Naruto: Ninja Council

"A Tremendous Anime turned into a sub-par game. WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS?"

5 is about the highest this game deserves to have. I am an Anime Otaku and big fan of Naruto, but this game has put a dent in the Naruto franchise. I have also reviewed Naruto: Clash of Ninja which is a far superior game. ( Also if your looking for the best Naruto Anime, you must watch, MUST watch the Japanese uncut version. It does more justice.)

Game play: 5/10
There are 2 attack buttons and you press them. One punch, one kick, plus 3 charge up Jutsus per character. This is fun for about 20 minutes and is then very repetitive. In addition there are only two playable characters. This ensues repetitiveness. The only feature that keeps this afloat is the bosses. The bosses cover a wider range of Naruto all the way up to Gaara of the sand village. The problem is, up to the last bosses, most are easily defeated with 1 button.

Sound: 3/10
The sound is bland like most Game Boy games and repetitive. I advise if you even buy or rent this game to just turn off the sound.

Graphics 8/10
Graphics might be the only thing saving this game from worse fate. They are at least good for a game boy advance game. very high range, but easily defeated by Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Jutsues have a nice effect and are clear.

Story 4/10
There is little story but it is in the game. It is only presented through characters talking to each other but is not reading heavy. This is both bad and good. Also, the story is different from the Anime so do not get confused.

Final words:
ONLY BUY THIS IF YOU ARE A DIE HARD NARUTO FAN. Or possibly a newb to video games. It is very easy and does not present enough for Game Boy owners to buy it. Even Naruto fans may be turned of by this installment. If you are yearning fo a good Naruto handheld game, import a more recent one from Japan. I believe that that they currently have a DS game and a Ninja Council 2.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/06