Developer Cavia didn't do much with the presentation either. The visuals aren't sloppy, but seem to follow a blueprint from previous platforming games. The camera has to be manually adjusted to see enemies, and the graphics resemble a second-generation game. The animation is impressive and true to the show, but it looks fuzzy. Even Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2, a game that's been on the GameCube import scene for a little while, has better visuals than this. The sound runs about a similar pattern, with underwhelming music as well as voice samples provided by actors from the show.
Uzumaki Chronicles also suffers from several annoying issues. The item-equipping system is good, as Naruto can be armed with new weapons and abilities over the course of his quest. However, Cavia could have done something better with the save set-up. The game doesn't give you the option of saving and quitting mid-mission, meaning that players have to endure all of it before they can record their progress. This gets annoying, especially if a player is killed mid-mission. They have to start all over again, and that's after a system reset (the game features no option to restart missions immediately). The dull cut-scenes can't be skipped either, even if the player's viewed them before. Last but not least, the game can be beaten within a few hours and offers little reason to come back.
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles has potential, but the bizarre mission structure and lack of variety kills its chances. Hardcore fans may find these Chronicles worth a look. Everyone else, however, should just watch the TV show or play Ultimate Ninja to get their fix.
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