by Robert Workman on Wednesday, May 30, 2007
After a decent start on the Game Boy Advance with his two previous games, Naruto finally comes charging onto the Nintendo DS. Naruto: Ninja Council 3 changes things up a bit, however. Instead of charging through level after level of platforming challenges, Naruto and the gang tackles smaller tasks with the help of a new and intricate control system, one that takes advantage of the Nintendo DS' touch-screen abilities. Unfortunately, this change doesn't work for the better.
Throughout the game, players select from a variety of tasks (in any order) through the mission select screen. Most of the time, these revolve around beating specific enemies or locating items. Unfortunately, most of the missions in Naruto: Ninja Council 3 take less than five minutes to complete. Although the game has 60-plus tasks to complete, an experienced player can whip through everything in a few hours.
Ninja Council 3 does showcase several gameplay additions. Over twenty characters can be unlocked over the course of the game, stemming from the expansive Naruto universe. Regrettably, they throw the same punches and items, with only special maneuvers really separating them from each other. Pulling off such maneuvers prove difficult to perform at first as players execute the attacks by drawing on the touch-screen. Worse yet, the game lacks a practice mode so players must endure a "learn in battle" approach. However, the option to mix up special attacks with different characters, like having Rock Lee use something out of Sasuke's notebook, might be of interest to fans of the show. It ends up being a decent feature, although buried in the rubble of insipid game play.
Fans of the show won't mind the game's presentation. While the in-game animation and level designs could've been better, Naruto: Ninja Council 3 shows a great deal of color and occasional details that ring true to the anime characters. The music, while not awe-inspiring, gets its stuff done in the background, while the occasional sound sample pops into play. Expect Naruto to scream out "Believe it!" several times throughout the game.
Along with the somewhat short single-player mode, Naruto: Ninja Council 3 also contains a four-player free-for-all, spread across three different modes. Fighting fans can select from the various characters unlocked within single player and let loose through Treasure Hunt, Scroll Battle and Battle Royale, all with variances to the general combat rules. This particular section of the game delivers, almost in the same style as the Super Smash Brothers games. However, the game doesn't provide Game Sharing support, forcing other to players to own copies of the game.
Longer levels, more involving gameplay, Game Sharing and more attention to the general presentation would have really sky-rocketed its appeal. Fans may still find something to like here, but others may want to turn to something else to get an anime fix.
Final Score: 5 (out of 10)
Related Links
Naruto: Ninja Council 3 Game Guide
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