From: Atari Inc. Average Rating: Binding: Video Game ESRB Age Rating: Everyone Label: Atari Inc. Platform: Nintendo DS Release Date: August 26, 2008
Features:
Level Editor: Design maps and share them with friends or the world using the integrated level editor and the infrastructure modes of the PSP¿ (PlayStation¿Portable) system and the Nintendo Wi-fi connection on the Nintendo DS¿.
Hundreds of built in Levels: Conquer over 200 levels in single player or play with friends in over 100 Cooperative and 50 Competitive levels!
PURE and PLUS modes: Play in PURE mode reminiscent of classic ¿N¿, or try out the new enhanced PLUS mode only in the handheld versions!
Ninja Techniques: Master stealthy Ninja techniques like wall-climbing and missile dodging to get past deadly laser drones, homing turrents, and other deadly enemies!
Networked Content: DownDownload new maps and replays from the N server. Design new maps or show off your slick ninja moves.
Product Description: You are a Ninja! Based on the cult phenomenon “N,” enter the challenging world of “N+” where your speed and reflexes will be put to the ultimate test. Build your ninja skills by taking old-school platforming action to the next level. Run, jump, and wall-slide through hundreds of levels in pursuit of the ninja’s ultimate goal; GOLD. Avoid deadly ninja-killing enemies as you make your way through each level. One moment of hesitation and you’re history!
Amazon.com:
The Way of the Ninja
You are a ninja in N+. 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.
Like all Ninjas, you have an unquenchable thirst for gold and a natural propensity for exploring rooms infested by increasingly lethal Ninja-killing robots. N emphasizes pacifism, humility, and the need to traverse 5 rooms before the end of your lifetime; a feat known only as 'beating an episode'.
In accordance with the teachings of N, it is your profound hope that one day you will develop your platforming skills, intelligence, and inexplicable ability to reincarnate to achieve total mastery of all 300 levels.
Key Features
Conquer over 200 levels in single player or play with friends in over 100 Cooperative and 50 Competitive levels. This includes new levels never seen before
Play in PURE mode reminiscent of classic "N", or try out the new enhanced PLUS mode only in the handheld versions
Master stealthy Ninja techniques like wall-climbing and missile dodging to get past deadly laser drones, homing turrents, and other deadly enemies
Download new maps and replays from the N server every week
Design maps and share them with friends or the world using the integrated level editor and the infrastructure mode of the Nintendo Wi-fi connection on the Nintendo DS.
Simplistic in every area, N+ just can't keep your attention for long N+ puts you in a ninja's shoes, running and jumping your way through level after level full of small explosives, electrified floating orbs, lasers, and homing missiles. The game presents itself in a very simplistic fashion from every approach, and in the end it doesn't really keep your attention for long. N+ throws some unique challenges at you, though, which makes it a decent game for what it is.
Your objective in every level is to hit the green switch and get out the door. Easy enough, right? But what happens when there are other switches that open other doors blocking the level exit, or there are tons of dangers and obstacles in your way? That, in a nutshell, is N+. You play as a ninja who can jump long, high, and off walls, and your goal is to open the door and then go through it. Your quest to the door isn't as easy as it sounds, though, because even though none of the game's levels take more than about 45 seconds, there are plenty of challenges presented to you. You will have to do some precise jumping and many carefully timed wall jumps to get to your goal.
N+ is very often challenging, but rarely frustrating. The levels are designed in such a way that you can figure out what you need to do quickly, but actually doing it is where the challenge lies. All those precise jumps mentioned earlier come into play to make the game very challenging on the later levels, especially when there is so much danger within the level.
N+ does pretty well in its gameplay, but it does little to keep itself fresh throughout the 39 episodes. You see the same obstacles all the time, they're just presented a little differently each time. The graphical design also does not differ one bit from level to level, and everything looks ultra simplistic, with no changes through the whole game. It doesn't look bad, necessarily, but there was obviously an extraordinary effort to make the game as simplistic as possible, and they succeeded. The result is a game whose visuals will never catch your interest, except when you die, when the ninja is sometimes cut into pieces that keep getting thrashed and thrown around. That's where a lot of the game's entertainment comes into play, actually, it is quite funny to watch.
