Free N++ Ultimate Edition update adds another 2000 levels
There's also a new Hardcore mode, in case the game wasn't quite difficult enough for you.
Shaun chose the minimalist platformer N++ as his Staff Pick for 2016, noting at the time that he'd managed to finish more than 500 levels up to that point. That sounds like an awful lot of levels, yet it only represents about a quarter of what the game has to offer. Or, more precisely, had to offer: Today's launch of the free N++ Ultimate Edition update doubles its size to a ridiculous 4340 "hand-crafted, finely-tuned levels."
And in case the game wasn't hard enough for you, the update also brings a new Hardcore mode, "which changes the rules of the game and lets the player see Solo in a whole new light," developer Metanet Software said. "Hardcore mode is all about skill, so it's a true challenge for the Ultimate ninja!"
Despite its "spartan premise" and minimalist styling, N++ is a really good platformer. We called it "a masterful distillation of classic action-platforming gameplay, doling out tension and elation in equal measure," and slapped it with a 92/100 score in our review—high praise by any measure.
The Ultimate Edition update also includes 60 new color schemes, new ninja headbands, secrets, and at least one new achievement. And, as mentioned, it is free, while N++ itself is on sale for half-price—that's $8/£6/€8—on Steam.
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.
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