Word of Mouth

Steve Palley knows why you should be looking forward to ONE and Duke Nukem Mobile 3D.

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Steve Palley
Associate Editor, Mobile Games

One

In the year and change since I cast my hat into the mobile games journalism ring, I can count the number of times I've been out-of-the-ballpark impressed by an upcoming product (I mean, truly flabbergasted) on one hand. Sure, I work right next to editors who preview games like Resident Evil 4 and Lumines, which make most mobile games look like cave paintings in comparison. Sure, I understand that most gamers tend to react to mobile with a level of derisive contempt that's usually reserved for street-corner preachers and conspiracy theorists. And I also understand that this skepticism was double for the Nokia N-Gage through most of 2004, and rightfully so.

Still, there are those blessed moments when I see something amazing enough to renew my faith in the latent power of this industry. My first time playing One, which took place at a Nokia press event in September, qualifies as such a revelation. Here was a game that took all the difficulties and caveats I had wearily come to expect from the N-Gage and made them look like the problems of a bygone era, kind of like the polio virus or Stalinism.

He's ready to throw down, puffy vest and all.

Although it's been relentlessly billed as a 3D gaming device, the N-Gage has never produced any sort of true 3D offering that consistently runs over a mediocre 20 frames per second or so. Not only did the pre-alpha build of One easily tack on an additional 10fps to this mark, but also it did so in high style, with lighting effects, rotating cameras, accurate shadowing, and awesome, customizable character models. All this fighting game's action and techniques will be mo-capped from one of the world's greatest living martial artists. Plus, the fighting style in question is Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, which is just about the nastiest martial art you'll find.

Extrapolating from what I saw in September, One is going to be every bit as fast and mean as the best console fighting games out there, and if you're an N-Gage owner, it's going to be on your cell phone. If Nokia and developer Digital Legends deliver on their promises, you'll be going mano a mano with fighters from all over the world by using N-Gage Arena to download opponents' profiles (a system that will work a lot like the VIP system in ESPN 2K5), which will simulate your rival's style and ability level. The online component doesn't stop there, though, because there are also going to be rankings from the city level all the way to the world level. There will also be game clans. Moreover, there will even be a latent Bluetooth challenge mode that will let you can walk around with your N-Gage to see who else thinks he or she is the rudest brawler around.

Thanks to some great releases toward the end of 2004, the N-Gage now has a few games that justify its existence. It's time to move on and start trashing the competition. I don't know what the landscape will look like around E3 time, which is when One will finally come out, but I think this game will impress a lot of people no matter what.

Duke Nukem 3D

Mobile is hot right now. Mobile is where the money is. Everyone wants in on mobile.

Mobile games are the future.

If you're as familiar with the industry as I am, you've been hearing these exact same lines for years. The first three appear to be true. The last one is categorically false, because mobile games, as presently constituted, are actually the past. The most popular games, by a wide margin, are simple pastimes like Tetris and Blackjack, or classic games like Pac-Man. That's just fine, and it's also understandable, because not many other types of games have been made to work well on cell phones. Making a game that involves a lot of fast-twitch action often constitutes an unacceptable business risk for many mobile publishers.

Hail to the king, baby!

In 2005, things are going to be different. A lot different. That's because there are finally some cell phones coming to US shores that can play video games that you will recognize as such. One of the first will be Duke Nukem 3D, a very simple action game, to be sure, but one that every redblooded GameSpot reader will be more than happy to play.

Duke Nukem 3D isn't Half Life 2. It's a basic exercise in running, gunning, strafing, and keycard collecting. But I'd wager that when you whip out your LG VX7000 and start playing Nukem in front of your gamer friends, they'll clamor for a turn. This game runs at a stupendous speed, easily trumping the same game on the Tapwave Zodiac. It looks better, too, thanks to the great 3D character modeling. This is more than a strange little tech demo; it's a perfectly legitimate first-person shooter for your cellular telephone, and developer MachineWorks Northwest will expect you to treat it like one. You should be prepared to open your wallet to the tune of $10 for the privilege, and you should also get ready to enjoy the experience. Duke Nukem 3D is really fun.

I genuinely hope that Verizon Wireless will give this game the exposure it deserves when it comes out in March or April. I have my doubts, though, due to the company's past record of conservatism. Wherever Duke Nukem 3D ends up on the Get It Now decks, however, I suggest you try to find it. It may be the start of something beautiful.