Nokia to relaunch N-Gage as iPad-killing games tablet

Third time lucky?

Nokia's N-Gage gaming brand seemed dead and buried, but the company is preparing to revive it (again) in order to challenge Apple's iPad.

N-Gage HD will be a games-focused touchscreen tablet, boasting a powerful processor, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and a catalogue of games from the world's top publishers.

Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Activision and Playfish are all on board as launch partners. However, Nokia's biggest coup is securing Rockstar Games to make Grand Theft Auto: Helsinki exclusively for the device.

N-Gage HD will be out this summer, and will be one of the first devices to run Nokia and Intel's new MeeGo platform.

Another advantage over iPad will be its ability to make voice calls, complete with a side-talking mode in a nod to N-Gage's past.

Meanwhile, Nokia hopes to take a venomous bite out of iPad's gaming credentials by capitalising on another bit of its history. The internally developed Snake HD: Looflirpa Chronicles will be heavily promoted at the launch of the device.