N+

N was a free Flash game about collecting as much gold as you can as you try to escape confined spaces before running out of time. Lots of those spaces were also full of robots designed to kill ninjas, and you're one of the "no weapons" ninjas, relying on absurd gymnastic abilities to run and leap around the level while not getting killed by robots, mines, or... mined robots. Now, all of that is coming to the PSP and DS in N+, along with a soundtrack, some nicer colors, multiplayer, and an actual price tag.

The Way of the Ninja is Jumping

The PSP version of the game, releasing in March, isn't a bad port. The game will also be releasing on the DS, although we didn't get a chance to play that version. The big change comes in the form of cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, with 100 co-op levels and 50 versus levels. Single-player packs 200, a bit anemic compared to the flash game, but still a plentiful collection of challenges nonetheless. The in-game editor allows for building your own levels and making them available for download online, which is snazzy. You can also send and receive level replays, which is good since some of these levels will have you throwing your handheld through the face of any ninja unfortunate enough to cross your path.


After unlocking quite a few levels and sending our ninja to a mind-boggling number of deaths, our impressions are positive but limited. It neatly captures the fun physics that sends your functionally simple ninja avatar flying through the stages, as well as his hideous and numerous deaths, so we're excited to see the community take N+ and run with it. On the other hand, that's already happened with the free Flash version of the game. While thirty dollars is more or less status quo pricing for handheld titles, we're not entirely sold that there are enough improvements to the game to make it worth actually paying for. We'll see if the multiplayer (or other factors) make it all worthwhile when the game releases!