Each time I get a game based off a license, be it a movie, a television show, or a comic book, it's always the same thing. Typically, it's a property I'm unfamiliar with, so the whole appeal of living out the show, the comic, the movie, isn't even a factor. Still, I boot it up somehow always hoping the gameplay will be so incredibly awesome that I can suggest it to folks, like myself, who aren't even fans of the license. And I'm always, always disappointed by abysmal controls and tedious gameplay, and in the following review, I'm always talking about how the game had the potential to appeal beyond its license but failed, and is thus only recommended for fans of the series, show, whatever. It happens so often, in fact, that I'd started to think the concept of a quality licensed game, one so good that its appeal extends beyond its fanbase, was all in my head.

Thankfully, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja proves I'm not crazy. Hidden beneath the Naruto characters and locations that I'm so woefully ignorant of is a simple, yet solid, fast-paced brawler. In the vein of Super Smash Bros. Melee, two characters run around multi-tiered stages throwing punches and kicks, not to mention various items, at each other. With circle being the sole attack button, most special moves revolve around properly timed presses of circle in conjunction with a corresponding direction on the d-pad.

Sounds simple, right? Well, it is. But that's far from a bad thing. See, even though Naruto's 14 characters share similar movesets, the effects of these button combinations differ from character to character. So the challenge isn't in being able to pull of a given move, but rather in knowing its effects and therefore, the best time to use it.

The other major component in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja's fighting system are the jutsus, the super over-the-top special attacks. Underneath each character's health bar is a meter that displays their current amount of chakra, which can be gathered throughout a stage. Depending on how high this level is, three different jutsus are available, the more powerful the move, the more chrakra it requires. And performing a jutsu is as easy as tapping the triangle button to charge up the chakra, once for a weak jutsu, three times for the most powerful, and simply hitting an opponent within the brief span one's character is flashing.

Once activated, a jutsu launches both combatants into a time-based mini-game whereupon a series of button presses are displayed on screen. The faster an attacker presses those buttons, the more damage the attack will do. Meanwhile, their opponents also have a series of button presses displayed on their screen, and rapidly working through them will reduce the damage of the attack. And while speed is necessary, so is accuracy, as pressing the wrong button will have a negative effect on one's offensive or defensive effort. Of course, launching a jutsu isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. Later opponents in the game are masters at blocking, meaning the jutsus won't connect, meaning that players have to rely on more than just the jutsus in order to succeed.

Adding one more layer to the mix, various items appear throughout the stages. Selected with the R1/L1 triggers and activated by pressing square, these items can be pretty useful, especially the brick that temporarily slows down opponents. The stages themselves also deserve special mention, as not only are they large and varied, but also multi-layered. Each stage features multiple layers that allow players to warp between the foreground and background, with one's plane switched by hitting either up or down and X. And just like Super Smash Bros. Melee, the further one is from their opponent, the more the camera zooms out.

On top of its solid controls and fighting system, Naruto features a good amount of content to keep players busy. In addition to the initial six characters, eight more are unlockable via Story Mode, each with their series of plot-driven fights. Then there's Mission Mode, which challenges players to complete missions of ever-varying criteria. And then there's the scroll hidden in each stage, the challenge to collect all of the various figures, scrolls, music samples, secret techniques, and ninja info cards, and let's not forget the requisite two player mode.

Even outside of the gameplay, Naruto still manages to impress. The voiced cinematics before each fight can be skipped at any time, a feature that's always nice to have, and load times are kept relatively brief. The game even tracks which moves have been successfully performed with what characters in Practice Mode, which really helps when one's trying to master a new character.

My only complaints with Naruto: Ultimate Ninja require me to really nitpick. While it's nice that the game allows the frequency of items to be adjusted in Free Mode, I would have liked that to be taken a step further, with the ability to disable select items, not just items as a whole. Additionally, the simple yet fast-paced gameplay and the large stages practically beg for more than just two fighters per stage. With the proper tweaking, a four player mode could very well define the inevitable sequel.

Our Final ScoreExcellent

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