For a measly 200 MS Points, players can guide their agile stick figure avatars around 150 single player levels, 50 multiplayer ‘race’ levels and 25 ’survival’ multiplayer maps. Add to this the July DLC update (150 single player, 50 multiplayer) then throw in the built in level editor and N+ probably has enough levels.

Also out this week are 200 points worth of new boards for Buku Sudoku at something like one sixth of a point per puzzle – that’s pretty much a metric plethora.

N+ and Buku Sudoku DLC release this Wed [Xbox 360 Fanboy]

3:55 PM, the LA Convention Centre. Everyone is tired, and you can see the media room starting to slow down — people wander by with exhausted expressions on their faces, looking at their watches and lighting up when they realise there’s not much left in the day. Even Crecente has passed the point of being totally with it, pausing in the middle of sentences to stare off into space. I shuffle off to check out Atari’s E3 offerings, and am met with a surprisingly cheerful staff who point me in the direction of caffeine. I am not caffeinated enough to face a spiel on Deer Hunter Tournament, so I’m sat down to await a demonstration of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. I hear something about transport options from the person enthusiastically imbibing what the Deer Hunter guy is saying — ‘Oh cool, so you’re planning on having like, ATVs and stuff?’ — and am glad I’m parked in front of The Witcher instead of one screen over. More impressions and details after the jump:

So, The Witcher isn’t new, but the whole presentation focused on the improvements made to the game. After apologising for already having given the presentation five times in a row, Tomasz Gop enthusiastically explained what the ‘expanded edition’ really expanded upon (and kept coming back to ‘fan suggestions’). The expanded edition features over 5,000 lines of totally rewritten and rerecorded 5,000 of script, as well as a whole new German script created from scratch (was it that bad?). In addition to the script itself, a slew of new dialogue animations were added to make characters look less like wooden blocks and more like dynamic people. Monsters and NPCs are still based on the same character models, but have gotten randomly generated clothes and colours to shake things up a bit. Further, the inventory system has been improved and makes for easier storage and sorting; there is also an easier system for collecting loot after battles. Importantly, load times have been significantly reduced. Another nice feature is the ability to play with any combination of the available subtitles and voice tracks; we watched a scene with a Polish voiceover and Chinese subtitles.

The boxed edition will feature two new adventures, the adventure editor, the official soundtrack CD, a CD of music inspired by The Witcher, a game guide, “The Witcher” short story by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, a map of the Witcher world, and a ‘making of’ DVD. Already bought the game? Don’t want to shell out again? Never fear — everything will be available for download if you purchased the original version. The enhanced version is expected out in September of this year.

I was then shunted over to take a look at the PSP and DS versions of N+. The handheld versions will feature 350 levels and 150 coop and versus multiplayer levels. Players will be able to create their own ‘playlist’ of levels, as well as get lots of unlockables. The level editor will enable people to design and share their own levels — the download and upload process is fully integrated, and by utilising a ‘purgatory server,’ the DS friend’s code hell will be bypassed (this was a point that was mentioned very excitedly). N+ will be coming to PSPs and DSs next month

From one DS game on to another — I thankfully didn’t have far to go to look at What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, and by this point was wondering exactly how these Atari people were remaining so chipper and upbeat. This is a reasonably detailed cooking simulator (unsurprisingly); I didn’t spend too much time with the actual gameplay, but the guy demonstrating did allow me to try my hand after he scorched some prawns. It’s … a cooking game. A detailed cooking game with really complicated recipes.

However, the ’special feature’ that was apparently most exciting was the inclusion of lots of real Jamie Oliver recipes, the ability to create shopping lists based on those recipes, and using the DS as an ultra-portable cookbook/list maker. Now, I like to cook, but I’m not sure I’d pop my DS on the counter — sounds like a recipe for electronic disaster when DS meets boiling liquid or something. Still, the fact that the game comes with a book’s worth of (actual) recipes is kind of cool. It will be out in December in time for a Christmas ‘08 release.

Finally, I headed over to look at the second expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2, Storm of Zehir. The first feature noted was the expanded party editor, now featuring full party customisation of up to four party members. There has also been several new classes added, though the only one mentioned in any depth was the “swashbuckler”. The party conversation system was demonstrated, with answers and questions being based on intelligence, sills, class and so on. A new, detailed overland map has been added that is a walking map — no more zooming from place to place. The maps are completely moddable, and also feature traps and other surprises that players can interact with via skills.

A mercantile aspect has been added, and trading and quests can help improve your merchant empire in the world — as well as make an impact elsewhere. New monsters will be popping up (the ones I saw looked very nice, even though the game hasn’t been entirely ‘cleaned up’ yet and looked a bit dank in places). The message I was left with was “Lots of new stuff! New races, classes, feats, spells, enemies … did I forget anything? Yeah, lots of new stuff!”. The expansion is due out in the fourth quarter of 2008.

There will be a total of three hundred and fifty levels exclusive to each platform: two hundred single player, one hundred “co-op” and fifty “versus”. Players will be able to download new levels from the N server as well as show off their design prowess with a level editor. In a rare treat on the DS, player designed levels will be able to be shared with friends free from the ties of the cumbersome Nintendo friend code system. Levels will also be able to be previewed before download so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Due to space limitations, the DS version will only be able to hold up to eight downloaded levels at a time, but the PSP version will be able to hold as many as your memory stick will allow. There are plenty of unlockables available to access during the game as well such as game skins, level packs, new gold goals and special music tracks. Speaking of music, all the soundtrack for the game has been created by “chip tune” artists using old consoles to orchestrate the tunes.

