One of the best aspects of gaming is its social element–and I’m not referring to PlayStation Home or Xbox Live. This past Saturday, the 2D-X crew left our familiar NYC confines for the wilds of Merrick, Long Island, NY to shoot a video segment with our homies at Nerd Blerp. Before the cameras fired up, we were introduced to an incredibly fun title available for purchase from PSN and XBLA: N+.

N+ is the console version of the popular Flash game, N, which was developed by Metanet Software. This updated version, developed by Slick Entertainment and published by Metanet Software, puts gamers in the role of a plucky ninja trying to access doors placed in odd locations through a platform-filled world by climbing and rebounding walls, dodging projectiles, and collecting gold coins that grant time bonuses.

Not that you’ll have to worry about the clock–the environment laying waste to your character is a far bigger concern. Droids, missiles, lasers, blocks, and falls from large heights, all contribute to instant death. That’s right, you muck up and it’s over. Fortunately, you’re given unlimited lives to complete the mission.

Despite the many, many ways to bite it, death is still awesome as there are some pretty awesome ragdoll physics applied to the simplistic  character when he gets hammered by, well, anything. As you advance, the level design gets more intricate and the requirements to open doors become more demanding, resulting in more life-ending hilarity.

N+‘s one player mode is good times, but when you add other people to the mix, it equals Worms-like level of fun as four ninjas run, jump, and explode every few seconds. There are three modes: Race, survival, and co-op, and they’re all pure enjoyment that few multiplayer games can match.

N+, like Pac-Man, Tetris, and other classic titles, works because of its simplicity. You never struggle with the controls, and the graphics have a basic low-fi charm that appeals to my inner Atari and NES nerd. All in all, N+ is one of the best party games on the market now.