Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2
The latest installment in young Uzumaki's misadventures comes in the form of Ultimate Ninja 2. Needless to say the two at the end denotes that this is a sequel but unlike most series (non-fighting ones anyway) you don't have to have knowledge of its predecessor to fully appreciate it. Despite being a lot of fun and bearing the Naruto namesake this title does bear a stigma to the general populous.
Considering this is an anime themed fighting game it's not going to be taken seriously. It's not going to be ranked alongside of Soul Calibur or Tekken and will only appeal to fans of the show. Granted it's not as refined as the aforementioned titles but Ultimate Ninja 2 does have plenty of good attributes that make it worthy of your fighting dollar.
Gameplay
If you had the fortune of playing the original Ultimate Ninja game then you are probably coming to this particular title with some expectations. Be thankful. Namco/Bandai has kept the over-the-top and fun atmosphere intact and just about everything that made the first game enjoyable is here in spades. On the flip side most of the problems are still here as well but if you appreciated the first game you'll most likely overlook these anyways.
If you're new to Naruto or the Ultimate Ninja franchise then there are a couple of things you should know.
First and foremost this is a fast-paced and simplistic fighting game. Quite honestly you probably expected that if you have played any anime fighting release because they generally all try to be easily accessible and insane. Ultimate Ninja brings the whole package with a quasi-3D environment similar to Smash Bros. Melee and significantly easy to get used to button placement. Combat is mostly relegated to one button though a few additional button presses up the ante a bit.
Gameplay is mostly fast and furious no matter who you're playing as or who you're fighting. The battle environment is open and multi-tiered with the ability to transport across the map or to different sections. This brings the fighting to a breakneck pace that keeps things varied and interesting while you're getting your butt kicked.
As far as the actual fighting engine is concerned there is a button to jump, use items, trigger a special technique, and attack. The shoulder buttons also cycle through items and allow you to defend yourself. Depending on the direction you're pressing on the D-Pad your attack combinations will change. The system is easy to use and helps the game keep its pacing during battle. To say that the action gets intense would be an understatement but special attacks take things to a whole new level.
Once you activate your chakra and score a hit on the enemy the game's screen will cut away and you'll see a new, almost cut scene-like, animation. A meter appears during this special attack phase and you have to press corresponding button correctly in order to get anything done. Each time you are successful you'll be treated to an attack animation and the opportunity to enter another round (up to three in total). On the flip side your opponent gets to press buttons as well to lessen the damage that they'll receive.
This special attack system is a lot of fun and really makes Ultimate Ninja 2 stand apart from all the other anime fighting games. Each character's unique abilities come into play so if you are a fan of the show you'll appreciate what's going on. My only complaint with this system is the fact that it really cuts into the flow of battle. You’re going at it with your opponent, trading blows, and sweating thanks to the pacing, when all of the sudden the battle stops and the button pressing game shows up. It's not enough to kill the experience but it certainly feels jarring in most circumstances; especially if you're not prepared for it.
A couple of modes are available here and they are fairly standard to the fighting genre. There is a story mode which allows you to unlock more fighters and play through their scenarios. Frankly though, unless you really care about Naruto you're going to skip most of the dialogue altogether. Does a story really need to be present in a game where you just want to bludgeon your opponent? Not really. Aside from that there is a free battle mode and mission-based mode where you can earn extras and whatnot.
The only problem is that despite the fun nature of the gameplay and the variety of modes there's not a lot to do with the game. You have to be a real diehard in order to keep going back to unlock everything and the fact that every character plays the same doesn't help matters. The simplistic combat is enjoyable but after a few hours of mashing buttons and teleporting around you'll find yourself becoming bored. Don't get me wrong, the fighting engine is solid; it's just not as in depth as some of the top tier fighting games.
In the end Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 is a fantastic anime fighter. Few manga franchises are presented as well as this particular series and in that regard you have to check it out if you're an otaku. Uninitiated simply looking for a fun fighting game will get some play time out of this one but it's nowhere near the amount that you'll reap from more prominent series. This sequel is a worthy successor though and if you liked the first game you'll love this one.
Graphics
Like the first Ultimate Ninja game, this one is very easy on the eyes. The manga and anime art style comes to life with a true representation of Kishimoto's work. Throughout it all this is one of the most stylish fighting games that I have ever seen and in terms of anime related material it's the most accurate.
Characters look like their animated counterparts with a strong presence on screen and wild attack animations. There is a somewhat sketchy appearance to everything as well making it look like it was pulled from Kishimoto's sketch book somewhere along the way. The environments play as just a big a role in the visual impact of Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2. The expansive surroundings are fun to explore and contain quite an impressive amount of detail for an anime themed game. Too often we see titles that present bland trappings but that's not the case here.
Audio
With sound effects, music, and voice acting pulled straight from the English adaptation of Naruto's anime series you can bet that you're going to receive an authentic experience. That being said there are a few minor problems afoot. The audio can become muffled sometimes at seemingly random intervals and the English voice cast isn't particularly cohesive to this type of project. Voiceovers tend to become bothersome and though they may work for the anime I found them to be annoying in almost every regard here.
Conclusion
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 is a solid representation of Kishimoto's popular series. The graphics fully embody the anime, the audio is authentic (though annoying at times), and the gameplay is frenetic yet simplistic. This is a fast-paced fighting game with a strong anime influence that actually works despite some nitpicky flaws. Does it transcend the anime themed barrier that plagues so many similar titles? Not necessarily. However, if you appreciate the show there is not a better game on the market worthy of your Naruto dollar. Check it out and you won't be disappointed.