Ok this is our first Tutorial for N+ the rather superb game from Metanet Software available on Xbox Live Acade for 800 microsoft points. If you don't have Xbox Live then don't panic as it is coming to Nintendo DS and Sony PSP very soon.
We have just looked at the items available and explained what they are and how they work. Maybe at a later date we might do a more complex tutorial but first I want to enjoy my time playing this rather clever and addictive title.
Which now takes you to a blank canvas, which is the level area you are going to edit. If you are wanting a smaller area then exit and return to the previous menu where again you can alter the height/width.
Select Level Editor
Ok from the start select Level Editor. You now get the following choices.
Name – you only get 11 characters to call your map
Single Player / Multiplayer / Race / Survival
Width – this is the width of the grid you are going to use as the playable area, from 20-50
Height - this is the height of the grid you are going to use as the playable area, from 15-30
Select OK
Blank Canvas
Which now takes you to a blank canvas, which is the level area you are going to edit. If you are wanting a smaller area then exit and return to the previous menu where again you can alter the height/width.
Hold LT for items
From here if you hold in the LT trigger on the controller you get the actual selectable items, which are available in the level editor.
Clear Area
Working from the top left corner we start with Clear Area – this does what it says – clears space. Hold in the (A) button and move the D-Pad or Analogue stick around. The area you want to clear turns blue and gets bigger as you move it. Press (A) again and it erases the entire area selected. Good for deleting sections ofthe level you no longer want.
Fill Area
Fill Area is the opposite of clear area – instead of deleting this adds/fills in the area selected. Same as above – select Fill Area and highlight the area you want to fill then press (A) and it’s done.
Copy Area
Copy Area also works in a similar way – select Copy Area then highlight the area you want to copy, move to the area you want to place this copied area and press (A) and that’s it - very simple and quick to use.
Move Area
Move Area – this is also very simple and quick to use. Select Move Area and then highlight the area you want to move. Press the (A) button when highlighted and then move this selected area into the new place you want it to be, then press (A) again and consider it done.
Player Start Point
Next is the Player Start Point – select this for the Black Ninja (single player game) now if you hold in the RT trigger on the controller you also get the option to select up to 4 ninja’s for up to 4 players – each player will have a start point of their own.
Multiplayer Start Point
You can have up to 4 players in any one level, when you select Player Startpoint also press the RT trigger on the controller to access the other player spawns.
The Exit Door
The Exit Door - each level must have an exit door, which ends the level when a player enters it. The doors are always shut at the beginning, but have a switch – when a player touches the switch the door opens. So place the Exit Door in the selected area of your map, now if you just want to have the door open when a player gets to it press (A) however if you want to place a switch at a different area of the map, then drag the yellow dot which will look like it has a line attached – place the switch in the area you want and press (A) now the door will only open when a player gets to that switch, they then have to get back to the open door to exit the level.
Gold = Extra Time
GOLD - this is a little yellow dot which increases your time when collected. You get a set length of time to get to the exit so gold helps a lot if the level is a long and hard one. As you can see from the picture the time bar is maxed out because the player has collected a lot of gold. You can place up to 250 gold in a level.
Mines
MINES – these kill you when touched, you can place up to 200 mines in any one level, you can even stack them on top of each other.
Launch Pad
LAUNCH Pads - these throw you high up in the air, You can place up to 100 of these launch pad’s in a single level. Also before placing the launch pad you can press the LB or RB shoulder buttons on the controller to alter the angle of the pad, this will then launch you in that location.
Bounce Block
Bounce Blocks help you get to higher places or can also be used to bounce side wards, if you stand on the block without moving the block will stop but jumping has the block move, by timing it right you can bounce off these blocks in all kinds of direction.
One Way Platform
One Way Platform - these only let you use them one way, if you drop onto or walk against these on the wrong angle you can drop through/walk through them. The opposite also applies, they can act as barriers. Again using the LB RT shoulder buttons on the controller can alter the direction of the platform.
Thwump
Thwump - these are crushing devices that move up and down, left or right. Get close to them and they move pretty fast in the direction they are facing, You can out run them but if you get close they seem to move quick. They move then they return back to their previous location. Using the LB RT shoulder buttons on the controller can alter the direction which the thwump faces.
Floor Guard
Floor Guard - these slide along the floor, once they hit a wall they stop, unless you are still close then they change direction and keep going.
Gauss Turret
Gauss Turret - these have a red dot for each turret that tracks you, when it gets you in range the turret fires, more turret’s mean more dots tracking you. You can place up to 25 gauss turrets in a map, but if there are any other turrets or drones in the map the number reduces, it is 25 overall.
