The Ninja Has Landed

20 Feb / by: M&R / 59 comments / tags :

Yes, at painfully long last, N+ is available on XBLA worldwide!

We’re stuck here at GDC for the next few days, so now is your chance to get on the leaderboards before we arrive back in Toronto and “throw down”. Booyah!

The XBLA has been updated with all sorts of fancy new info, check it out here!

We put the N+ in FUN+.. you can add the FU. 😉

comments ( 59 )

  • Fantastic news, guys. Just as an aside, I’m managing the X-Box forums as we speak, and I might have some questions for you guys once you get back from the GDC – On behalf of the Xbox community. Great job, and I hope the hard work pays off!

  • That scanning laser… is that a new drone, or is that just the new version of the chaingun? The only reason I ask is that I didn’t see the chaingun in the gameplay video.

  • ALSO. You guys are getting absolutely nothing but praise from the xbox forums, which I forgot to link in the above – http://forums.xbox.com/866/ShowForum.aspx , and it’s still 6 in the freakin’ morning here. That speaks volumes to how amazing you two are.

  • I am impressed, but the levels seems easier so far -_- played to episode 6 so far and now im off, will be playing agein later.

    But the game is amazing! 🙂

  • oh and congrats to taylor F …freaking top of the charts already…

  • agh! congrats!

    how silly is it that i feel like buying a 360 for one 10 dollar game?

    /weeps

    [insert generic no-PSN-version whine here]

    i REALLY hope this game sells well though, you guys deserve every penny you make!

  • well he is top of most of the charts.

  • the laser turret is new, the chaingun is still there.. there’s also a new sort of drone, the green one. and there are electric gates too!

    unfortunately we only used the new enemies in a few maps — mostly we didn’t have enough time to experiment with them, most of our attempts just didn’t feel as fun as the ones that used the enemeis we were comfortable with. the level packs will definitely feature the new entities a lot more.. and the green “shove” drone in particular is for DDA-makers, it should be quite useful 😉

    thanks kablizzy! we’d love to do Q&A or whatever else..

    we’re really excited now that it’s out, we figured that fans would like it since we like it ourselves, hopefully it will prove addictive for newcomers as well.. eeek!

  • I do not have a 360, but I am going to buy it anyway. If this game is even a tenth as you guys make it out to be (and I believe it will be!) and I only get to play it once, I will consider it money well spent.

  • I saw the videos. This is completely awesome! Is the new drone the one that was in the gameplay video where it fires a laser in a circular path or is that just a laser drone?

    I’m glad N has come this far.

  • Darn it now you’ve made me have to go and buy a £50 network adaptor just to get this. Worth every penny though.

  • The N+ revolution has just begun.

  • Maybe I’ve missed something, but I don’t think it’s possible to play just one level. You always have to play the episode a level is in and then get to it if you want to play it.
    Was this an oversight or a conscious decision?

  • There is a cap on how many leaderboards you can have per game — i think it’s 100-200 or something — which meant we couldn’t do per-level leaderboards. Microsoft hosts them, so I’m assuming this is for bandwidth/space reasons.

    Without leaderboards, we sort of figured there was no point to having level-by-level play.. it _is_ too bad. We tried to make all of the episodes “ramp up”, so that even the later ones have one or two non-super-hard levels — that way it doesn’t take so long to play through a single episode, hopefully it will make it more attractive for episode highscores than in N.

  • CONGRAT! this is the type of game that should be XBLA! online multiplayer, co-op, great soundtrack, tons of levels… such a great game.

    congrats once again!

  • What’s with the jumping. I thought you guys said it was like the original. The DS version is definitely closer to the original in the jumping sense. Wait for the PSP or DS versions. XBLA is not worth it. Might as well play the free flash game, it’s better.

  • grats to those who have already finished, im about halfway done

  • hey guys,
    Im loving N+ but I have one suggestion. For co-op games, can you place a 3-second countdown after everyone has hit start. I’ve had to work out a system with every group i play with to select on person who hits the final button so we can all be ready for the start- and im sure as you know every half second can count in the start of some co-op levels. But other than that, i love the game, the zoom modes, and the addition of a soundtrack really got me amped at times!

  • This game is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

  • @NFan: um.. no. The XBLA version uses literally the same code for all of the physics/movement, and the DS version is quite different — a bit faster, and much “looser”. Nice try though!

    Also, how would you have played the DS version, seeing as it’s not out until april? ;p

  • @NFan: you’re an idiot.

  • Hey,

    Congratulations on an awesome game! It’s fantastic to see such a success story. I hope N+ goes on to find millions of new fans.

