Review: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja
Once you've connected with a special attack you'll get to play through a fun button-sequence mini game that dictates how powerful the attack will be. If you mess up the button sequence input, however, the attack will lose a bit of its punch. Interestingly enough, your opponent also can get in on the button-pressing action with their own set of sequences to input. If they succeed in hitting all of their correct buttons within a certain amount of time, they'll reduce the amount of damage that they receive from your attack.
Hello Students, Today I Got Lost On The Road of Life
It's an interesting concept and adds a bit more tension to each encounter. Each special attack is accompanied by elaborate cutscene-like sequences, too, which only adds to the flair of each powerful blow. But while visually impressive, it does get a bit old watching the same animations over and over again, so it would have been at least nice to have the option to shorten them or get rid of them altogether.
If the Scenario mode isn't your thing, there are thankfully quite a few other modes that offer up some fun. Mission mode has you playing through special battles that come complete with certain objectives. For example, one fight stipulates that in order to win you not only need to defeat your opponent, but also collect a special item handed out by a background character. There are six different difficulty tiers in Mission mode, which lends itself well to both newcomers to the game and ninja experts. If you're lacking in your skills, you can hop in to Practice mode to try out moves, while Free Battle is a care-free mode that lets you jump straight in to a fight.
There's No Meaning to a Flower Unless it Blooms
As you're fighting through Scenario and Mission mode you'll start racking up money for pulling off wins, gathering items, and accomplishing other tasks. This money, though, isn't just for show. You can take your winnings to the Shop and try your luck at a capsule toy machine that spits out all kinds of crazy rewards. You can win music soundtrack files, special character figures, and even animations of each character's special attack moves. There are a ton of different items to discover, which should give collection junkies hours upon hours of fun. The only real drawback is that some of the capsules you can win actually end up being empty, which is a bit of a slap in the face and a waste of your hard-earned money.
Visually Naruto: Ultimate Ninja does an admirable job of capturing the look of both the anime and manga series. While character models tend to be a bit too small during fights, they animate fluidly, especially during special attacks. The rough-hewn, hand drawn look is appealing and should make series fans happy. Environments are also pretty well detailed and are filled with lots to see and interact with. Especially cool is the comic-book paned look that accompanies a full level switch.
The Weaker You Are The Louder You Bark
Capturing the look of the Naruto series is one thing, but what about the audio? Ultimate Ninja is jam-packed with voice-over dialogue that pops up during fights, cutscenes, and even menu navigation. The voices are all provided by t
he folks who lend their talents to the animated series, so you'll get to listen to all your favorite characters the way they were meant to be heard. Granted, some of the voices do get a bit repetitive now and then, but for a series follower, simply having the real voices in the game is a very nice touch.
If you're a fan of Naruto and his bizarre allies and enemies, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja will make you happy -- very happy. Besides finally making a debut on the PS2, this installment in the Naruto series offers up an enjoyable time whether you're playing by yourself or with someone else (the game supports two-players). While some of the lengthy animations get repetitive at time, and the voices start to wear thing after a few listens, the unique visuals and hectic fighting make for a worthwhile time. Believe it!
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