Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2

"A tribute to a work in progress."

What I mean by the title is simply, this series is just getting started! They just recently released a third and fourth game! This is only the second game, and it is deserving of a 10. Not to mention, “Shoen Jump” games have now made the jump to the PS2 with a “Naruto” title and a “One Piece” title. As you plainly can see, Shoen Jump is in for a great future.

First and foremost, I loved the first Naruto game for the GCN, so I thought it was fitting for me to write a review for the second installment of an already awesome series. It is so rare, that after the first game, a true series is born. I am glad that the Naruto games for GCN (and PS2) have been so successful. My favorite anime and some of my favorite games. Naruto never fails to please.

Graphics--10/10
The graphics remained almost the same from the first Clash of Ninja game. It is Cel-Shaded, which fits very well with this game--considering it is based off anime. However, my only gripe in the original has been completely fixed! I was ecstatic when I found this out. In this game, the environments are now fully in 3-D. They take full capability of the Gamecube's power. You see, in the first one, the environments were in 2-D and were lacking. The characters are also fully 3-D. They did a great job on that. Everyone looks as they should. I am proud to announce that Graphics gets a 10 out of 10.

Sound/Music--10/10
Another perfect score here. This game features the voice actors from the anime, which adds greatly to this category. I believe that to have an experience that resembles watching the show, it is necessary to have the voice actors. Also, if you have read any of my other reviews, you will know that I am a huge fan of the “little” things. Those things being ambient sounds. You can hear things bugs making noises, to the sound of a Kunai slicing through the air. With everything being spectacular, I award this category a 10 out of 10.

Controls--10/10
There is next to nothing in this game that I don't like. The controls stay with the norm, here. Not very hard at all. Beginners can learn fairly easy, and the veterans can astound all onlookers by doing sweet combos and powerful attacks. There is nothing hard about the controls. Every button is in the best possible place. It may be hard to learn different combos with the different characters, but that does have anything to do with the control scheme. That has to do with how dedicated of a player you are or are not. The controls remain great, a perfect score.

Gameplay--10/10
This game has it all. A deep control scheme, a story mode, a multi-player mode, and a large amount of characters, none of which are alike. Different characters fight with different styles, similar to the Dead or Alive games. This game also plays in a fully accessible environment. By this, I mean it is 360 degrees, you can go in any direction. You are not limited to a straight line, like in some other games. The multi-player is also good. With up to 4 players being able to play, there can be some intense battles. People flying everywhere, throwing stars, kicking. It is awesome. Think Super Smash Brothers, but in a 360 degree environment. With much to do, you won't soon get bored. 10 out of 10.

Replayability--8/10
I am giving this category a 8. The reason being, is that the only thing to keep you coming back is the multi-player. The A.I. may seem hard at first, but an experienced player won't have trouble against the computer. You really need to have human players to play against. If you have good competition, you won't ever get bored. Once you beat the Story mode, that is not worth playing again. So, stick with some good players, and you'll enjoy this game for many years to come. Replayability is rewarded with an 8 out of 10.

So, only in it's second game, the Clash of Ninja series is shaping up to be a great one. I hope, that this series will carry on into the Next-Gen consoles. If not, then it matters not. I will always play these games, even when supposed “new” and “better” games come out. I'll still be chilling, playing Naruto games.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/06/06