N-Gage SSX hits slopes

Electronic Arts has shipped SSX: Out of Bounds, the latest in its snowboarding franchise, for the Nokia N-Gage. The game sports an exclusive 3D game engine, allowing players to grind and flip their way through 12 tracks. It also takes advantage of the handheld's Bluetooth connection, offering head-to-head competition between gamers.

SSX offers 10 unique characters who can be customized with new attributes, including outfits and snowboards, as they rack up points. A kind of instant-replay mode lets players upload or download video clips from their games.

Nokia officials recently quelled rumors that the company is abandoning the N-Gage, despite news that it was laying off 350 R&D employees in its multimedia department, which is responsible for developing the handheld.