Last year, Namco Bandai did a good job debuting the Naruto brand on the PlayStation 2 with Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, a quick but effective brawling game with numerous moves and items. Now the company's decided to try something different. Instead of going full-force into Ultimate Ninja II development, it's trying its luck on the full-blown adventure game, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles. It's a noble effort and a great idea. Yet its good intentions became wallowed in numerous mistakes.

Naruto himself has a number of stellar moves including weak and strong combos that can be blended together. Some flashy clone multiplication, teleportation and neon-blue flash attacks are also available. Naruto even has the ability to transform into a beautiful bikini babe -- very temporarily -- to pull off the distracting Sexy Jutsu. Several of his friends can also become allies during his journey, and a quick tap of the L2 button can swap the characters so that others have an opportunity to kick some ass.

It all sounds entertaining, and Sexy Jutsu has to be seen to be believed -- it's pretty damn weird. In the end, however, these moves have very little impact in the game since the artificial intelligence doesn't put up much of a fight. Furthermore, the missions fail to thrill. He's given protection duties or an item-finding task, like protecting a cart full of food from renegade ninjas or advertising for a local shop by beating up thugs. Advertising by beating up thugs? Now why didn't Pepsi think of that? "Drink Pepsi! WHAP!"

Some of the later missions offer some stronger opponents, but very few players may be up for getting to that part of the game. Those expecting huge brawls similar to that of the anime show are in for a great disappointment.