Naruto: Path of the Ninja

"This Game Just Seems Pointless To Me"

Before I start this review, I'd like to say that I am indeed a fan of the Naruto anime series. I've seen a good deal of it and the series has always been much to my liking. I enjoyed the deep characters, the entertaining fights, and the unique fighting style that each character contributes.

When game developers started making games based on the Naruto universe, I was skeptical, but I ended up enjoying some of them, mainly the Clash of Ninja series on the Gamecube and the Ultimate Ninja series on the PS2 and PSP. With that being said, Naruto: Path of the Ninja for the DS just doesn't measure up to the aforementioned games. Since I'm slightly biased in favor of Naruto, a game really has to try hard to disappoint me and make me glower at their efforts. However, Naruto: Path of the Ninja has done just that, and it's by far the worst Naruto game I have played yet. (but I still have many to play)

Something about Naruto: Path of the Ninja just doesn't feel right to me. Perhaps it's because I've played so many Naruto games based on fast paced fighting, but throwing the Naruto characters into a turn based RPG just makes it feel like they don't belong in the slow paced flow of the game. I'm a huge fan of turn based RPGs as well, and I've peddled in them since the days of the Sega Master System.

So if I had a liking for Naruto and a liking for turn based RPGs, why didn't I like Naruto: Path of the Ninja? I just found that these two things didn't mix well. Kind of like eating a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. Peanut butter is okay, and so is ketchup, but when you mix them, it's disconcerting to say the least.

Since non-Naruto fans may be interested in this game, I feel that I should mention that the manual for the game is about two pages long and explains almost nothing. It explains the controls and that's it, so newcomers might be a bit confused at first with some of the Naruto lingo. Luckily I'm familiar with the Naruto universe, so the esoteric Naruto jargon was okay for me, but I could see it turning some people off.

Naruto: Path of the Ninja is actually a port of the Naruto RPG that came out years ago on the GBA and it shows. Graphically the game is incredibly antiquated, the sounds are far below what the DS is capable of, and it's a very short quest for an RPG.

The game follows the early goings of the Naruto anime series, right to the Chunin exams. Fans of the series will be familiar with the content, but it's conveyed much better in the anime series and I don't see why anyone would want to pad the interesting story with fetch quests and necessary leveling. Now let's take a look at why I was so disappointed in this game.

Graphics 3/10

As I said before, Naruto: Path of the Ninja is a port of a GBA game and nothing was changed graphically. Tomy kept everything identical to the original but added dual screen support for an always opened stat window and some added character portraits during your Jutsus. While the graphics are okay, they just look bad by the DS's standards. The top-down exploration parts of the game look like a SNES game at best. When you go into battle, the graphics get a little bit more detailed, but it's still not very impressive.

There's not really much to say, the game is incredibly dated and I don't see why they didn't spruce up the graphical presentation at all. It would have made a world of difference.

Sounds and Music 3/10

Ugh, this is another aspect of the game that seems to be ported directly from the GBA game. I've played many GBA games, and I'm very familiar with the grainy sounds that the GBA produces, but I've also heard some crystal clear DS games that sound great. Naruto: Path of the Ninja has terribly grainy character voices, muffled sound effects, and music that could have been done on the NES.

In the game's defense, you will be able to discern the characters via their voices, but I have not heard characters this poorly articulated since Tales of Phantasia on the GBA.

Story 7/10

If there is one thing about this game that will keep you interested, it's the gripping story which is ripped right from the anime series. Naruto Uzumaki is an aspiring ninja that will stop at nothing to become Hokage, or the top ninja in the village. He plays the role of a Genin, which is the lowest rank that a ninja can hold. He will be joined by the usual suspects Sakura and Sasuke in order to complete tasks that are assigned to them by the current Hokage. Kakaski will be their sensei, and he is an elite Jonin, which is quite a few steps above Naruto and his lackeys.

If you are not familiar with Naruto lore, there is an intricate story to be had, but it's simply a rehash for fans of the series, and it's told much better in the anime series.

Gameplay 4/10

The core gameplay in Naruto: Path of the Ninja is that of a turn based RPG, and if you are really looking for a turn based RPG, this game may fit the bill, but it's a pretty basic offering and rides on the coat tales of the Naruto universe more than it innovates. For those that have played any other fast paced style Naruto game before, Naruto: Path of the Ninja will fell more like a pestilence than a fun time. Why do I have to scroll through a bunch of menus in order to send off a Fireball Jutsu with Sasuke? It just feels dumbed down and pathetic.

Instead of magic, you will have access to “Chakra” which governs all of your Jutsus. Chakra comes in point distributions just like magic, and certain Jutsus will cost a certain amount of Chakra. There are plenty of Jutsus for your characters to get in the game, but some of them are reused and seem odd. Why does Sakura have a Fireball Jutsu?

The game also has a simple leveling system that allows for almost no growth options. Speaking of leveling, there are many times during the game where you will need to level grind for a long time. The problem is that the enemies give you such little exp. that it throws the balance of the game off a bit and requires you do grind much longer than in most games.

Longevity and Re-Playability 3/10

Even with the long grinding sessions, the game is still a pathetic 12-15 hour quest that can be finished in a few days. There are only three side missions to do, which net you nothing too great, and the only incentive to replay the game would be to see the story again. However, if you enjoyed the story in Naruto: Path of the Ninja, why not get the anime series and see the whole story, which is much better. There's no need to sit through the story while it's being interspersed with fetch quests and level grinding.

Conclusion

For whatever reason, Naruto: Path of the Ninja just seems like a pointless game to me. Even as a Naruto fan I can't recommend this game to anyone other than people that are completely new to the series and want to check out the story. Quite honestly though, even a rookie Naruto fan would be better off just watching the series for the story and playing one of the other, better Naruto games to re-live the epic fights from the series.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 03/04/09

Game Release: Naruto: Path of the Ninja (US, 10/23/07)