Pocket Gamer has posted a new review of Apple's 3rd generation iPod Nano, narrowing the focus to the multimedia device's functionality as a portable gaming machine. The article examines the drawbacks of the Nano's small size, particularly when attempting to play more action oriented titles.

The nano's diminutive version of the wheel further accentuates this problem as anyone with anything but minute digits will find themselves mashing around, trying to get comfortable with the controls.

Playing any game with more of an action focus, such as Vertex , we quite often lost track of where our thumb was on the controller. There isn't enough of a physical border between the edge of the ring and the case to detect when we'd inadvertently slipped of the usable surface. Additionally, we found that when we sometimes needed a rapid movement in a last-ditch attempt to save the ball, the movement had not registered at all.

The wheel's button clicking mechanic also presented problems. Its minimal travel makes it hard to tell whether you've made the 'click'. This and the previous comments may seem like minor quibbles, but when you go from the nano back to the PSP's (new) D-pad or the wonderful buttons on the DS, there is a world of difference.

Pocket Gamer: iPod Nano Review

Apple

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