N+

March 7,2008 - Indie games are still not flooding the downloadable games arena on the PS3 and Xbox 360 just yet, but the ones that do make their way through the entrance tend to be quite unique compared to the rest of the games we’re fed. N+ doesn’t change that trend, as these kinds of puzzle platforming games are mostly found on the PSP and DS. Though it will appear on those platforms soon enough, the Xbox Live Arcade version is the first one out of the gate to bring the way of the ninja to the HD screen.

While N+ doesn’t really have a story, it does have a basic story that more or less is describing the game itself. The N itself stands for the way of the ninja, a training system that enhances the ninja’s most important traits. You, as a ninja, are searching for gold in these rooms filled with lethal ninja-killing robots. These rooms are divided into groups of five, called episodes, as you start with a 90-second lifetime that can only be extended by collecting gold while activating the door-opening mechanism and racing towards the door to stop the time.

N+ did start out life as a free downloadable game on the PC, called N, and that will be the main beef gamers will have with this $10 XBLA game. So what does it offer that could make it worth $10? There are hundreds of new levels spread throughout the game, which includes 250 levels for single-player and 150 for multiplayer. There are multiplayer modes, which includes co-op (through the single-player episodes or exclusive co-op episodes), race, and survival modes. Add in some new enemies and an upgrade to HD graphics and you should have an idea of just how much there is to do for the price.

The single-player of N+ is quite an addictive experience. With each episode being fairly short and the game switching between levels and episodes smoothly, it’s hard to not just go with the game’s insistence to play just one more level. That doesn’t mean that it’s not challenging, which it can get frustratingly hard at times, but it’s that kind of difficulty that makes you play 20 times in a row to get that routine down just right. To help you out, you can check out videos of the top 10 scores for that episode and get an idea of what you’ve been doing wrong. With so many levels to play through, there are definitely a ton of great levels that are fun to play through whether the level looks that way or not.

N+’s multiplayer works best in co-op mode, as it’s just an extension of the single-player mode with friends. Race and survival are fine in their own right, but they don’t just feel like the main modes you’ll be attracted to. There is a great level editor, as it’s easy to use and build some interesting levels that could equal the ones included with the game. It’s a shame that you can’t freely download these levels, but instead you must play with others online in a user-created level. That seems to have been a Microsoft move to stop distribution of inappropriate levels, but it greatly hurts the appeal of finding the great levels that players come up with. Luckily, more levels are planned for DLC, so new levels can be had at some point for those that crave for more.

The visuals of N+ are a bit hard to judge. They’re very stylized, but not to an amazing degree. They definitely get the job done and look rather nice in areas when there are many things going. Though it doesn’t look like it at first, N+ is a rather violent game as you fall on mines and see a little spurt of blood while your limbs flying in several directions, possibly even towards more mines. The levels are designed extremely well with clever designs like the 360 controller, a cactuar-like person, and words like mines and the N+ logo are just a few of the nicest levels. The

In the audio department, there’s really not much going for N+. The standard music is kind of a drab, futuristic techno/trance music that doesn’t really fit the game. Luckily, you can use the custom soundtrack to listen to your own music over it. Like the gore, N+ has some nice sound effects for the mines and the dismemberment of your body that make the game feel more violent than you’d expect.

So it’s not really anything about N+ itself that will turn people off, as it’s a fun game in its own right with a ton of content in this one little package. Those that can get around the whole “but it’s free on the PC” obstacle will find an enjoyable game. It’s a shame that the sharing of user-created levels has been incredibly gimped to the point where DLC will be your main way of obtaining new levels now, and that may cost you in the end. Unless you’re highly anticipating the handheld release of the game or are just a cheap ass, there’s no reason to not buy this addictive puzzle platformer.

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