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N2O (video game)

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N2O
Developer(s)Gremlin Interactive[a]
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Antony Crowther
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: 16 June 1998[1]
  • EU: September 1998
Genre(s)Tube shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

N2O, subtitled as Nitrous Oxide in North America, is a 1998 tube shooter video game developed and published by Gremlin Interactive for the PlayStation. Fox Interactive released the game in North America. featuring a soundtrack composed by the American electronic music duo The Crystal Method.[2] The soundtrack was heavily used to promote the game, and the music is stored in Red Book format meaning the game disc can be played as a music CD on an ordinary CD player.[3]

Plot

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In the deep future, the Galaxy is at war. On planet Neptune, forces of evil in a tubular shaped circuit known as "The Torus" are creating gigantic mutated insects with the intent to invade and destroy Earth. Nitrous Oxide is a by-product of the insects incubation, and also serves as a high-octane fuel for the player's Tunnel Runner ship. The Tunnel Runner must eradicate the rapidly mutating insects before they become strong enough to invade Earth.

Gameplay

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N2O is a tube shooter in which the player shoots insects while collecting "E" coins, mushroom shields, and other psychedelically-themed weapon power-ups. As more insects are shot, the game increases speed.[4] Players can collect more points by killing enemies in certain ways (such as shooting centipedes in the head) and by shooting the coins which appear when an enemy is killed to increase its value.[5] Coins can be used to purchase shields, firewall powerups, and points at the end of each level.[5] Besides the single player mode, N2O features a cooperative multiplayer mode with a shared screen or a split screen.

Development

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Producer Peter Dalton said that "We set out to create a game where the gameplay was simple on one level but completely absorbing and addictive on another."[5]

The soundtrack was not added until the end of development, since publisher Fox Interactive wanted to sign a high profile techno band for the game's music.[5]

Reception

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The game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[6] Next Generation said, "shooter fans who thrive on the ability to top their last high score time and time again won't be disappointed by this high energy blast-a-thon."[15] The New York Times praised N2O for its aesthetics and smoothly seamless but fast-paced gameplay. They said that the game is similar in presentation to a Crystal Method concert and that the game is best played at high volume and in total darkness to maximize the audiovisual experience, and further remarked that the superior audio capacities of televisions (especially those attached to home theater systems) over typical computer systems is one of the advantages to restricting the game to the console market and not releasing it as a PC game.[17] GamePro said, "In the end, N20 [sic] is definitely worth the price of admission, and is a great shooter for your library."[18][c]

The game shipped more than 100,000 units worldwide.[19]

Ports and re-releases

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In October 2003, Zoo Digital Publishing purchased the rights to the game alongside other Gremlin Interactive titles from Atari and reissued the game in PAL regions under their "Zoo Classics" budget label at the end of the year.[20] The company then released the title on the PlayStation Network in PAL regions on 10 January 2008,[21] in North America on 1 June 2010;[22] and Latin America on 13 August 2013.

Console Classics released the game under license of Urbanscan for Microsoft Windows via Steam on 29 June 2015,[23] emulated through PCSXR.[24] It was re-added to the platform via Pixel Games UK on 6 December 2022.[25]

Notes

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  1. ^ (PlayStation Network ports for Portable, 3 and Vita developed by Urbanscan)
  2. ^ In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, three critics gave it each a score of 96, 84, and 89.
  3. ^ GamePro gave the game 4/5 for graphics, 5/5 for sound, and two 4.5/5 scores for control and fun factor.

References

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  1. ^ "Fox Ships Two Titles". PSX Nation. 16 June 1998. Archived from the original on 4 July 1998. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ^ Johnston, Chris (20 April 1998). "Fox Signs The Crystal Method". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 13 October 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (17 July 1998). "N2O: Nitrous Oxide Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 6 December 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  4. ^ "NG Alphas: N2O: Nitrous Oxide". Next Generation. No. 41. Imagine Media. May 1998. p. 99.
  5. ^ a b c d "Previews: N2O: Nitrous Oxide" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 106. Ziff Davis. May 1998. p. 51. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b "N2O: Nitrous Oxide for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  7. ^ Miller, Skyler. "N2O: Nitrous Oxide - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  8. ^ Ham, Tom (21 August 1998). "N20: Nitrous Oxide [sic]". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  9. ^ EGM staff (August 1998). "N2O: Nitrous Oxide". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 109. Ziff Davis.
  10. ^ Whitehead, Dan (28 January 2008). "PSN Roundup (Page 2)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  11. ^ "N2O: Nitrous Oxide". Game Informer. No. 63. FuncoLand. July 1998. Archived from the original on 15 September 1999. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  12. ^ Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (August 1998). "N20 [sic]". GameFan. Vol. 6, no. 8. Metropolis Media. p. 16. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  13. ^ Zimring, Jason (September 1998). "Nitrous Oxide (n2o) [sic]- Playstation Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 5 February 2004. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  14. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (18 June 1998). "N2O: Nitrous Oxide". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  15. ^ a b "N20 [sic]". Next Generation. No. 45. Imagine Media. September 1998. p. 134. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  16. ^ "N2O: Nitrous Oxide". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 12. Ziff Davis. September 1998.
  17. ^ Herz, J.C. (6 August 1998). "N2O: At Its Best at High Volume in the Dark". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  18. ^ Scary Larry (August 1998). "N2O: Nitrous Oxide". GamePro. No. 119. IDG Entertainment. p. 106. Archived from the original on 28 September 2004. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Video game ads evoke drug culture". Indianapolis News. Central Newspapers. 18 June 1998. p. 29. Retrieved 15 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20220104023118/https://www.investegate.co.uk/zoo-digital-group/rns/acquisition/200310010700113796Q/ [bare URL]
  21. ^ Robinson, Martin (11 January 2008). "N2O and Har[d]core 4X4 Come to EU PSN". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  22. ^ Romano, Sal (1 June 2010). "US PlayStation Store Update: June 1, 2010". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  23. ^ "N2O released on Steam". Console Classics. 29 June 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  24. ^ Mahmood, Sikandar (30 June 2015). "PS One Title "N20 [sic]: Nitrous Oxide" Successfully Emulated For PC, Available to Download On Steam". SegmentNext. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  25. ^ "N₂O on Steam".
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