In this work, we numerically study critical phases in translation-invariant ZN parafermion chains with both nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor hopping terms. The model can be mapped to a ZN spin model with nearest-neighbor couplings via a generalized Jordan-Wigner transformation and translational invariance ensures that the spin model is always self-dual. We first study the low-energy spectrum of chains with only nearest-neighbor coupling, which are mapped onto standard self-dual ZN clock models. For 3