    The co-op levels are definitely my favourite part. My mate and I played through them all the day it came out, and we both agree it’s the most fun we’ve had with a game in a long time. We had the whole house watching us play! Now we just have to play through them all again with our roles swapped!

    I was wondering, I loved the music from the first trailer, is it anywhere in the game? Or could you tell me where it’s from so I could get my own copy?
    Also, is there any official place for feedback on the game, say if we find any bugs etc?

    Cheers!

  • great game but you guys need to patch in public custom game hosting ASAP. I dont understand why you guys left it out? Theres plenty of games on the xbox 360 which allow you to host a public user created match (like farcry).

    Without public hosting, a HUGE portion of the game is unused (The level editor). Why should I spend hours making levels just so me and my friend can play on it once by ourselves, especially at which point I have mastered the map and want others to play it? I spent time into my maps alreayd before I figured this out :(. I just want to host a public match, play 4 players and see how it goes. Not only that but since no1 can host a match, I cant play anybody elses user episodes.

    I hope this is not some sort of attempt to get us to buy the upcoming level packs. If I go make a 1 player game I can see the category “downloaded episodes” Just how am I suppose to download any if no1 can host them?

  • Ah, almost forgot. Is there anywhere in the game we can view our stats? I’d love to know how many times I’ve died by now.
    I wonder what a global leaderboard of deaths would look like!

    Cheers.

  • We have a Tutorial for the Level Editor – might help someone out that is new to this kind of game.

    http://www.genesisdevice.org/index.php/tutorials/tutorials/n+/n+_level_editor_-_the_basics.html

    N+ Is excellent – go buy it now.

  • It sucks that you can only share levels with friends. Especially as none of my friends have N+. I know for other games people put together a site where people share their Gamertags specifically for sharing levels. Does anybody know of something like that for N+? I’d like to see some awesome custom levels, but I don’t really have the time or imagination to do it myself…

    P.S. On Episode 38. Loving it.

  • Hey N+ fans, we posted the interview we did with Mare and Raigan over on GamerScoreBlog for those of you not in Canada that can’t check it out on Inside Xbox.

    http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2008/02/21/557629.aspx

    Thanks to M&R for their hospitality and an awesome interview!! And I concur, the game is Amazingly adictive.

  • hey that level editor tutorial is great! Thanks, Fallen Champ!

    About level sharing — we’ve explained this in various places, basically after the whole forza fiasco, public level sharing was disabled until the legal/operational problems could be figured out by microsoft. if/when they have a solution, we just need to flip a switch and public sharing will be allowed.. for now we could only support sharing with friends. sorry!

  • Wow, purchased it without even playing the demo first, and what a great game it is! I thought the graphics might ruin the simplistic aspect of the game and I’ve certainly been proven wrong. Great job on this guys, I’ve purchased the game and the two themes. Keep up the amazing work!

  • M&R when do we get to see your gamer tags in the ring ? 😛

  • we’re still in san francisco 🙁

  • sigh… if only it was on the psn…

  • aww well i will be latly

  • does anyone know what the music in the new advertisment video for the game was?

  • it’s from the game’s soundtrack, unless we haven’t seen the ad yet..

  • ….seems my post was edited dunno why…but it’s the video for the handheld versions of N+

  • N+ is.. made of win.

    I ask the same question philip did: what’s that handheld N+ trailer music and where can I get it? I haven’t found it in the game…
    although I may have just overlooked it..

  • i am almost done the game and i curse both m&r for the level hexicity…seriously, my controler is not responding as good as usualy….if there was i death counter that level is full of win….i really dont want to know the itme i wasted on it, now time to finish the game

  • @Schuyler

    “sigh… if only it was on the psn…”

    …i feel your pain man.. this is more torturous than i could ever have imagined.

    /weeps

  • the music for the handheld video is from the handheld soundtrack, by “5 limbs” or someone..

    about public hosting/database: the cost of renting a server from MS for a 360 game is actually more than the budget of our game! i’m not sure how other XBLA games are handling this..

  • 5Limbs is a musician out of New York, he has some contact info here :

    http://5limbs.fauxfetus.net/faux/bands/5limbs/

    It is a shame to hear that MS charges so much for hosting. Bah. Where are all the hi-scores for the leaderboards stored?

  • Yay! The sooner you get this publishing thing over with, the sooner we get back to Robotology!

  • microsoft provides hosting for X number of leaderboard entries.. this is why only the top scores have replay data, and why there are only episode scores and not level scores — we only get 100-200!

  • Although I realize you needed to revamp the looks for Xbox, I still dislike what you did visually with N. I do like the tile additions though.

