Year of Release: 2003. The console’s functionalities moved to mobile gaming smartphones in 2007. Service will be discontinued at the end of 2010.
Quick Overview: We already game on our phones, so why not create a handheld gaming console that could do both? The Nokia N-Gage tried to mimic the Game Boy Advance, but added mobile phone capabilities to gain interest.
Best Game on the System: Pocket Kingdom: Own The World
The mobile MMORPG was based on Sega’s Dragon Force, with a fun twist. Each character is self-aware that they are in a video game and l33t speek – perfect for geeky gamers.
Reason for Downfall: Costly and poor layout
It was first sold for $299, but retailers began offering $100 discounts only after two weeks to drum up sales. Still, gamers opted to get cheaper actual handheld gaming devices and a separate mobile phone. Since the N-Gage tried to do both, the buttons were made more for dialing instead of gaming annoying gamers. (The Gameboy Advance SP, released on the same day, outsold the N-Gage 100 to 1.)
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