Naruto: Ninja Council

"Fun anime-based game"

Naruto for the GBA is based on an anime and manga series of the same name by Masashi Kishimoto. It will likely appeal primarily to fans who are already familiar with the Naruto world and characters. It is a fun game, though short, and its faithfulness to its source material will make it a welcome addition to the GBA library of any Naruto fan.

Naruto is a story about young ninjas in training. The game does not have an English version yet, but since it is an action game, it is not difficult to understand. At the start, you can choose from Naruto or Sasuke, and proceed through several levels of side-scrolling action, facing ninjas and wild creatures as you pass obstacles on your way to the goal. At the end of each level, you face a boss who is one of the other characters from the anime.

The gameplay of Naruto is fairly simple, but is deeper than some games of its type. Besides the standard jumping and attacking, you can use several projectile weapons that you will find throughout the levels. Naruto and Sasuke each have their own ninja techniques that they can activate, and learn new ones as they progress. There are also level-specific techniques that must be employed to pass obstacles. There are different strategies to beating each boss, rather than simple ''pummel it until it stops moving'' game mechanics.

The faithfulness to the anime is probably the most appealing part of Naruto. All of the characters have their own unique techniques taken straight from the anime. There are also many character illustrations during dialogue scenes, and voice samples that match the anime voices perfectly. Naruto fans will appreciate being able to execute signature moves and facing off against adversaries from the show. Unfortunately, none of the original music from the anime made it into the game. That would have made it even better, but the music in the game is not bad. It isn't terribly memorable, but it is bouncy and gets you going through the levels.

The biggest drawback of the game is its length. The game can be completed in under two hours, and the small handful of stages will not offer any real challenge to experienced players. It is mostly linear without any major brain work, though players can pick up more items by searching stages carefully. The cute, super-deformed graphic style may not appeal to everyone, but it fits the nature of the anime.

While Naruto is a short game, it does offer some incentives to boost the replay value. Aside from playing through as the two different main characters, players will also want to collect items and explore each stage thoroughly in order to unlock special features and characters. The hidden features will be a lot of fun for Naruto fans.

If you are not familiar with the Naruto anime, you probably won't get much out of the game other than a quick play though. Naruto is not a deep or innovative game, but it will be fun for fans who are looking to experience the anime in a different way. It has enough replay value to make it worth the money.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/03/03, Updated 06/03/03