Review: N+ (DS)

Ever heard of N? It's a flash game. From Atari, N+ was released upon us in August of 2008 for the DS. It may not have got much attention, but it deserves it. 

I've seen comments like "Considering how cheap this game is, you would think it would actually be boring." on the 'net, and that was my first impression as well. 

N+ is a hard-core platformer. With fifty episodes to survive, multi-card play, and a create mode, this game will keep the best of the platformers busy for weeks. 

The manual reads: You are a ninja. Your god-like speed, dexterity, jumping power, and reflexes are all the result of an amazingly fast metabolism; sadly, so is your natural lifespan of 1.5 minutes. 

And that's being generous. The goal of the game is to get to the door after activating the switch to open it, while collecting gold along the way. Gold is what you unlock costumes and music with, and it also increases your lifespan/time limit. You use one button; jump. Jump for your life.

There are mines to avoid, there are heat-seeking missiles to escape, there are crushing platforms, sentries, turrets, drones - all with the task of killing you before you get to the door.

I will be honest with you. I died over 4,000 times in the game. 

The graphics aren't the best, looking a lot like a flash game. I didn't like how the ninja was 2D, but some of the objects were 3D. Fortunately, however, there is a Worse-Graphics-Mode which smooths things out (it's actually called Pure mode, but I like my name for it).

There is no music to this game, but that's OK. Ninjas do no not listen to music.

Gameplay: The controls work great, and the gameplay is straightforward, fun, and often agonizingly impossible. But I overcame all the levels, three bottles of rogain later. I suggest buying a wig with this game, because this platoformer quite possibly could make you rip out your hair.  

I give it an 8/10, with points subtracted for a less-than intuitive menu interface, and non-single-card wireless play.