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Nokia's revamped gaming platform, N-Gage, is now available in a pre-release edition called N-Gage First Access for users of the the mobile phone giant's N81 smartphone (in both the standard and 8GB versions). Delayed, Nokia planned to roll out N-Gage late last year, but didn't because software testing has taken longer than expected.

No longer a standalone device, N-Gage is now the gaming portal of Nokia's new Ovi group of online services. "Ovi" means "door" in Finnish, and the company plans for Ovi to be a door to a variety of online applications. In addition to N-Gage, Ovi will also include a music service, online maps, and other unspecified social networking services.

N-Gage will give Ovi customers offer a way to try out, buy and download games to as well as access community services on supported smartphones. To access N-Gage services, users must download and install the portal as a standalone application first. The same goes for the N-Gage First Access.

According to Nokia's N-Gage Blog:

N-Gage First Access allows Nokia N81 owners to download the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, try and buy N-Gage games, and provide feedback on the experience. It’s a great opportunity to be the first to join the new wave of mobile play. The features available through this pre-release version of theN-Gage application are constantly evolving, so keep in mind that this offering is only the beginning, and our feature set, game catalog and device portfolio will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead.

You can learn more about and download N-Gage First Access at the N-Gage Blog here, where you’ll also find a helpful FAQ and support forum.

Engadget reports N-Gage First Access has already been hacked to run on Nokia N95 uber smartphone. You can download the hack or access directions to perform it here.