Rocket Launcher
Rocket Launcher - fires a single rocket at you, the rocket is a heat seeker and will follow you until it either hits you or hits a wall or object, it then fires another rocket. You can place up to 25 rocket launchers in a map, but if there are any other turrets or drones in the map the number reduces, it is 25 overall.
Rotating Laser
Rotating laser - these do as they say – they rotate, and they have a really long range if nothing is in their way, To prevent them from ruining the level have areas slightly boxed in to stop the laser running the whole length of the level. You can place up to 25 rotating lasers in a map, but if there are any other turrets or drones in the map the number reduces, it is 25 overall. Also using the RB or LB trigger you can dictate which direction the laser fires first.
Zap Drone
Zap Drone - these move in the direction they are programmed and when they hit a wall they change direction, they can be used to your advantage by using triangles or other tiles you can send them in the directions you want them to go. If they get close enough they zap you.
Chasing Zap Drone
Chasing Zap Drone - these are even more of a nightmare as they launch themselves at you when you get too close, they go on a set path but as you can see in the picture this drone broke away from the pack – missed me then followed the ceiling along until it got close enough to attack again.
Chaingun Zap Drone
Chaingun Drone - this drone just follows its programmed path until it detects you then it fires a sequence of chain guns, altering its direction of fire each time. If you escape out of the way the drone then goes back to following its path until it detects a player again.
Forcefield Drone
Forcefield Drone - these emit a burst of force field around them which stop you getting past if you are too close, the drone moves in it’s set rotation when it is placed in the level, if it gets close it will stay in that location using its force field until you move away when it will then continue it’s set path.
Door (standard)
Door - this can be rotated around to face different directions, it lets a player through it. The door vanishes and reapears after walking/dropping through it.
Electric Fences
Electric Fences - these can be set up and rotated around to meet your requirements, the electric is a pulse for a set length of time, when it then turns off for the same length of time before repeating the procedure - the time on each fence can be set differently.
Locked Door
Locked Door - this is used in the same way as the exit door, you place the locked door on the level and drag/move the open mechanism to the place you want it on the level, this looks like a grey dot, touch it and it turns white and the door disappears.
Trap Door
Trap Door - this is a sneaky little object; it does not show up from the start when playing the level, instead you get a grey dot for each dot. Touch the grey dot and it turns white – at the same time it activates the trap door, which could prevent you from finishing a level. These trap doors can also be rotated and the dot in the same fashion is dragged and placed where you want it to be activated on the level.
Electric Fence - Door Phase
Also the Electric Fence has its own options, select the fence and before placing it in the level press the RT button on the controller. You now get the following options. Door Phase 0.00 / 0.25 / 0.50 / 0.75 / 1 / 1.25 / 1.50 / 1.75 this is in seconds, so alternating times between different fences can have them turning on and off at set intervals rather then all at the same time.
Clockwise or Counter Clockwise
The SPINNING LASER has an option to have it starting Clockwise or Counter Clockwise, select the laser and then press RT on the controller for this option.
Set The Path Of The Drone
Also when you move the drone around the level you will notice a green line, this shows you the set path which the drone will follow. By changing the options as stated above you will notice the path will change for the drone.
Set The Path Which The Drone's Move
DRONES – when selecting a drone (and before pressing A to position the drone) if you hold in the RT trigger on the controller you get some new options. These are Surface Follow Clockwise / Surface Follow Counter Clockwise / Wander Clockwise / Wander Counter Clockwise / Wander Alternating Clockwise / Wander Alternating Counter Clockwise.
Level Tile
There are 15 different level tile's that can be selected. All the level tile's can be rotated by pressing RB or LB on the controller. They can be joined to other tiles to make shapes.
Level Tile
The level tile's can also be joined to the walls of the level, they are really simple to use and someone creative could design some really cool levels on this game.
Multiplayer Type Level Idea
Ok here I threw in 4 multiplayer spawns and 4 locked doors, each player can open another players door. If the black player opens the red player's door then he runs to the exit to find it locked. But if the red player opens the black player door, that player can jump over the switch leaving the red player locked in while he makes his way to the switch then the open exit. Just an example of how sneaky you can make a level - bluffing players to open doors.
I hope you enjoy this tutorial, that's it for now. This should give you the basics to make levels and give you an idea of how things work. Be creative and be sneaky and I am sure you will make some interesting stages. Play them online and hopefully some of us will get to try them out via co-op.
This is an excellent game which really is worth the 800 microsoft points.
