NOKIA N-GAGE QD
THE UPSHOT
OCTOBER 2004 MA XIMUMPC
W
hile the Zodiac2 scored more wins in the individual
categories, we’re going to give the victory to the
N-Gage QD for one simple reason: It has a much
better library of games. The Zodiac2 dazzled us with its gor-
geous screen and intuitive button layout, but what’s the point
of having great hardware if you’re lacking the software to take
advantage of it? The N-Gage QD’s miniscule screen and limited
input options may pale in comparison but its rapidly growing
stable of first-rate titles and seamlessly integrated multiplayer
options make it the superior device for gaming on the go.
Still, despite its victory over the Zodiac2, the N-GageQD isn’t ready to be crowned the king of the portable gaming
mountain—that distinction still belongs to the Gameboy
Advance. While both the Zodiac2 and the N-Gage QD offer fea-
tures that the GBA can’t match, Nintendo’s portable still
remains the best option for mobile gaming thanks to its
impressive library of titles and affordable price. For our money,
we’ll continue to carry our GBA for gaming and a separate PDA
and cell phone for everything else. This requires us to lug
around more than one device, but that’s a sacrifice we’re
willing to make. ■Strong game library, easy connectivity, and inte-
grated cellphone.ENGAGEDDIVORCED
Limited features, small screen, and cramped
button layout.
$180 w/out phone contract, http://www.n-gage.comMA XIMUMPCVERDICT 7
Productivity: While the N-Gage QD is great for gaming, it
doesn’t really offer much to encourage productivity, aside
from making phone calls. It features a few built-in utilities,
such as a calendar for keeping track of daily events, but
it’s nothing you can’t find on the average cellphone. To be
fair, Nokia isn’t trying to position the QD as a productivity
tool, and the software library reflects this:
Almost all of the available titles are
entertainment oriented. Still, it
would have been nice if we could
do more with the N-Gage than
make phone calls and blast
aliens. Winner: Zodiac
Unproductivity: The
N-Gage QD scores a
significant victory over the
Zodiac2 with a large library
of entertaining titles from
established developers, EA
and Activision being the two
most prominent companies
to throw their hats into the N-
Gage ring. Big-name (and vastly
more entertaining) franchises
such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,
The Sims, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter
Cell are available, and a quick look
at the upcoming release roster reveals
more grade-A titles on the way.
Winner: N-Gage QD
Input: Because it doubles as a cellphone, inputting
information into the QD is a slow and methodical
process that requires multiple button presses just to
enter someone’s name. Anyone who’s become adept
at typing text messages on a cellphone will feel right
at home, but the process is constrictive and time
consuming. We also felt that the face buttons were
grouped too closely together, making it far too easy to
press the wrong one during intense gaming or frenetic
data entry. And forget about playing games on the QD
that require sophisticated controls—its button layout is
far too limited for anything that requires more than a
few simple presses. Winner: Zodiac
Output: When we first saw the N-Gage QD’s miniscule
screen, we blanched. Surely, Nokia didn’t expect us to play
games on that! True to the N-Gage’s cellphone roots, the
screen looks like a beefed-up cellular display and its specs
concur—the QD features a maximum resolution of just
176x208 and supports only 4,096 colors, which pales in
comparison to the Zodiac2. The limited resolution and color
support is noticeable in most games; blocky textures and
washed-out colors dominated our experience. But despite
these limitations, the QD does an admirable job of
delivering eye candy. Unfortunately, when
compared with the Zodiac2’s
screen, this eye candy
isn’t all that sweet.
Features: ZodiacConnectivity:
While the QD’s
cellphone roots hurt
it in other categories,
they pay off here. The
cellphone portion of the
QD is strong thanks to
the T-Mobile service that
powered our review unit. The
QD also offers N-Gage Arena
as icing on the cake: It’s a service
that lets you download exclusive content
and connect and compete with other N-Gage
owners in a variety of games. Connecting to the
service is almost idiot proof and takes just a few
button presses. What’s more, the QD matches
the Zodiac2 by offering Bluetooth support. It’s
no joke: The QD is more connected than a
Hollywood agent. Winner: N-Gage QD