which, especially not in the heat of the battle. Avoid this one.

Sonic N. This game is pretty cool. I suppose everyone here knows what sonic games like, so I won't bother describing it. This game won't win a prize for originality, but it's fun if you're into platform games. You can play this game full screen or in a 4:3 aspect ratio. When you play it in 4:3 ratio the game will shrink so you can see more, but you'll only use half the screen of course.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. This is basically a port of the Playstation version. Of course it looks a little shittier and the levels are a tad smaller/different, but it plays the same. Which means it's really good, especially for such a small system. It takes some time to get the hang of the controls, but it's worth it.

Glimmerati. This game rocks. It's a racegame with a story. You're some bloke that joins a club that organizes races and you drive the other members through cities such as Paris and Milan. The game is in 3D, but you see the cars from the top down/behind. The controls are tight, it looks good and it's a lot of fun.

Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Another rocking game! It's actually a 3D spy game on your handheld with nearly all the options from the XBOX game! It looks a whole lot crappier of course, but it's still quite impressive. I haven't played it much, but the training level was promising and had me yearning for more.

In short, the system itself is pretty neat and there are some rather cool games for it too. Who else here has it and what are your experiences with the thing?

[den68]

I have no qualms about buying a system that's universally mocked. I have the R-Zone, CD-i and game.com. I fully intend to have an N-Gage one day as well. Probably even the much blasted first one. As a collector I must have them all but as a video game fan I do find some redeeming quality in even the most hated systems.

no need to apologize for picking one up. glad you're enjoying it too.

when you say you got it cheaply what did it actually cost you?

[CatchFiveBats]

It's funny, when my friends and I go to EBGames, if anyone we go with (usually someone who hasn't gone with us before) touches the N-Gage display, we avoid them like a lepur until we leave the store.  It's just something that we've always done, and although I have nothing against N-Gage, I still go along with it because it's something fun to do.

I actually dont have an N-Gage yet.  If they get a little bit cheaper, I might buy one.

[PDorr3]

can I ask what you paid? I have been waiting to get an n gage when it is available for a good price, and I am not sure about siging up for one of those phone deals since I really do not need a cell phone at all. I will be using this as a stand alone system.

[Arrrhalomynn]

Yeah, that was my idea too. I don't really do much phoning, so I didn't want to get a new one with some phone plan, because in the end I'd pay for something I wouldn't use/don't need.

I paid a 100 euros for mine, including shipping. I could have probably gotten it cheaper someplace else if I looked hard enough, but this one was MIB and from a guy I trusted. I think you can never be too careful buying handhelds, seeing how there's a screen on it.

Another thing I like is how sturdy it is. When I compare it to any other handheld I own, the build quality is so much higher. The GBA SP feels like such a toy when compared to it.

[Sureshot]

http://myngage.ytmnd.com/

[s1lence]

Obscure and hated systems are always fun to have. Take the game.com or the CDi. I haven't picked one up yet, but when I do I'm for sure getting the orignial one over the qd version.

[Arrrhalomynn]

I don't think it's fair to compare the n-gage to the game.com, since the n-gage actually has fun games, while the game.com doesn't.