A great feature of N+ is its level editor. Since the game is so simplistic, you can make levels exactly like those in the game, so for those who want to take the time, this probably the game's best feature. Unfortunately, the community appeared to be down when I tried to connect a few times, which kills a little of the level editor's appeal because I think you can share your levels online (that is, if the community is up and running...). But even though the level editor is so great, I doubt the game will hold your interest long enough for you to want to take time to make some quality levels.
N+ has a soundtrack filled with the same short tunes repeated over and over, which gets a little repetitious within each level. The default setting for music, though, is strangely 'Off.' Could they have guessed how annoyed people might get with the music tracks? You never know. The rest of the sound design is, like the rest of the game, ultra simplistic. There's a sound for every type of death, and that's about it. The sound effects themselves are average, not too annoying but not great either.
N+ offers little to talk about because it's just so simplistic. There is barely anything to the game with ultra simplistic presentation and somewhat repetitious gameplay. The gameplay, though, is where the game works well, because it offers some good, enjoyable challenges in short spurts. The game is over pretty quickly, even with 39 episodes of 5 or so levels each, and even then you will probably lose interest before you're done. The level editor is good for anyone looking to keep going with the game, though. Overall N+ is a hard game to recommend, but a hard game to hate. If you can find it for about $10 you might want to give it a try, but otherwise just leave this one on the shelf and pick up something else.
Positive: + lots of levels + challenging, but rarely frustrating + level editor allows you to make levels exactly like those in the game +watching the ninja get thrashed is strangely entertaining
Negative: - ultra simplistic in every perspective - doesn't keep your attention for long - single player is pretty short
SO Fun! AND SO ADDICTING! Seriously Buy this game now. Look how Cheap it is. Don't waist time reading this review. I Guarantee it will be poorly written and not even thought out.
O.k. I Bet you noticed that this game is made by Atari. Maybe thats not a selling point. I Also Bet you noticed that you will be controlling a stick figure running around and blowing up in Various ways. That was my selling point but I understand why it may not be yours. I'm Going to try to keep it short. Once you grasp all the moves(Pretty simple) You won't want to put this game down. Simply addicting and worth the price. Unless you are reading this 7 years from now when the DS is Defunct. But Hey I don't expect the value to go up after production stops on this game. If it does then you can give me a Non-Helpful. You can also give me a non-helpful because I said I'd keep this review short and failed to do so. Also if you are a Meanie. Thanks! :)
P.S. Buy this Game
P.S. I told you it wouldn't be well thought out.
P.s. Please give me a Helpful.
Fun but unpolished N+ for the DS is a rare breed of a game. It merges platforming and puzzle elements seamlessly to create a difficult but fun (and fair) environment where your ninja's survival relies solely on your skill.
If you enjoy platforming and/or puzzle games, N+ is definitely worth a buy. It has a massive number of levels, and the DS version is quite feature-rich. Along with multiplayer, and the ability to create and share your own levels, you'll get quite a bit of mileage out of N+ despite its seemingly small package. (As a side note, this version is more feature-rich than the Xbox Live Arcade version of N+.)
However, the game is slightly unpolished compared to some major releases. The sound effects are slightly disappointing, especially for someone whose first experience with N+ was the XBLA version. They simply lack character. Similarly, the music can get annoying at times. There aren't too many tracks, and for some reason they're ridiculously short, making them sadly repetitive.
The gameplay, though, is where it matters, and that's where N+ truly shines.
Addictive Game play N+ is, in the shortest description possible: addictive. It is proof that great game play does not need great graphics. N+ has a very simple visual style yet it suffices for what the game is. Fast, challenging, and plenty of replay value, N+ will keep you occupied for hours. The level editor is genius and you can swap maps with other DS players. Simply put: Fun.
Rylayn I bought this game for my grandsons(ages 11 & 12). They really love it. They say it is really fun to play. I would recommend it to anyone who has a DS.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
