N-Gage Gets an Aftershock – WWE Aftershock

by Louis Bedigian

“We were able to tailor the game's feature set, controls and visuals specifically for the N-Gage, without the compromises required of a multi-platform game.”

Tights are not allowed in a man’s world.  We don’t like pretty, flashy things.  We don’t wear makeup.  And we don’t wash our faces.  We’re men!  We’re dirty!  And that’s just the way we like it!

…Unless we’re in a ring, playing a game we like to call “wrestling.”  In the wide world of wrestling, anything goes.  We can prance around like a ballerina, and proudly sing the words of Social Code, “I feel so beautiful today.”  Because in wrestling, it’s okay to be pretty. 

Come this May, Nokia’s N-Gage will get an exclusive grappler from THQ: WWE Aftershock.  You’ll have the chance to play as some of your favorite wrestlers, but more importantly, you’ll get be glamorous without becoming a drag queen!

WWE Aftershock is exclusive wrestling for N-Gage. What does this mean for you as a producer/developer? Are you better equipped to take full advantage of the system's capabilities?

Andy Mazurek, Producer: Absolutely! We were able to tailor the game's feature set, controls and visuals specifically for the N-Gage, without the compromises required of a multi-platform game.

Has N-Gage proven to be the mobile game device you were hoping for? Is it as powerful as a wrestling game demands?

AM: The N-Gage is a surprisingly powerful computing device. While it lacks hardware acceleration for graphics, the core processor is speedy enough to allow us to create fully articulated, real-time 3D characters.

I said Trick or Treat!  Now give me the candy or else! 

Visually, what can players expect from the game? Polygon characters? 3D backgrounds? What else?

AM: Definitely 3D characters, fully realized competition arenas, even particle and lighting effects!

In the old days, developing for a portable game console was a lot easier than developing for a home console. It was cheaper, development times were shorter, and the programming was a lot easier. That was the case with Game Boy – how does N-Gage differ? Have you found it to be just as challenging to work with as, say, PlayStation 2?

AM: One of the big differences is in the nature of the device: The N-Gage has so many capabilities beyond just games, and the software must interact well will all the features of the N-Gage. Definitely more challenging than a Game Boy, and in some ways, more challenging than any other game machine.

Who are the 10+ WWE superstars featured in WWE Aftershock?

AM: You'll have to buy the game and see!

What did it take to get their signature moves into the game? Was it difficult to create something that matched the quality of what players experience on TV?

AM: THQ has a long history of making excellent games in conjunction with our WWE partners, so really it was a matter of using that expertise and relationship, along with a phenomenal developer in Exient, that allowed us to really capture the flavor and excitement of the WWE. 

You know the battle is a brutal one when the wrestlers start to mesh together.

How are the signature moves executed? Is the control style akin to those we've seen in other wrestling games?

AM: Very similar; we rely on combo keys and multi-key presses for control. The N-Gage actually has an advantage in having more keys than the average gaming device!

Let's get into the Tournament mode. What does it entail? Can you reveal how many fights there are?

AM: We have many modes built into the game, that provide a wide variety of challenges.

Does the Main Event mode attempt to re-create unforgettable moments in wrestling? Or is it about making unforgettable moments in wrestling? Or something else entirely?

AM: It is unforgettable! 

It’d be so much easier to grab this guy if his head wasn’t glued to my stomach.

In addition to multiple single-player modes, WWE Aftershock features Bluetooth support...

AM: Yes! You can battle head-to-head over Bluetooth.

Is the N-Gage Arena supported?

AM: N-Gage Arena is used for posting to the WWE Leaderboard.

Thank you for your time.