Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2
In case you're not familiar with Naruto then you're missing out on one heck of an entertaining anime. Rather than run through the 100+ episode plotline all you really need to know is that the show is about a kid named Naruto. He's kind of a ninja village pariah because he has the spirit of a powerful and deadly fox demon sealed within him. Still, with his tenacity he desires nothing more than to become the next Hokage; or great ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Joining him are his teammates Sakura and Sasuke as they work under the tutelage of their master Kakashi.
Unlike some prior Naruto efforts Uzumaki Chronicles 2 provides a somewhat interesting storyline. It would seem that the Shirogane Clan is seeking orbs to resurrect their powers of puppet mastery. Thankfully their ninja abilities extend well beyond making a puppet talk while their drinking a glass of water and these dolls are truly something to fear. At least, as much as you can fear a cel-shaded anime marionette for whatever that's worth. If you're a fan of the series then you should know that this game may feature spoilers for you because it takes place at a later point after the first series. Some things have evolved beyond the point that VIZ's DVD releases have reached and you may catch a few things here and there that you didn't want to. Then again you may just not care so much.
Gameplay
To be brutally honest, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 isn't a good game. I have played several anime related titles in my day and most of them have been Naruto. Folks, this is probably the worst.
Unlike the rest of the franchise this incarnation of Naruto isn't strictly a fighting game. Sure there is a lot of combat but it's more akin to what you'd expect to find in a side-scrolling beat 'em up. There are no involved battle systems, a very limited amount of attack combinations, and many, many flaws in between. I'll get into the bad parts in a moment; first I wanted to discuss what is actually decent about Uzumaki Chronicles 2.
I'm going to come right out and applaud the fact that this game tried something different. It broke from the mold somewhat and though it is nowhere near as successful as the Xbox 360's Naruto effort the fact remains that you're not simply locked inside an arena the whole time. This alleviates the monotony of button mashing against a single opponent and though it does introduce the repetitiveness of button mashing several enemies; at least there is an action/RPG setting in the background.
That's right; as you fight you'll be gaining experience and will actually be able to power up your character. This may sound well and good but given the fact that you'll rarely have the ability to use characters other than Naruto with consistency there isn't much point. The basic gameplay boils down to overpowering Naruto and breezing through the game or trying to balance your experience and getting your ass handed to you. Either way you look at it the options aren't very appealing and before long the RPG aspect of Uzumaki Chronicles 2 will really lose its appeal.
Once you get into the actual Story Mode of this game you'll realize that it is greatly unbalanced. The aforementioned leveling issues really plague the title's difficulty and as I said you'll either find the game too easy or too hard. In addition to that there are several frustrating platforming moments that feature jumps that are virtually impossible to make. Don't be surprised if you miss and miss and miss because these leaps require spot on timing, ninja like reflexes, and a small amount of luck.
In addition to the wavering difficulty level and often impossible jumps the Story Mode's length feels like a properly added insult to injury. You can expect the entire affair to last a whopping 10 chapters and it doesn't take too long to work your way through. Side missions and quests do help to add some extra play time but when you're simply traveling from point A to point B on a map and beating up monkeys; what's the point? Uzumaki Chronicles 2 gets very tedious and no amount of missions, game length, and other modes can really save that. The versus mode and some co-op do help expand upon the experience but once you realize that the camera makes both virtually impossible to play you'll just want to put the controller down and walk away. Seriously, I haven't seen a camera system this broken and sluggish in a very long time.
In the end Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is simply not a fun game to play. While I appreciated the fact that the game tried to break from the cliché anime fighting genre mold; this is a failing effort. The leveling system is wildly out of whack, the camera is horrid, the gameplay is tedious, and the entire experience is too short (though maybe that's a good thing). If you're not a Naruto fan don't bother with this title. Then again, even if you are I wouldn't both either, look forward to the Xbox 360 Naruto game because in many ways it's much better.
Graphics
Like other incarnations of Naruto this one possesses a cel-shaded look that mimics the feel of the show nearly perfectly. Character models look great and the environments appear as though they were pulled from scenes of the anime. While these bits are rather impressive I must admit that the textures are very lacking. There isn't a lot of detail here and some stilted animation wreaks havoc with the overall aesthetic. Add some terrible cut scenes and abundantly inconvenient load times and you have a choppy game that chugs along at times and looks good at others. Very unbalanced.
Sound
Once again the presentation value of Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 varies greatly. The best part here is easily the soundtrack which features some nice original and borrowed tunes from the show. They fit the motif well and it's easy to find yourself humming along or rocking out if the mood strikes you. Unfortunately the dialogue is absolutely terrible. The translation from the original Japanese was handled poorly and throughout this release you'll cringe uncontrollably if you care about such things (and you should). It's simply inexcusable and sloppy work that matches the rest of the game on equal footing sadly enough.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a Naruto game to play; this isn't the one. There may be some promising attributes here such as the action/RPG elements and interesting plot but just about every piece of this puzzle has flaws. The gameplay is monotonous, sections of the game are broken, the graphics are choppy, and the audio is a mixed bag. Curious Naruto fans should steer clear but if you appreciated the first Uzumaki Chronicles title you may consider a rental here. In the end I'm going to have to go with a "skip it" rating because so many wrongs don't make a right. Look elsewhere for your Naruto fix.