The N-Gage is a hand-held device that is used two ways: as a mobile phone and to play hand-held games. It was developed to give gamers a solution of carrying both a phone and portable gaming system in one device, rather than carrying two separate objects. The N-Gage is popular for its wide variety of quality games, most of which are demos and must be purchased in order to play their licensed counterparts. However, a series of unofficial third-party games called the S60 was released. The S60 style games are superior to their Java programed counterparts, allowing greater graphics definition and higher quality sound, satisfying the N-Gage gamers' playing needs.
What S60 Games Mean
The term S60 means Symbian S60, games compatible with the N-Gage phone system. They are third-party developed software that do not fall under the official N-Gage games category. As of 2009, the latest series of the Symbian S60 games comes in the 3rd edition--or the S60v3 for short. These games can use the N-Gage's hardware more directly as opposed to their Java game counterparts, allowing seamless game play, enhanced graphics and improved sound.
Finding S60 Games
There are two types of S60 games available: commercial and free. Files that end with either the SIS or SISX file formats are S60 games compatible for play on the N-Gage hand-held systems. These are installed on your phone either by direct download from the phone's web browsing application or through your computer via the Nokia PC Suite program. Sites such as Handango or AllAboutSymbian offer a library of games for download for a monetary fee. You can try finding free games at BestSymbian; just ensure that the file extension ends with SIS or SISX.
Resolution Compatability
N-Gage portable devices use QVGA screen resolutions. This can accommodate S60 games that run either at a standard resolution of 240 by 320 pixels or on 320 by 240 pixels. It is also possible to use a lower resolution such as 176 by 208, which will give the appearance of a black border around the screen in order to fit the game properly. Most games will offer only one type of resolution for play, but a few are able to support both of the standard resolutions.
Misconceptions
While N-Gage is capable of supporting Java games, these are not the same as their S60 counterparts. One thing to look out for when downloading games is that they claim to be S60 types, but in actuality the file extensions end in either JAR or JAD. Those file extensions designate Java-supported games. What you need to look for are file types that end with SIS or SISX for the S60 games.
Free S60 Games
Free games tend to sport much more subdued graphics, due to development budget restrictions. These games are typically fashioned off the classic video games that gamers are familiar with. One example is S-Tris 2: a Tetris-style clone that is capable of playing under the two standard resolutions, and can be played either vertically or horizontally. Another free game is Frozen Bubble, where you match colored balls together so they fall from the screen (much like its original parent Bust-A-Move for the arcade platform).
Purchasable Games
With a better budget, developers are able to fashion high-end quality games that push the N-Gage to its hardware limits. Atlantis Redux by author TetraEdge is an adventure 3D game where players must solve puzzles and unravel the plot that includes over 30 minutes of video clips and voice dialogue. Another game that can be bought is Lament Island, published by Simlife Science & Technology Company; it is a multi-branched story where the phone's camera and microphone are used throughout the game. With these types of games, you definitely get what you pay for.
Tags: games that, counterparts allowing, file extensions, games compatible, N-Gage hand-held, N-Gage hardware