I may have a tendency to allow expletives to slip from my mouth on the not so rare occasion, but believe it or not I rarely curse when playing video games. My frustration venting activity of choice is constantly reminding the television it is number one in the form of showing it my nicely manicured middle finger. One game breaks that mold though, maybe because I play it on my Nintendo DS so I don’t have a controller to first throw before flipping the bird. More than likely it’s because the load time in between when I die and when I get another opportunity to pass that level is nonexistent. Good thing too because otherwise N+ and my middle finger would be more than well acquainted at this point.
I started playing N+ a few weeks ago after debating which console to get it on. Currently available for the Xbox 360 Arcade, the Nintendo DS, and the PlayStation Portable, I finally opted for the DS version as I prefer my handheld games to feature short episodes since I typically use it at brief intervals when traveling, waiting for appointments, and whatnot. A classic platformer featuring a character with an extremely short life span, it seemed perfect for my DS. It’s also perfect for my never-ending quest to invent a wider vocabulary of original profanity-laced phrases.
In N+ you play as this little ninja dude who is controlled by only two things, the directional pad and the jump button. If it sounds simple, it’s because it is. Controls are basic. Graphics are basic. Gameplay is basic. Difficulty, not so much. So your little ninja dude, who can only run and jump, has a limited amount of time he can traverse his way through 200 levels filled with obstacles and various objects that want him dead. Those various objects will become the bane of your N+ existence. I wish I could express to you just often I die in this game but unfortunately numbers do not go that high. Yes, I realize there is no such thing as the highest number. And yes, I have died more times than that. If this article contained as many curse words as I have muttered under my breath while playing this game, it would be googolplex pages long. Look it up. That’s fucking long.
So, back to this little ninja dude. Each level has a place where you start and a door where you finish. In order to open the door that allows you to complete a level, you have to touch a green light. I just realized a green light signifies go. How witty is that? Almost as witty as I am for figuring that out! So you start, work your way to the green light, then go to the door to finish each level. In between all of that are certain things attempting to make your life more difficult. There are things that shoot lasers and things that shoot missiles. There are things that run along the ground and things that float around the sky. There are proximity mines and timed mines. There are so many things that want to kill you and that will succeed in killing you. Along with all of those bad things, there are also gold coins that when collected, increase the time you have left to complete your level. Gold = Good. Everything else = Bad.
Some levels you will finish in five seconds flat with no problems at all. Other levels you will never finish, not even after attempting it googolplex (I love that word, seriously) times. N+ reminds me a lot of those old school video games you used to play at the Arcade when you were younger (assuming you are an old fart like me). Those games where you popped in a quarter and had only three lives to beat the whole thing. Those games that you tried for months upon months to beat and victory remained just outside your grasp. Those games that you were convinced you could beat if you just kept on trying. Those games that when you finally beat them six months later, they gave you the best fucking feeling in the world. That is what N+ is like. Frustrating as hell but rewarding as hell as well. Those looking for a relaxing Loco Roco experience will not like it. Those seeking a challenge with the determination and dedication to come out the winner? This one’s for you. Just get your expletives ready. I guarantee you’ll need them. Speaking of things you’ll need, grab your earplugs as well. The music is nowhere near tolerable, as if you could ever hear it over your cursing anyways.
I haven’t ventured into multiplayer yet but that is next on my list of things to do. Have you played this game on any of the platforms it is available on? If so, what did you think of it? Better yet, explain the map-editing to me. Talk about confusing!
Posted by mendicantbias00 on September 26, 2008 at 11:29 am
I was considering getting this game, now I think I will have to!
I love increasing my vocabulary!!!
Posted by Kurt on September 26, 2008 at 11:37 am
I got this game on XBLA a couple months ago. It’s definitely a fun game to play for just a little bit as certain levels are nearly impossible. I haven’t tried the map editor yet though. Strangely I’ve gotten a couple people who don’t play video games to play this, there was a bit of a learning curve as to how to control the jumping though.
Posted by SoxKid05 on September 26, 2008 at 11:39 am
i play this all the time online…it seems easier/cheeper haha
Posted by GrowingDemon on September 26, 2008 at 11:51 am
I enjoy this game a lot, even if it is insanely difficult.
Posted by bs angel on September 26, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I haven’t played the Xbox 360 version. I’m interested in how it compares to the handheld one that I’m playing.
Posted by snorkle256 on September 26, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Well the 360 version is more like the web version. You can see the entire screen but I think he looks really small because of it. Still, I love my N
Posted by alecm2012 on September 26, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Download the trial! I bought it months ago and still loving it.
Posted by Deadlock on September 26, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I just use the flash PC version, it’s the same in my opinion ;)
Posted by Das Kalk on September 26, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I liked the demo, but I almost never play XBLA games, no idea why. Hey angel, maybe tomorrow you can compose a list of XBLA games to get before XBL goes down Monday, that would be pretty neat!
Posted by PikminGod on September 26, 2008 at 2:22 pm
the 360 version’s difficulty JUMPS once you hit the halfway point…and xbl multiplayer is dumb cuz the people you get stuck with are idiots…but it is a fun game overall…if yyou get it on 360 hitme up and i’ll parlay
Posted by SoxKid05 on September 26, 2008 at 4:02 pm
yeah deadlock!!! hooray for not putting effort into buying stuff haha.
Posted by Mondo Titan on September 26, 2008 at 4:15 pm
i played this alot on my computer last year and i can say that the console version (i played the demo for the 360) just doenst compare in terms of accuracy. being in the air for an extra tenth of a second could be the difference between dying and narrowly evading one of 4 rockets following your person at any given time.
“It’s also perfect for my never-ending quest to invent a wider vocabulary of original profanity-laced phrases.”
best. line. ever. mostly because i relate all to well with the need to find new ways of expressing anger at silly little ninja’s and other such sources of pure frustration.
Posted by Legendary Blue on September 26, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I bought this game on my Xbox 360 because I originally loved playing it on the computer. I gotta say any level that has the homing rockets makes me so angry sometimes I just mumble random curse words at that little ninja like its his fault lol. It gets really tough near the end.
Posted by Doc on September 26, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’ve been playing the 360 one since it came out, and have enjoyed it. It does get really hard (those stupid rockets). The music on this one isn’t all that bad, I like it. I really like the levels that have a ton of mines, blowing myself up and watching the parts fly around and then set of mines, has become a pasttime of mine.
snorkle – You can zoom in, I believe there is 3 levels of zoom.
Posted by Mopy09 on September 26, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I have this game on the 360. I haven’t played it in a while. Maybe I should go try to beat it.
Posted by TheChrisD on September 27, 2008 at 5:33 am
I completed about 20 episodes on the DS version of the game, died about a thousand times (mostly due to those poxy mines).
Then when I was starting single-player, I accidentally clicked New Game, instead of Continue, and then -bam!- all gone :(
Posted by Ragingterror on September 27, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I prefer the PC version, myself. It’s a frustrating game for sure, but there is a reason it is so popular…
Posted by Naepa34 on September 29, 2008 at 5:02 am
wow, looks like I’m gonna check it out.