A fighting game is a hard thing to get right, and probably doubly so when you're tying it into a successful animated series. Okay, so you don't have to bother inventing a storyline, but since when were fighting titles about the story? Hands up who actually cared about winning the King of Iron Fist Tournament, or defending Earth from the fighters of Outland.

Having said that, I do enjoy a good bit of manga, so I approached Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 with some interest. I can't claim to be a fan of the show, but this meant the story was a fresh experience for me.

Larger video: 1mb   HD

The graphics are fairly pretty by anyone's standard, using some nice cel-shading to recreate the show's style. Obviously the PS2's graphics are nothing to write home about, but the game certainly does not let itself down here and the overall feel is that you are very much playing out an episode from the show.

Naruto and his little friends have less than the standard set of basic moves - X jumps, Circle attacks, Triangle charges up, and Square performs a ranged attack or uses an item (if you have one equipped). There are also the usual block moves using the shoulder buttons.

Each character has a number of basic attack moves, which are variations on pressing circle a certain number of times while jumping and/or pressing a directional button. The main problem with this is that it is very easy to block all of these - in fact, it seems very hard to land a single attack sometimes.

This is where the super-moves come in. Each character has a "chakra" bar, which can be expended to unleash some exciting attacks. A single press of triangle charges up, and you land an attack with circle to start the process. A double press of triangle and then an attack will perform a more powerful move, while the so-called 'ultimate' moves can be used after a triple press. Obviously, the more powerful attacks use more chakra.

These moves, in particular, are a real visual treat. The screen switches to a video of the characters shouting at each other, jumping over each other, and generally attempting to hurt each other. In order to successfully pull off the move, you need to complete a quick task - press a combination of buttons displayed on the screen, rotate the analog stick a certain amount of times, or press a certain button a number of times in succession. At the same time, your opponent is trying to do the same thing in order to defend the attack.

Each character has five such attacks, and they each have their own tone and are fun to watch in their own way. However, you will find that it is fairly easy to see the damage reduced through the defender outdoing the attacker in the on-screen tasks. In fact, after all the shouting at each other and flipping about (often lasting a minute or more), not a whole lot of damage has actually been done.

This seems to be the main problem with this game - it's very difficult to just cause some damage. Particularly against the AI, who manages to block almost all of your attacks and usually disrupts your charging before you manage to get off a chakra-fuelled move. The story is entertaining, detailing the struggle as bids to save his clan from a warband, but a story cannot carry a game on its own - it did not justify the time spent on the long battles.

Of course, as with all fighting games, there is the portion to contend with. However, an "ultimate ninja" will require an overall understanding and knowledge of the intimate game mechanics. Button mashing is not an option, as the planned-out chakra moves are the most powerful weapon in your ninja's arsenal.

In short, the chakra move sequences are by far the best part of the game. It's a fun novelty for a while, but the single player is not satisfying enough and the multiplayer simply not fun enough for me to be able to recommend this title. Fans of the show will absolutely lap it up, but anyone else will quite frankly be a little bit baffled.

45%

By Richard Bright