N+ should be instantly recognizable to anybody who's familiar with the
guilty pleasure of flash games. Taking the lesson of internet success,
this Xbox Live Arcade port of the online classic is a perfect example
of less is more gameplay. You control a two-dimension ninja whose sole
goal is to collect gold against the clock using a variety of running
and jumping moves. Each of the 250 areas in the game has an exit door
which is opened using an expertly placed switch in each level. As the
previously mentioned gold also adds precious seconds to the constantly
depleting time bar, the trick of every level is to get to the switch
and exit as quickly as possible, collecting as much of this gold
required on the way.
This simple gameplay lasts for the best part of 5 levels at which point
the game starts introducing hazards to every area including proximity
mines, patrolling turrets, lasers & rockets. Avoiding these baddies
results in you wasting precious time-gold, which is subsequently placed
in much harder to reach areas. You're sole weapon against this cruel
reality is your ninjas superb repertoire of athletic moves. He has the
ability to outrun rockets, scale infinite heights and jump against
walls, so hopefully once you get t o the tougher levels, your skill is
evenly matched resulting in some incredibly satisfying cat & mouse
gameplay.
Graphically the game is as humble as its flash predecessor. Each area
is mostly made up of grey, white and yellow flat textures but the
restricted color palette only adds to incarcerated mood of the game.
The audio is simplistic also, with a mellow electronic soundtrack and
some simple, yet well produced sound effects. The meat of the game
online comes from its co-op chapters which are extremely fun if you
have patient friends on Xbox Live, though there are also race and
survival modes which are fun, if a little limited. As in many XBLA
games though the option for downloadable content is available, so these
modes might be expanded in the future.
Even though you will die a seemingly infinite amount of times in each
level, the game is just charming enough to keep you plugging away at
it. For Xbox 360 achievement fans, the 200 available here are a mixed
bag of online, offline and co-op, which although satisfying are a
little uninspired. At 800 Microsoft points N+ is one of the better XBLA
games available since the start of 2008, and for those looking for an
accessible, fun game outside of office working hours, it's a must buy.
