Nokia N-Gage QD

It's second time lucky for Nokia...

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Well, Nokia's taken on board the old mother's maxim with the N-Gage - and made its gaming console-cum-mobile phone a damn sight better as a result.

The most significant overhaul is the design. Where the original N-Gage looks large and bland, the QD is reasonably sized for a handheld games console and even looks fairly funky. It's still a mite big for phone calls, but gone is the stupid sideways talking mode and you can now swap in new games without taking the battery out (as required by the old N-Gage). The buttons have also been improved a notch and are great for gameplay.

The screen's brighter than before, but it's still the weakest part of the N-Gage - we frequently found ourselves squinting at games, although it's fi ne for phone use. While most of the hardware's been improved, a couple of bits have been downgraded: there's now no USB port and no tri-band for use in the US.

Games-wise, the N-Gage is looking a lot healthier than last year. FIFA 2004 includes zillions of teams and most of the playability of the grown-up console versions, Ashen is basically a lo-res Quake that's quite fun and Splinter Cell's been turned into a so-so platformer. Sims: Bustin' Out is the real revelation, however - it's a great time-waster that's involving and well-suited to the N-Gage. Nokia's online Xbox Live-style service - N-Gage Arena - is also improving.

To clinch the deal, battery life is good, it's got Bluetooth and there's a wealth of PDA-type features. Sure, the Gameboy SP has more games, but this N-Gage is worth a second try.