| N v1.4 | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Metanet Software |
| Publisher(s) | Metanet Software |
| Designer(s) | Raigan Burns, Mare Sheppard |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Release date(s) | PC: May 16, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media/distribution | Adobe Flash executable download |
N is a freeware video game developed by Metanet Software. It was inspired in part by Lode Runner, Soldat, and other side-scrolling games. A console version of the game has been released for the Xbox Live Arcade under the title N+ (also available for the Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable system). It won the audience choice award in the downloadables category of the 2005 Independent Games Festival.[1]
Contents |
In N, the player controls a ninja who navigates tile-based levels while simultaneously avoiding hazards, collecting gold, and eventually opening an exit door which completes the level. Gameplay involves three keys — a move-left key (default left arrow), a move-right key (default right arrow), and jumping (default shift key). Combination of these moves on various types of terrain allows the ninja to perform a variety of movements, such as jumping from wall to wall, climbing up vertical inclines, and sliding down steep surfaces.
As of version 1.4, N contains one hundred episodes (numbered 00 – 99). Each episode features five levels (numbered 0 – 4). N has a total of 500 maps, 450 of which are made by Metanet Software. The remaining 50 levels are user levels hand-picked by Metanet. The goal of each level is to trigger the switch and exit through the door it opens within the time limit. Some levels have more than one exit and associated switch, giving the player more freedom to decide his route and method of completing the map.
Each episode is given a cumulative time limit. At the beginning of level 0, the player is given 90 seconds to complete the next five levels. The episode's time limit can be increased by collecting gold, which adds two seconds per piece. The time left at the end of each level carries over to the next level. The only exception is the final level, in which the time left becomes that episode's score.
N also contains a feature that adds support for custom, user-made levels. This is done through a built-in level editor called NEd, or the "N Editor". For version 1.4, Metanet selected a handful of fan-made maps that are given to players with the game's download. Levels can be added into a game by modifying a text file accompanying the game that contains user level data. The most significant difference about user levels is that they do not support N's episode structure.
Doors can allow or impede progress throughout levels. With the exception of the exit door, all doors will impede enemies if closed (with exception of the thwump and the floorguard)
The ninja can also die by hitting the environment at excess speed; this scenario however, is valid only in the case where the ninja hits a surface perpendicular to the direction of jump/fall. The most common example is falling straight down to a flat surface from a certain height, but can also include more unusual situations like falling diagonally toward an incline or wall-jumping too aggressively and thereby flying into the ceiling at a dangerous speed. Landing on a spike is possible, but can kill the ninja if he jumps on it from a lower height than a perpendicular tile.
As of v1.4, the player is rewarded with the ability to change the color of the ninja, or the ninja's flavor. The default flavor is black, and a new color is rewarded after reaching the last level in a column.[2] The flavors are rewarded in a specific order, regardless of which column is completed, and are as follows:
| Columns completed | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color unlocked | Black | Pink | Olive | Teal | Purple | Maroon | White1 | Gold | Dark Gray2 | Light Gray3 | Custom4 |
Overclocking is a feature which allows a player to change the speed the game runs at, including the ninja's speed, enemy speed, and the rate that time runs out. This speed setting can range from 0 to 10, with 0 being the normal speed.
Numerous websites, including AddictingGames[3] and eBaum's World,[4] host various versions of N that can be played from inside the browser (in SWF format), often known as "N-Game". These versions of the game violate the game's license agreement, often do not give credit to the original developers, and are out-of-date compared to the latest official version of N.
Metanet Software stated on "the Way of the Ninja" (Official N website) that a new N 1.5 is coming soon, promising better NED (level editor), more levels and even more secrets in the game. Metanet Software also stated that the source code of N will be released with the 1.5 version.[5] Five years after N 1.4 release, on the 1st of June 2010, Metanet Software announced on the Forums and on the Metablog, that they were going to definitely start with N 1.5. They created some threads in the forums that discussed every new aspect of the new version of N, asking for the players feedback, and asking the players their opinions.
Official Metanet Fan Sites
Unofficial Metanet Fan Projects