N+ is the successor to the wildly popular freeware game, N, which stands for Ninja. N was originally developed by Metanet Software using Adobe Flash. Using simple concepts and challenging obstacles, N was destined to become a hit. We recently had a chance to review the Nintendo DS version of the game and it did not disappoint.

Story

There really isn’t a story behind N+, but a simple premise. As the title indicates, you control a super acrobatic Ninja out on a mission to collect golden coins and to find the door that leads to the next level.

N+ falls in line with the puzzle genre more so than any other category. With 40 Episodes and five levels per episode, there are over 200 levels throughout the entire game.

Each level is like a mini puzzle where you have to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Most of the time this will require you to pull off impossible wall leaping feats in order to traverse to another platform. Most of the levels involve you jumping around land mines while dodging angry robots that shoot either lasers, rockets or electricity.

Controls

N+ is all about mastering your momentum. You scale walls and make crazy jumps that will propel you from one wall to another. Also, timing jumps correctly are critical in reaching your target destination.  N+ truly takes jumping to an art form as mastering precise jumps and landings are crucial to successfully completing a level.

The puzzles become increasingly challenging as the game progresses. In later levels you will have to get to multiple switches that need to be activated in order to open the door. Often times these switches will usually be placed in difficult to reach areas.

Visuals

The visuals are simple, keeping in line with the original flash version of the game. However, an improvement in the graphics department while making the jump to console platforms could have made the game more enticing and fresh.

Design

The game does make you keep coming back for more, with levels that seem to become extremely challenging over time. The addition of a timer fuels your need to collect the golden coins, which in turn gives a slight boost in the countdown timer.

There are also many unlockables in the game to extend the replayablitiy. You can unlock victory animations, new costumes and map packs for multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode is quite extensive with over 100 levels you can play with a friend.

If you become tired of the existing multiplayer levels, a level editor is included for you to create your own concoction to play with friends.

Wrap-up

N+ can get extremely frustrating at times as you will die a lot, but, oddly enough, it will keep you coming back for more. This title is a perfect example of how a portable game should be made, with the levels structured in a way that you can digest in bite size portions.

N+ on the DS is priced a bit higher than the previous versions, but is well worth it with enhanced replayablitiy from all the unlockables, contents, and music tracks. With addictive gameplay and brain teaser puzzles, N+ is definitely worth checking out.

Score

4/5

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