MOTO GP (#Screen Shots)

THQ programmed more than just the 5 and 7 buttons as acceleration and brake, respectively. You can also use the control pad to speed up or slow down, and some of the other number keys also have functions. However, given how closely spaced the keypad for the N-Gage is, someone with even moderately sized thumbs is quite likely to mash one of the other buttons. This can, of course, totally foul up your game, and I don’t know why THQ didn’t choose other buttons for functions. The phone has plenty of them.

In terms of your riders, THQ does another tried and true method – basically, they use palette swaps to designate different characters, which all have basically the same stats. I suppose you could pay lots of attention to each circumstance and find some miniscule difference between each rider, but I don’t know anyone who’s about to put that much time into this. It’s frustrating, and I don’t quite understand why they don’t just give you the choice to just choose an outfit and forego the illusion of different types of riders.

The game is rather solid graphically, perhaps the most solid of the N-Gage launch titles. The colors are perfectly balanced, and the details in the graphics are rather solid. You even get the impression that each patch on your rider actually says something – there’s a good shot of what appears to be a Marlboro logo on a few of the riders, for example. When you choose weather effects for the stage, it actually appears that the weather does affect the graphics, including some light streaks of rain during an overcast stage. Finally, the stills during interstitials are high quality digital photos, and these look lifelike enough that you probably could mistake them for something live.

The music is barely audible unless you totally turn off the sound effects, which ruins the feel of the game and shows a lazy sound department that didn’t expect someone to hear this. The sound effects are even worse. In order to simulate an engine roar, THQ apparently felt the need to record the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.

Actually, there’s just not much worth it in general for this game. It’s pretty, admittedly, really pretty. And if I just looked at games and not played them, I’d recommend it. However, when the AI can’t even play the game correctly, then something is obviously wrong.

For further information on the games offered for the Nokia N-Gage see the Official Nokia N-Gage Website by clicking the link.