XBLA: N+

March 6th, 2008 by

 

N+

Play Time: 4½ Hours
Progress: 35 Single Player Missions Cleared

Addicting, fast paced, neato physics, multiplayer mayhem and the power to be a pink ninja. From a small flash game to a 10 dollar xbox 360 live arcade game, this game has evolved to have everything that I want in an arcade game!… and maybe you too.


Visuals & Audio:
The audio for N+ is all techno and very up-beat. It stays stuck in your head long after you play the game, but remember, others don’t like to hear it when you’re nowhere near an Xbox 360. From flying missiles and explosions, to breaking legs and “splatting” body pieces, this game’s sound effects are spot on.

Yes the game is blocky, but the blocks are so… smooth? Graphics are clear, colours are bright and characters are distinctive (my standards are set by the fact that this is an XBLA game). Overall these visuals are “sweet & awxum” :).

Gameplay:
N+ has addictive gameplay, PERIOD! The gameplay is fast at most times, but can often halt when you are confronted by a difficult level that has you restarting from right at the beginning multiple times. If you have played this game you will say “the levels are short, so who cares if you start from the beginning”, well I debate your outburst with an “I CARE!” Seriously though, some levels are really hard. While this often makes for a good challenge, it could end up hurting someone (or something, like a kitten) in your vicinity.

I have yet to discuss the mechanics of the game, so I guess I better jump on that. You’re a small ninja packed into a variety of different sized rooms. Most levels contain big rooms, but you will occasionally get the small rooms. No worries, though, because the room size does not decide the balance of the difficulty that you will face. Your objective is to flip a switch, usually on one side of the room, that opens up a door on a different side of a room. You then enter this now opened door to complete the level, but all at the same time you must avoid hazards such as proximity mines and evil destructive laser shooting, ninja homing, turret firing ROBOTS!

Oh, by the way, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS BECAUSE IT HAS IT’S VERY OWN MAP EDITOR!

Multiplayer:

Multiplayer is exactly the same as single player… TIMES FOUR! Yes, online and offline you can play with up to four other players on any mode. Co-op is extremely fun, especially if you have very dramatic friends who have no problem sayi-… yelling what they think if the occasion calls for it. The only problem I found with the multiplayer is that sometimes you will run into a lag spike where you will suddenly be shifted right into the middle of an enemy. BAM!

Pros:
+ Quick & Solid Gameplay For Only 10 Dollars
+ 4-Player Cooperation Online & Offline
+ Nice Visuals & Audio
+ Map Editor

Cons:
– Repetitive
– Difficult
– Occasional Online Lag
– No Ninja Turtles

This game receives a big:

8/10

 

Blue Unicorn Usagi Award