Naruto Ultimate Ninja
Naruto Ultimate Ninja for the PlayStation 2 isn't that game that I had played but it's pretty close in style and theme. Anime fighting games are nothing new to us otaku so it should come as no surprise that the latest title is such. The only problem is that as a genre they have something of a bad reputation among the hardcore gaming crowd. There are often loose design issues and the material itself isn't usually conducive to drawing in new fans. Does the newest Naruto game break that stereotype?
Gameplay:
I'll admit that I've never been a big fan of importing games. The cost associated with doing just that is a little too rich for my blood. I have, however, played my fair share of these anime inspired fighting games, whether they have made it to America or not. Dragon Ball, Ranma, and Gundam are some of the series that have lured me in and left me disappointed. Fortunately once I had the chance to play through Naruto: Ultimate Ninja I was pleasantly surprised.
If you have ever played a fighting game then you already know the drill going in. The first thing you do when you're ready for battle is pick your character and wait for the game to tell you its time to beat the crap out of your opponent. Doing so requires a certain level of skill utilizing a variety of attacks, defense, combos, and special techniques. You could forgo the skill part and probably get by with button mashing, but I've never been one to condone that kind of behavior. Every one of those tried and true aspects is represented in this game, so naturally fighting fans will feel at home.
The control is a tad different compared to what you'd find in, say, the Street Fighter franchise. There is one attack button, a special attack button, and one that throws projectiles at your opponent from anywhere on the screen. The projectile button also doubles as the command to use items that you'll be awarded throughout the battle.
Special attacks get interesting as you build up a specific amount of chakra to use them. From levels one, two, and three, the severity and usefulness of your attacks will alter depending on what you're trying to perform. Implementing these strikes is paramount to winning most battles since they do more damage than regular techniques, items, and combos.
Like most fighting games on the market these days, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja does what it can to break the boundaries of ring size. In the fighting games of old characters battled in a structured setting where the screen only moved back and forth. Games like Super Smash Bros. and Dead or Alive helped usher in this new age, and it's something that the latest Naruto game takes advantage of. From bouncing between the front and rear of the screen, dropping into tunnels, or hopping onto a rope, the environment is always changing with the flow of battle. It's easy to execute as well by simply pressing up or down and the jump button. As an ultimate ninja you can also run up walls and sprint across water by using your chakra.
Another important aspect to a fighting game in this day and age is the inclusion of modes apart from arcade and versus. From Naruto Ultimate Ninja's menu screen you can pick quite a few things. Scenario is essentially the arcade story mode where you pick your character and progress your way through to beat the game. There is a Mission mode where you can take on various ninja jobs for money. These tasks range from collection cards to finding a lost pet and each gives you a certain amount of Ryo (currency) to buy things with at the shop.
Hitting the shop allows you to buy capsules with trinkets that can be viewed at Naruto's house. This is really just a way to keep kids busy with collecting things once they beat the game and find themselves board with the supplemental stuff. A Free Battle mode is available as well, which is basically the game's versus mode. You can pick to fight against the CPU or another player and as you unlock more characters they become selectable here.
As far as the character selection goes there are quite a few fan favorites from the series available right from the start or by unlocking. With well over ten characters to pick from there are plenty to get used to and a decent amount of stage variety keep things from getting stale. More stages also become unlockable as you play through some of the various modes available here. Overall Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is a worthwhile Naruto-themed entry into the anime fighting genre. This is one of the better endeavors that I have played in that regard and it will definitely keep fans happy and coming back for more.
Graphics:
Cel-shading has become the norm for anime games and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja uses the technique to its fullest. The characters all look exactly like their manga/anime counterparts and they animate very well. Some of the close-ups reveal jagged edges and blocky graphics, but those only become evident during special attacks. Otherwise the level of detail is great and the environments truly come to life as you ping-pong between various sections.
Audio:
With voiceovers and a soundtrack pulled straight from the anime it's no wonder that this game sounds as good as it does. The music doesn't really fit into the whole fighting game thing, but it definitely helps with the mystical ninja atmosphere. The sound effects during matches could have used a little more work but thanks to the polish of everything else it's easy to overlook. Fans will definitely be pleased with Bandai Namco's offering here.
Conclusion:
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is one of those rare anime to game crossovers that actually works the way it should. Fans will adore it because of the rich Naruto atmosphere and the uninitiated will have a ball thanks to the adept, and well polished, gameplay. There's a little bit of Smash Bros. in here and the flow of combat will keep fighting aficionados coming back for more. The depth of the fighting is a little weaker than I would typically go for, but there is enough variety to keep things from getting stale.