When N first hit the PC, it was an amazing test of a gamer’s intelligence that had minimalist graphics and an excruciating difficulty level. Following that, N+ hit the Xbox Live Arcade with HD graphics, new levels and multiplayer modes. Now, after the successful run on the Xbox Live Arcade, N+ now arrives to the Nintendo DS to great acclaim and, boy, it was worth the wait.

If players have played any of the previous iterations of the series, then you’ll feel a heart-felt welcoming when you first boot up N+ and realize that not too much has changed. The game is still played from the 2D perspective with full control granted to the player over a ninja who’s never met an obstacle he couldn’t overcome. If you are new to N+ then be prepared for lightning quick wall-jumping, smooth sliding across platforms, and death-defying jumps. N+ will make you feel like a super-ninja or possibly the most skilled acrobat; either way, N+ provides players with many “I can’t believe I just did that” moments.

There are some – one is hardly identifiable to the common eye – changes to N+. Your ninja will run faster than he has ever done so before. This also translates to a ninja that is now able to accomplish the feats set before him a lot easier. Players shouldn’t have as many problems as they did on the PC or XBLA solving the puzzles that made them scratch their head more than once.

Another change has been addressed through the visuals. The environments have been beefed up and so have the enemies. This isn’t too much of a concern to hardcore fans of the series as is the change to the speed of the ninja; players can easily revert back to the old graphics in the option to get the most out of their platforming abilities. Still, the graphics aren’t anywhere near next-gen visuals, but they never were intended to be either.

There’s also the addition of downloading a friend’s custom created level or even sharing your own over WiFi. This unique feature should turn out to be an intriguing aspect that draws in hardcore fans as it’s redeeming to create your own level and have your friend play for hours on end trying to figure out how to solve it. With the DS, players can edit the levels at a quick pace due to having two screens. In terms of how the game is played on the DS, the top screen is view of the stage while the bottom is zoomed in on the ninja to concentrate on objects right ahead of you.

Outside of that, N+ still retains a lot of the authentic N gameplay attributes and game modes even though it was handled by a different publisher (Atari) and developer (SilverBirch Studios). So if you are itching to play through Race, Survival, or Cooperative modes, then your craving will be satisfied as they are included. There are also two new modes to enjoy; namely Tag and Domination game modes that are overall satisfying.

At the bargain price of $20, it’s recommended that you pick up N+ to at least create your own levels. There’s nothing more entertaining than stumping your friends with a puzzle. It’s still more expensive than the PC or XBLA versions, but even at $20, it is worth more than several full retail titles currently on store shelves.

Gameplay: 8.9
N+ makes you feel cool to play as a weightless ninja.

Graphics: 6.4
Even with the “updated” graphics, N+ is hardly going to win any awards for graphical prowess.

Sound: 6.0
The audio unfortunately loses the remarkable soundtrack from the XBLA port.

Difficulty: Medium
Challenging all the way through, N+ harkens back to the day when difficult games were meant to be fun rather than just to be difficult.

Concept: 8.5
Fans of puzzle titles and platforming games will get a kick out of N+.

Multiplayer: 8.2
The WiFi is great to create and share your own custom levels with friends.

Overall: 8.5
If you’ve never played N or N+, then it’s suggested you pick up N+ on the DS as soon as possible. You definitely won’t regret the purchase of this stellar platforming puzzle title.