Nokia has announced has announced the pre-release version of the N-Gage gaming application called N-Gage First Access for Nokia N81 and other S60 v3 mobile devices. This pre-release software versioned 1.0 is the near final version of the N-Gage First Access application with some differences in features and functionality.

As previously covered here, the N-Gage service allow users to download, preview and play all N-Gage games for free on their NSeries mobile phone and buy a game through the device or desktop PC. Users can also connect to friends and other players in the N-Gage Arena community and play multiplayer games with them from their S60 device.

When you first go online with this pre-release version of the N-Gage application, you will be prompted to create an N-Gage Player Name and password, and provide an email address. This will be your temporary First Access Player Name that will be valid for the duration of N-Gage First Access.

There are several N-Gage game trials bundled within the download zip file. However Nokia will be adding additional games to the Games Showroom on the pre-release version of the software on an ongoing basis.

The default game pack includes:

N-Gage application (required) (6.3MB)
Space Impact: Kappa Base (11.7MB)
System Rush: Evolution (13.2MB)
Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep (28MB)

While officially it is only available for Nokia N81, P@sco at Jaspp.net has managed to extract and unsis the package taht can be installed on any Nokia S60 3rd Edition mobile device.

Click here to download the unofficial version of the N-Gage First Access mobile client.