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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2008

System: Xbox 360

Publisher: Ubisoft

Reviewer's rating: ***

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: Platform/fighting

Kind of like: "Dragonball Z Budokai," "Grand Theft Auto"

Best feature: Cel-shaded graphics; simple but effective combat system
Worst feature: Action sometimes gets too fast

The bottom line: "Naruto" hasn't exactly been a name that inspires confidence in the video game world, ever. Like many of its ilk, the popular anime series has inspired a long line of forgettable titles as developers try to cash in. But luckily for this spiky haired hero, his string of bad luck seems to have ended with "Rise of a Ninja."

Taking players through the first 80 episodes of the anime, the story mode showcases Naruto's quest to win the respect of his hometown as he tries to become the next ninja master. The ensuing gameplay is a mix of open-world platforming like "Grand Theft Auto" with battles that take place in set pieces like "Street Fighter." The combination works, as the sometimes mundane fetch quests and explorations are broken up by the intensity of the fights.

And the fights are where "Naruto" excels. Although based on a simple system, the matches involve a significant amount of strategy. Players must decide between traditional attacks or unleashing their "jutsus," or ninja powers, which take time to charge up. Jutsus in particular are a wonder to behold, as all characters have their own unique moves. The fights are fast - almost too fast at times - but are absolutely stunning with the game's cel-shaded graphics.
Kelvin Ma

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