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Goldrake · (This post was last modified: 08-13-2025 09:41 PM by Goldrake.)

Hi everyone. On Nokia 208 and Nokia 301, when I play some Java games, specifically those with sound effects + bgms (especially Gameloft ones), the sound crashes completely after a couple of minutes, and I have to restart the phone to fix it. This doesn't happen on the Nokia 206 (which, however, is slower than the previous models, and has fewer colors on the screen). These two S40 models have 2 MB of RAM available for j2me (of 64 MB total on the Nokia 301).
Games that only have background music work perfectly, but if they only have sound effects, after a few minutes you can't hear anything anymore, even when opening other applications, and I have to restart my phone.
Does anyone know the cause of this sound issue? Perhaps a technical explanation in simplified terms, not a simple platitude like "those models suck!"
Does anyone know if this problem can be fixed? Thanks.

**Abidemhie** · 08-14-2025, 12:23 AM

Maybe try restoring factory settings or flash the phone with stock firmware

Goldrake · (This post was last modified: 08-14-2025 09:55 PM by Goldrake.)

Thanks for the reply, Chief. The settings are the original ones on both, never modified, but I'll try restoring them anyway. I also owned another Nokia 301 in the past that had the same audio problem. My guess is that it's a defect in the original software of a whole series of models.
Regarding flashing the stock firmware, aside from the fact that I'm not able to do it, I don't see the need since they've never been altered in any way: they work with the OFW.
Nah, it's an inherent problem with the OFW, but maybe it can be fixed somehow, who knows. I'll wait for someone who owns the same models to tell me about their experience.
These latest Nokia keypad phones have the advantage of allowing you to play thousands of Java games from an SD card, directly and without having to install anything on the phone. However, I've also tried games installed to the internal memory, and they have the same sound issue. Regards.

Edit: Well, I rebooted my Nokia 301 to factory settings, and tested Block Breaker Deluxe (2007, 590 kb), the version with sound effects during gameplay: after the third stage, the sound disappeared, as usual, even for the other games, forcing me to turn the phone off and on again, shit! I'm idiot

Edit 2: I noticed, while using the game "Snakes.io" (which has the option to view FPS and RAM usage in real time), that the RAM usage (of the 2 MB available for j2me games) constantly increases from 1 to 100% in about a minute, only to start the process all over again, even just by leaving the game in the options menu: a constant, inexorable, and unjustified loss of RAM, a process that repeats endlessly (on both the Nokia 208 and 301). Is this normal, or is it a defect of these late Asha models? I don't know

Goldrake · (This post was last modified: 08-16-2025 11:47 AM by Goldrake.)

Hmm... Alas, it's a real shame that there's so little interest in S40/S60 phones and Java games these days, and I'm sad to note only now that this site has become a barren wasteland populated only by a few ghosts here and there. What a shame! The world of J2ME games is full of hidden and surprising gems, still enjoyable today; not to mention some unknown, incredible chinese shoot-em-ups or russian 3D FPS hacks. There's so much more to discuss....
In any case, I'll check back every now and then to see if anyone interested in the topic finds the courage to register and reply to this thread. Sincerely, yours truly. ;-)

**Abidemhie** · 08-17-2025, 12:51 AM

I use Nokia E5-00 and I don't have any issues with it. Even my Nokia 201 didn't have any issues before I stopped using it.

Goldrake · 08-17-2025, 08:21 AM

I see, I see. Lucky you! Both of those models you mentioned have a horizontal resolution (320x240) and their games are often different and simplified compared to those for vertical models (240x320). However, the first is an s60 (Symbian) and the second is quite old: I was referring to the latest s40 models (the ones produced in India). In any case, thanks for the clarification, lad.

King_Dave · (This post was last modified: 08-19-2025 07:08 PM by King_Dave.)

Are you using a Memory card on it?
If yes, it might be the cause...

I have faced a similar issue once and the cause was the external card I used...

Goldrake · (This post was last modified: 08-19-2025 09:14 PM by Goldrake.)

(08-19-2025 07:05 PM)King_Dave Wrote: Are you using a Memory card on it?
If yes, it might be the cause...

I have faced a similar issue once and the cause was the external card I used...

As I mentioned in the second post of this thread, I also tried installing the games to the phone's internal memory, but after a few minutes of playing, the same thing happens. Again, this only affects games with frequent sound effects (e.g., Assassin's Creed series, Asphalt series, Bubble Bash series, etc.). so sad

If the game only plays background music, everything works perfectly.

P.S. Thinking about it more closely, it's true that I also played games installed on the phone, but there was still an SD card inserted (although unused). I'll have to try again without a card inserted. There's no harm in trying. Smoking & ease

(Sad) Update: Nah, unfortunately the game's sound effects crash after a few minutes, even if no SD card is inserted. Again I tested Block Breaker Deluxe, and in the third stage, with six marbles on the screen and several sound effects playing at the same time, due to the breaking of numerous bricks, the sound disappeared...