Toronto Thumbs

REVIEW
N+

When discussing a video game, I’m often inclined to think about elements outside of the game’s mechanics and how they add or take away from the core game-play of the title. With classic gaming this isn’t so much an issue. Early video games offered little story outside of the game’s goal. Space Invaders had you hunkering down, shooting at oncoming waves of alien invaders until you could do so no longer. That was it, and that was all you really needed to know.

With games having branched out to seemingly compete with other forms of entertainment, we’ve seen the introduction of full-motion video, computer-generated cut-scenes, and more recently quick time events. This is all in an effort to make video gaming a more immersing experience to the player. Now think back to the early arcade titles. While playing Pac-Man, does anything exist other than your incessant need to consume every pellet on screen while avoiding the ghosts in their aggressive state? I would say that’s an immersing game. With the exception of the humourous cut-scenes between certain stages (which also serve to give the player a quick rest), there is nothing that would take the player out of the game.

Why, then, all the need to immerse the player? We see that word a lot in the video game world these days but it can be defined in different ways depending on who is doing the talking. According to Merriam-Webster, one such definition is: “to plunge into something that surrounds or covers; especially: to plunge or dip into a fluid.” Therefore it’s acceptable to use the word to describe a game that is so compelling that the player will lose him/herself while playing the game. With this in mind, it’s true that many games can fall under this category. In fact, many games should. What’s the use of a game that doesn’t capture or demand a player’s attention?

With all this taken into consideration, one has to wonder why the word “immersive” is not in the dictionary considering its ubiquity within the world of game journalism. Perhaps it’s because bloggers are fond of creating words. This could be because sometimes real words aren’t enough, but it’s more likely because people don’t know what they’re talking about. Regardless, the term is over-used and I’m doing my part to keep it that way.

But getting back to narrative in games; it’s hard to argue that it isn’t used as a tool to immerse players. Yet I have to wonder: if classic games were already so good at capturing the attention of players, what the hell happened to gaming that made immersion such an important thing for developers to strive for? Did gaming lose its potency? At their core, games need to be fun and they need to present some sort of challenge to the player as well as a reward for completing the challenge. Adding extra frilly features to games over the years at the expense of game-play might have resulted in the death of the industry were it not for the few companies that continued to create truly great games.

And with that long-winded introduction, I’d like to talk about a little game called N+, which this year made its debut on Nintendo DS and PSP after hitting Xbox Live Arcade earlier. N+ is based on the free Flash-based downloadable game N, which was developed in Toronto by the two people who make up Metanet Software. N+ shows that the game is best played on a handheld. It’s a title that’s perfect for quick play sessions despite being incredibly difficult to put down. In N+, you are a ninja hell-bent on accumulating gold while avoiding death traps that are cleverly placed throughout levels. And that’s about as much as you’ll get in terms of a plot.

The levels are, for the most part, of increasing difficulty. They’re separated into episodes and maps, with each episode having five maps each. With 40 episodes available on the selection screen, there are 200 maps to master/survive. But with the ability to create and share maps with others, the game becomes infinitely replayable.

The game’s graphics are simple, even in the enhanced “Plus” mode. The ninja moves with grace, fluidity, and speed. The ninja can leap farther after building up momentum for a long jump, and can also bounce from wall to wall to reach higher ledges. N+ has many puzzling stages in which momentum must be used to activate switches, avoid enemies, and collect gold. The later stages are more difficult and include some of the most tenacious enemies and obstacles I’ve ever encountered in a video game. Each death trap is placed in the best (or worst) possible place. Each map is designed to kill you. Some are near impossible. But in the end, every preset map can be completed. It’s a matter of patience in figuring out the best plan of attack – no, scratch that. The ninja HAS NO ATTACKS. This is a game of pure evasion and environment mastery. While it is a 2D side-scrolling adventure, it is as much a puzzler.

But perhaps the most puzzling aspect of N+ is why this game isn’t available in the game section of every store. I can only hope it’s because people are buying it up as soon as they see it, but that’s probably not the case. I found my copy at HMV and have seen it at both Future Shop and Best Buy. If you’re a fan of painfully difficult classic games that require perfect timing to master, I cannot recommend N+ enough. At $20 for 200 maps, it’s a steal. The game is, for lack of a better word, immersive.

Posted in DS, Features, PSP, Reviews |