One of the more interesting and fun multiplayer modes is a new “tag” mode. Two players chase each other about various levels, one trying to tag the other. Being tagged makes you “it” and you lose a few points in the process. Running into obstacles also knocks points off and the game ends when one player loses all their life points. I tried this mode out with fellow journalist Travis Moses from Gamepro and it was a blast. Being an N expert, he trounced me roundly, but no hard feelings, Travis. Just pray I don’t see you on the streets…

Look for N+ to stealth it’s way to your DS and/or PSP on August 12th.

We don’t have animation properly “sussed” yet, otherwise we’d be able to better explain what the various aspects of the problem are.. all we can say for sure is that once you eschew sprites, it gets tricky ;) Of course, this is the whole point — if you want to avoid the limitations of a sprite-based system, you’re necessarily going to have to deal with all of the problems that using sprites lets you avoid.

In the same post, though, the Metanet guys reveal they’ve set up an expansive Etsy shop of N+-themed merchandise. Merchandise! If you like cuffs, there are all kinds featuring scenes from the game, and some good-looking ninja shirts too.

Robotology: Back To The Drawing Board [metablog, via GameSetWatch]

Their honesty about the majority of XBLA titles being crap—and they are—is something, it seems, everyone but the fanboys can agree upon.

The Metanet guys explain further “As gamers it was unbelievably depressing for us to try literally 80 games and enjoy less than 8 of them”, writing that with Arcade’s gems few and far between, we’re “back in retail-land” where crap outnumbers quality. Compound that with the frustration of having your clever little multiplayer racer shrugged off and “shit” starts to make sense.

It’s a very sound argument, one that can’t be done justice with pullquotes and headlines. Read it. However, despite how reasonable their argument is, I would hope that people pay more attention to their gut reaction, instead of one that’s planned and edited, because they’re right and refreshingly honest. Yes, I know we’re dealing with The Internet and its people, but we should be encouraging open talk and frank opinions like these.

Wait a second. Just read that they think Super Stardust HD is “pretty crap”. Fuck these guys and their stupid jumping game!

In Defence of the Apparant Shitstorm [Metanet]

N creator Raigan Burns says “When we started out, we were excited, just like with N. There were 30 games on Live Arcade. If N was one of them, it would stand out. Now there’s like a hundred games, and they’re all shit.” Harsh? Maybe not, considering the existence of offerings like Yaris, Street Trace: NYC and Word Puzzle, according to the N+ crew.

One has to wonder, though, if the alternatives, given the time to age like Live Arcade has, will be any better.

N+: Beyond The Postmortem [Gamasutra]

Well, not the entire thing. That would be madness. While we fully expect some group of nutjobs to pick up the slack, recreating the entirety of the original Legend of Zelda in two-tone grey, the current N+ user created stab at Zelda-nostalgia is a perfect sampling of glorious obsession. Kudos for making it difficult-looking to boot. Via GameSetWatch.

N+ on XBLA this Wednesday (the 20th)!! YES!!!!!!! [Metanet Blog - Thanks Michael!]

N+ for the Playstation Portable is every bit as fun, fluid and frustrating as the original, a game that could quite easily become the one title I carry around with me whenever I take long trips, if it weren’t for its ability to make me shout out, every time I play the game, a mix of vulgarities so shockingly diverse it even surprises me.

What’s good about this port, created by Silverbirch Studios for Atari, is everything that is good about the original. Instead of trying to fix what wasn’t broken, the team set their sites on recreating what I’ve always considered a classic of Flash play.

The character art for N is still little more than a stick figure, rendered so fluidly as to seem alive, and the levels remain a throw back to the days of Lode Runner and Soldat, which is deliberate and works. The ninja isn’t quite a sticky as he is in the PC version, now you have to press against the wall to stick, but it’s not a huge change from the original, and certainly not enough to distract.

For those of you who have never played the free flash game N, the side-scroller is essentially Lode Runner with a Ninja, a realistic physics engine and lots of exploding deaths.

In it you have to unlock and make your way to an exit while collecting gold. The problem is that the levels are packed with mines, lasers, turrets and guards. You also have your own clumsiness to worry about. Hit a wall, floor or ceiling going to fast and you’re dead.

The game’s diabolic levels can really test your patience at times, especially with little end game messages like “dirt nap” or “psyche”, but the fluid play, the catchy music will keep you coming back for more.

N+ also includes a map editor, community for checking out high scores and custom levels (I assume, I couldn’t check it out with my build) and a multiplayer which was also not playable on my build. I can’t wait to see the final build of this, but as of now I’d say it’s shaping up to be a must by from Atari.

N+ may ultimately lead to my PSP being smashed against the wall in frustration, but that can’t stop the frothing demand I feel when I see the former Flash game in action. It may have been a bit too gussied up during the conversion, but N+ will definitely find its way into my PlayStation Portable and my Xbox 360 whenever Atari gets around to releasing it.