Update: Responding to SPOnG's request for comment, Capcom has confirmed, "At present the title is only for the N-Gage, however the iPhone is obviously a platform that we are closely looking at."

Back to our regularly scheduled coverage...


Amid the unending cooing over the iPhone and its potential for gaming, Nokia has stuck up its hand to say "We're still here" with the announcement of Capcom's Resident Evil series coming to N-Gage. That's N-Gage, not the iPhone. We'll say it again - N-Gage.

The game is called Resident Evil Degeneration - based on the CG film of the same name, which is based on... the Resident Evil games. It's all wonderfully circular, like that serpent that eats its own tail - Steve.

Actual details of the title are pretty absent from the announcement, other than the fact that the game follows the film's plot, which revolves around Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield trying to stop a terrorist's virus spreading across the Land of the Free.

At the time of press, the game is announced purely for the N-Gage platform, which has been fairly absent from the gaming landscape since it went live in April. Meanwhile, there's been all sorts of chat about how good a gaming platform the iPhone is. SEGA's been saying the device should be treated like the DS or PSP, while Apple CEO Steve Jobs has claimed, "you could make the argument that it's the best portable device for playing games".

With it looking like Capcom has gone for N-Gage and neglected the iPhone, SPOnG gets the whiff of money changing hands...

"For many years, Capcom has been entertaining people around the world with exceptional gaming experiences and we’re delighted that they have decided to release one of their most popular franchises for N-Gage. Resident Evil Degeneration will serve as an exciting new chapter for fans of the series and deliver a unique gaming experience that they will not be able to achieve anywhere else", uttered Gregg Sauter, director of third-party publishing for Nokia.

"The release of Resident Evil Degeneration illustrates our dedication to N-Gage", said Takeshi Tezuka, general manager of Capcom’s mobile Division. "We believe that the platform is an excellent home for some of our most famous franchises and our dedication to quality and creative thinking has seen us create a unique game with stunning visuals and in-depth game play, never before seen on the mobile."

SPOnG likes to think they were holding hands while they spoke.