Naruto has taken off like a rocket here in the US. After debuting in Japan to impressive viewing numbers, Cartoon Network took a chance and gave the series a debut as part of their Saturday night Toonami viewing block, and it's since been one of their most watched shows- maybe even moreso than Dragon Ball Z. And with that, game publishers have been releasing Naruto games left and right. Namco Bandai's tackling the franchise with their Naruto: Ultimate Ninja for PlayStation 2, while D3 Publisher has the Nintendo consoles covered with Naruto: Ninja Council and the impressive (if somewhat simple) brawling game for GameCube, Naruto: Clash of Ninja. They're doing quite well in sales, so it should be no surprise that D3 and TOMY will be bringing the second of four Naruto: Clash of Ninja titles to the US.

Among them, Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2, a game that probably won't impress those who were looking to get a deeper fighting perspective than the first game offered, but still should be plenty of fist-swinging fun. The game will definitely see some additions to make it feel like a sequel, just as it did in Japan, and that'll be something that the fans of the show should thoroughly enjoy.

The gameplay fighting system appears to be the same, with defensive counter moves that allow you to get quick hits on opponents, super moves that, when pulled off, can leave devastating damage on a foe, punch and kick combos that have their own effectiveness, and projectile and aerial attacks that speak volumes on someone who isn't blocking properly.

However, this department will see some vast improvement in two areas. First off, the fighter selection has been bumped up significantly. Instead of just choosing from eight or nine familiar faces, Clash of Ninja 2 will feature 23 different fighters, some of which can be unlocked as you progress further into the game. This will come as a sight of relief for those who were scratching their heads and wondering where their favorite brawler from the show was in the original game.

But that isn't all. The game will also expand in the area of players who can take part in a fight at once. The game now allows up- to four players to beat each other up relentlessly, bumped up from the two that were selectable in the first game. And the way that these multiplayer brawls unfold is actually your decision, as you can do one player versus three player battles, two versus two team-up fights, team battles to determine who has the stronger group (kind of like the King of Fighters match-ups), and two player co-op battles, where players can work together to make sure that their team comes out on top. It's this diversity and range of selectable fighting characters that will help Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 push along in replayability.

The game's presentation will be very similar to the original. A cell-shaded graphic style will be included that makes the characters look like they do in the anime show, complete with stylish effects and slick animation. However, there will be more stages now, more detailed than they ever have been before and drawing fans further into the animated beauty of Naruto's world. The game is set to move at 60-frames-per-second, just like the original, with hardly any slowdown to get noticed within the game. There will also be story vignettes that will unfold in Story Mode, with a storyline similar to that of the Cartoon Network program. So some events may actually strike as a bit familiar to you. Of course, that's the way the folks at D3 want it.

The voice actors from the cartoon will also return to voice their characters in the game once again, and they will be backed by strong sound effects that capture the heat of battle, as well as a soundtrack that's fitting for the license at hand. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some music from the show (including the theme song) make a return in the final game. Might as well have all your bases covered with the license, right?

Along with the presentation, the fighting engine, and the improved multiplayer aspect, Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 will also see some extra effort in its modes. Story Mode, Training Mode, and Single Player Mode all make a return, along with a new Shopping Mode, where you can purchase some unlockable goodies and add to the Naruto experience, as well as an unlockable CPU Demo Mode, where you can actually pair off certain characters against each other and then watch them duke it out to see who reigns supreme. Granted, it has about the same appeal as any given Attract Mode, but I'm sure curiousity still strikes you as to who's better, Sasuke or Sakura. My money's on the girl.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 won't change the face of fighting games, but that's not the mission of the developer nor the publisher. The first game had a formula that worked rather well for it, so they decided instead to build on the franchise and make it better in terms of features and multiplayer. And it looks like it's going to be a big success when it arrives this September. We'll be back with a full review upon its release, complete with ridiculous references to the show. "Believe it!"