N+ brings its lust for gold to the DS, PSP

If N+ and its quirky art style look familiar, it may be because before the "+" was added, N was one of the most popular Flash-based games on the web. In fact, for the first 3 years of its existence, there was seemingly no plan to move the game beyond the freeware scene at all. That all changed in 2008, when the game found its way to not only the Xbox Live Arcade service, but also the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS.

Will you make it out alive?
N+ takes the series' protagonist, an unnamed ninja, and tosses him into a series of complex dungeons. An entrance and an exit can be found in each of these dungeons, along with a plethora of shimmering gold. Each level is timed, and you must navigate your pint-sized assassin to the exit before time runs out. Your ninja is equipped with nothing more than his physical abilities and a trendy bandana, but he's still able to perform impressive feats, such as repeatedly vaulting up vertical surfaces.

Guiding a hero with super-human abilities to a single exit may sound simple, but as the levels become more challenging, you soon realize just how sadistic the game can be. There is a roster of unique enemies that you'll encounter on your journey as well, ranging from electrified drones to laser and missile turrets that will assault you relentlessly as soon as you come into view. 

Completing levels littered with such enemies can take a lot of patience, as well as a little luck. Thankfully, collecting gold adds a small amount of time to your ticker, and a healthy risk/reward system develops around deciding how much gold to seek out in each stage. 

No, you probably won't
Perhaps the most surprising thing about N+ is just how many times you'll die before completing each stage. There are levels that can take hours of attempts before any progress is made. You'll be blown up, zapped, and crushed more times than you ever thought possible, and you're likely to enjoy every second of it. 

In addition to the gold, insane enemies, and trendy headware, N+ also puts static obstacles, such as doors and mines, between your ninja and his goal. Some doors can be unlocked simply by touching the lock located somewhere in the level. Others require you to figure out which of the many locks is which, leading to some frantic puzzle-solving as your time ticks down.

The entire N+ experience is fast, exciting, and can be started or stopped at a moment's notice. These are three qualities that make the game perfect for handheld platforms, and luckily, that's just where they landed. Both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP versions can now be picked up for very reasonable prices, and the games are just as fun as they ever were. 

If you're still not convinced that the N formula is right for you, you can always head over to the official website and try out the still-updated Flash version of the game for absolutely free.

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