It has been over twenty years since N, the Flash-coded ninja platformer, first appeared in browsers, and now its back with more party modes as N Plus Infinity Times Two.
Whether you played the original – still available – N, in 2004, or hopped onboard with 2008’s N+ (or later, with N++) its likely that you remember its floaty platforming and tense levels. I was a massive fan of the XBLA release of N+, regularly pulling people together to race through its compact, often deadly levels. N Plus Infinity Times Two isn’t just a chance for a newer generation to get to grips with it, instead it brings a handful of new modes which are optimised for fast local or online multiplayer play.
I had the chance to play through some of N Plus Infinity Times Two’s new modes while at Gamescom, hopping into a couple of four player matches and touring about twenty of the levels.
Before I talk about the modes, I want to confirm that the controls, handling and physics here are exactly as they were in previous games; Your jump feels as though you’re switching off gravity while you hold the jump button, shifting forward momentum into vertical. It’s hard to explain, but feels fantastic and really pushes you to think fast and act faster. Similarly, the classic enemies – missile launches, ground bots that rush you if you touch their area, and turrets – return alongside touch-activated mines. It wasn’t broken, so it hasn’t required any fixing.
I played through two of the new modes. The first was race-based, being a standard case of trying to collect as much gold as you can before finishing. Scoring was based off of your time and collected gold, but, critically, players could restart an infinite number of times until the first person reached the end, and they also got the chance to fire and control one rocket after completing the level – allowing you to wipe out an opponent if you were quick enough.
The second mode, however, was both co-operative and competitive. Two teams of two took turns hunting and being hunted around the levels. If you were being hunted then you had to avoid your opponents touch (instant death) while gathering gold for as long as possible. Communication was key, as was splitting up and taking ambitious risks. Hunters were electrified, killing the ones that they hunted with a simple touch, and they also had the ability to shift into a rocket form and race around the level. Hunters also had to communicate, and they had to do so while also keeping in mind that they would be switching roles for the next run.
In addition to these there appears to also be a game mode where you paint the level as you platform, however I didn’t get the time to try this out. That seems like a very interesting one considering the series’ fantastic physics systems.
You can wishlist N Plus Infinity Times Two on Steam. It doesn’t currently have a release date.