  • @Fishy Boy:
    We CANNOT wait!

    @rocket:
    What about it do you dislike? We thought the XBLA graphics add a lot of detail and “flava” while staying true to the original’s minimalist style. Admittedly, we’re sort of biased 🙂

       

    ooh and ps – we just updated the N+ XBLA details on thewayoftheninja with a comprehensive list of level names!

  • alright im done it, every achivement every level… time for my review of the game.

    It was great, more then i expected. But it had its downsides, aside from the commen my A butten and right bumper are no longer responding as well, i was pretty satisfied with the way n+ flowed with the xbox controler, it almost seemed easier then the keybord. Single player was fun aside from a few frusturating levels, but that is expected. And i really hope to see level packs coming up soon, some with more of the new enamies.
    Overall the single player mode went perfectly well with how N should be, so all is well.
    Multiplayer modes. although i loved this and belived it provided a good addition, there is one thing i would have fixed. When there are 4 people and the level is divided into 2, have 2 people on one side and 2 people on the other, not just the host on one, and the rest on the other.
    multiplayer single player is fun, but its just like single player with more people so its not really that diffrent.. not so bad if your showing a freind how to beat a level though.

    i have no problems with race mode and laugh at those who go for gold.

    I do have a problem with survivle though, i dont like the whole consept of mad dash for the gold, i know when i start making my levels there will be no gold. AKA the more you die the more often you will lose.

    My suggestion now is to have a user created level pack up for cheap or nothing on XBL 😛
    i would submit to that.

    As for th graphics, it looked and felt like n+, although the black on whiteish gave sort of a rainbow effect on his outline, and without Hd you can barly see the headband but that does not matter.

    I am very impressed and got my secret achivement halfway through the game -_- way to early for my likeing. but now that im done i will level edit and mabey actuly get back to other games XD

    It is a fun game, a recomended buy

  • I’m sure it was a very long ordeal for you guys, so congratulations (I bought it 😉 ). I think the multilayer aspect is very cool… too bad my xbox keeps spazzing out on me whenever I try to go online

  • can you send episodes to others via xbox>>flash drive–>email ? i dont have a thumbdrive right now but if i could i would pick one up.

  • i am very glad to hear people are enjoying the game! i have recommended it to ALL my friends, and even many people i barely know! :p

  • Great game, as I’ve already said.
    I noticed a strange glitch, where my headband (Ascetic skin) became 6 floating dots, literally a pixel each. There was a huge gap between each dot. Very odd.
    I’m really loving the level design for the MP campaign.

  • Man I have been waiting to see this game on XBLA for a long time. But I didnt realize how addicted I would become. I generaly am not much of a “gamer” meaning I play a hell of a lot of games but rarely am I addicted to improving my skills and really trying to accomplish the seemingly impossible. To that end n+ has been incredibly satisfying. There seems to be a few bugs in the system and if you wanted bug info for any future patches let me know.

    Now for my one request and if you could add this i would be incredibly greatful. Having my own high score videos saved. Its really cool to see the top 10 guys, but when i spend 3 hours playing a episode and my girlfriend is like “why the hell did you spend so much time playing that game today?!” I can say “Watch this!” and then she can be like “Thats nice honney, now do the dishes.”

  • If you guys made this game any more epic, I think you would Asplode the internet.

    Great job, I love the Co-Op the best! (which i finally beat :))

    I still sad that you can’t unlock more colors, though.

  • oh i forgot to mention one last problem and it is with race mode, switches should always be next to doors, to avoid say waiting by the exit while the others grab the switch

  • Kotaku put up some great praise for it and convinced a lot of buyers. Super awesome!

  • Congrats on the release! I don’t have an xbox but maybe I can convince my friends to get it or something. I hope you guys make some money from this and can continue making games.

    I’m wondering, is the multiplayer on the same screen, on xbox live, or both? Multiplayer N sounds wonderful.

  • thank you everyone!

    @Forest Johnson: both! yay!

  • Cool, I don’t know about you but I think multiplayer in the same room is the only way. My gamer spirit grew up on splitscreen halo and I’m constantly disappointed by noninnovative games that offer either single player or online multiplayer, I think online multiplayer might as well be single player with a good AI in most cases.

    I wonder if N will ever get picked up as a popular LAN game. Lets hope for it !

  • N+ is well made and fun
    and I bought it because of that
    and to be able to play user maps,
    both my own and others with other people
    at any time.

    no public hosting of user maps
    is very disapointing, so I sure hope
    that it will be changed.

  • Well done guys you’ve now got your own published game! Boy am I green with envy!

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