Hands on with One for N-Gage

We haven't written much about One yet, perhaps because, as a sequel to a game that came out relatively late in the last N-Gage's lifetime, it didn't grab us as quickly as some of the brand new titles (for example, Creatures of the Deep).

But that's unfair, because One could be an important game for Nokia's new N-Gage platform. It's a beat-'em-up with impressive 3D graphics and animation, which lays down a marker for the technical capabilities of the platform, while also sticking a meaty thumb in the eye of the naysayers who claim mobile phones can't do brawlers.

The game follows on from the original One (so shouldn't it be called Two?), in that you're now the best fighter on the planet and so have to maintain your position against a host of wannabe champions. Like the previous title, too, all the stops have been pulled out visually.

"All the fighting moves have been motion captured, like they were in the first release," says producer Timo Toivanen from Nokia. "We had some Scottish martial arts experts performing them. If we want to be top of the food chain of fighting games, we have to do it in the right way."

One thing we wondered after playing the latest build ("It's not even in beta yet," says Timo) is what kind of a beat-'em-up One is. Although you can punch and kick with aplomb, the odd jammy counter attack makes us wonder – like games such as the frighteningly hardcore Virtua Fighter series – whether this is something you won't get the most out of without a lot of practice.

"It depends," says Timo. "If you've never played any fighting games, the learning curve is pretty steep. But once you learn the moves, it feels natural. Of course, you have combos, but not the same amount as in the first game. This version is not as hard as the original One."

We played it on an N81 in landscape mode, using the directional pad to move, and the two buttons above the screen (or on its right when holding the phone sideways) to punch and kick. It felt considerably more natural than when we shifted to an N73 in portrait mode, anyway.

As a side issue, we think gamers may have problems playing the faster paced N-Gage titles on the N73. The red call-reject button is just too close to its right softkey and also the '3' key, meaning it's too easy to jab it and quit games when trying to press either of those inputs in a hurry.

Nevertheless, One is shaping up as a fun game, which will only be improved by its Bluetooth multiplayer mode, and online N-Gage Arena features – you'll be able to see your ranking against other players around the world. It's due out in 2008, and is certainly one to watch.