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A blog reader and N-Gage fan has let me know about his website Shaysoft, which is dedicated to all things Nokia and  has now begun covering N-Gage games with reviews. The site is called Shaysoft and can be found at the web address www.shaysoft.net. Among the games he’s reviewed so far are Dance Fabulous, Spore Origins, Worms World Party, and Brain Challenge.

Here’s an example of the site’s take on Dance Fabulous:

“I think this is the most important part of this game because it all depends on you. You can import musics what you like. It only supports MP3/M4A or aacplus version files. So make sure your musics are all MP3/M4A or aacplus version.”

Read the full review here, and of course visit the entire Shaysoft N-Gage section here. Incidentally, an updated version of Dance Fabulous is being released shortly.

Attention Mobile Bowlers! The AMF Bowling Pinbusters game for N-Gage has arrived, and with it comes a brand new tournament challenge. Grab your bowling shoes, polish up your bowling ball and great ready to hit the mobile bowling lanes for your chance to win a trip for two to Malaysia, among other great prizes!

THE ROAD TO VICTORY

The tournament takes place through July 31st, 2009. N-Gage Players who participate may simply upload their bowling average to the N-Gage Arena from the FULL version of the N-Gage game, AMF Bowling Pinbusters. Players’ bowling average must have at least 18-games to be eligible in the tournament. The player with the best average at the end of July 2009 will be declared our champion. Enjoy the N-Gage experience as you bowl your way to victory and go for your chance at the amazing grand prize.

HOW DO I ENTER?

It’s easy! Visit the Tournament Page, here.

Gus antes up with N-Gage’s first online multiplayer poker title, Million Dollar Poker

Mobile players can now bring their skills to the online table, and play against N-Gage users world-wide.  Featuring the world-famous poker superstar, Gus Hansen, Million Dollar Poker is now released on N-Gage.

Million Dollar Poker ups the ante for poker on handheld, with sophisticated AI opponents ‘trained’ by poker master Gus Hansen.  Hansen worked with Gameloft to create real plays that will challenge every skill level.

Players can also compete against their real poker buddies, by challenging up to 5 players to a tournament via their mobile device, using the multiplayer platform on N-Gage.

There are four main play modes; Online Multiplayer, Exhibition, Career (mixing cash games and tournaments) or Heads-Up Duels.  And just like real world poker, players need to prove themselves in tournaments before they get to sit at the big money tables.

Million Dollar Poker is now available in your N-Gage application, and will be available on the Website within 24-48 hours.

Gus Hansen poker tips, game trailer and other downloadable content can be found at gushansen.n-gage.com.

The best-selling games for June 15-21

Platform: N-Gage

Reach: Global

*PEGI: is the The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system established in 2003 to help parents make informed decisions on buying games

Pocket Gamer’s Jon Mundy has been coaxed onto the dance floor with Dance Fabulous, the new rhythm music game for the N-Gage platform. He notes that while not an enthusiast of actual dancing, he found the game easy to get into and a lot of fun to play.

In his review, he gives it an 8 out of 10, saying it may have the highest production values of any N-Gage game. He goes on to say:

“So the biggest surprise is how beautifully simple Dance Fabulous is. Rather than the Yes-style prog-rock epic we might have expected given the number of players involved, Nokia has come up with a sweet Beatles pop song - catchy as hell and accessible to all.

“But with such superb production values (possibly the best on N-Gage), a refreshingly open-ended game mechanic and a compelling drip-feed of unlockables, anyone with an open mind and a sense of fun should overcome their British reserve and get dancing. Preferably fabulously.”

Read the complete Pocket Gamer review here.

On the other hand, not everybody gets the game. Mikey Bee of NokNok.tv found the game “baffling” in his review, noting, “Why would anyone in their right mind want to play this game?” Fortunately he turned the game over to his daughter, who gave the game 4 and a half stars in review, and has been happily playing the game for over a week with no signs of letting up.

Read the entire NokNok.tv review here.

The best-selling games for June 8-15

Platform: N-Gage

Reach: Global

*PEGI: is the The Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system established in 2003 to help parents make informed decisions on buying games

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite video in the “Symbian-Guru Don’t Hate The Player Video Contest.” Further details from the site:

“Three weeks ago, we introduced the Symbian-Guru Don’t Hate The Player video contest, with three lucky winners getting to choose any currently-shipping N-Gage device that they want, which includes the Nokia N97 and Nokia N86 8MP! The contest was, admittedly, a bit more difficult, but we ended up with 16 entries, which is quite good. Oddly, the Bounce Boing Voyage video garnered more entries than the One. The contest is now closed, and voting is open as of right now.”

Check out the funny videos here, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite. Here’s a sample of one of the creative efforts:

Get ready to roll! The third party N-Gage game AMF® Bowling: Pinbusters!™ is now available for download through your N-Gage application. Visit the Showroom tab, click ‘Update Now’ and check the latest games list. The free trial will appear on the Website game page within the next 24 hours, for those who would rather download it that way.

Experience the thrill of the lanes in the palm of your hands with AMF Bowling Pinbusters! Players can choose from 12 unique characters, each with their own signature style and moves, bowl in fantastic 3D venues, and enter the World Cup to become a virtual bowling champion!

Bowl in Quick Play, Precision, and Duckpins modes or experience all the excitement of multiplayer via N-Gage Arena. AMF Bowling Pinbusters! on N-Gage features Point Pickups, allowing users to collect N-Gage points and track high scores. Players will have the ability to post their scores to a leader board as well as track their personal bests on their devices.

Join the AMF eClub!

Are you a bowling fan? Join the club and earn a gift for joining, a gift on your birthday, and special email offers available to members of the eClub. Click here to become a member.

NokNok.tv has reviewed Cafe Sudoku for the N-Gage platform. Overall they like the game well enough, giving it four out of five stars and finding it inexpensive, diverting, and a good version of Sudoku. They are annoyed by a few things, such as purchasing haircuts in the cafe or the background music, as this review snippet shows:

“Overall, though, four quid is a relatively small price to pay for this efficient and harmless little title. Just make sure you turn off the incredibly irritating background music, or your fellow commuters might rise up as one and pitch you through the carriage window.”

Read the whole thing here, then the try the game yourself with a free trial.

Lots of Reset Generation news today. I just got the heads up that the www.resetgeneration.com website has been upgraded, now offering suppport for Macintosh and CentOS (a version of Linux), in addition to the original Windows platform. Furthermore, both the updated Reset Generation game application on your device now support the Russian language.

And if that’s enough news for one post, we’ve just launched Reset Generation onto Kongregate, the leading indie gaming site one the Web. From the official press release:

“We’re thrilled to bring Nokia’s Reset Generation to an even broader audience of new players on Kongregate,” said Jim Greer, CEO and co-founder of Kongregate. “While millions of N-Gage enthusiasts as well as PC players have responded to the great retro-style gaming experience of Reset Generation, we’ll be introducing the game to millions more.”

Scott Foe, Reset Generation’s creator commented, “We at Nokia are excited to share Reset Generation with Kongregate’s player community. And we’re just plain ecstatic to announce that Reset Generation is now playable on Mac OS — welcome back to the playground of your youth!”

So what are you waiting for? Check it out on Kongregate.com, and the new Reset Generation.com!