NARUTO: Clash of Ninja 2 – GC – Review

As time goes by, the American
population seems to be more enthralled by Japanese cartoons known as anime. You
can just go to the local mall and see people wearing t-shirts with various
characters on them or even turn on your television and see it there. Ever so
often there is a series that really takes off and pretty soon there are numerous
video games based off that franchise because people want to “be” in the game and
act out everything that happens on the shows. Well, a few months ago a game
entitled Naruto: Clash of Ninja came out on the Nintendo GameCube with a
lukewarm response and now there is a sequel released that claims to be bigger
and better. Does it live up to its claim? Read on to find out!

Here is a rundown of the series if
you are unfamiliar with it. Naruto is a young boy who dreams of one day becoming
the leader of the village that he lives in. He has had a very hard childhood and
is known for acting out, just to get attention from the village residents who
have shunned him. This game stretches out further into the series than the
previous one, which means that you get a wider variety of characters to use.

The gameplay for Naruto: Clash of
Ninja 2 will be either hit or miss with each gamer, depending on their
preference. The game is very simplistic in nature and will have anyone
performing the super moves in no time. This also means that there is very little
depth in the fighting game, and makes the battles redundant and a button-mashing
fest. On the other hand, this latest game allows more people to battle at the
same time, meaning some two on two, one on three, and vice versa, which makes it
more like the anime show. This is also a good thing for fans of the series.

A common theme with this game is
that it has more of everything: players, people to fight at one time, levels,
and even gameplay modes. There are more than 14 game modes that will have you
using your best skills as a ninja to conquer them all. The modes range from the
story mode, which takes you through the shoes of Naruto’s various trials, an
arcade mode, and even multiplayer modes where you can battle with up to four
characters at one time. All the modes make this game a lot better and gives
players something to keep coming back to. There is also a shop that you can
visit where you can buy various things, such as concept art, videos, and other
hidden goodies that will help you out as you play through this game.

The graphics for Naruto: Clash of
Ninja 2 are pretty well done. What is nice about the game is that the developers
strived to get the same look and feel as the TV show so they used cel-shading
technology to bring this game to life. Also just like the first game, you will
see that the developers managed to get a lot of details from the show included
here, such as the whiskers on Naruto’s face, various locations where the
characters battled on, and many other things. The special effects from the
various Jutsu’s (special moves) are well done and look like the show’s
counterparts which makes players feel that they are actually living the show
out.

What stood out to me in this sequel
is the framerate of the game. Since you can now battle up to four people at any
given time, with all of the special effects going haywire it is nice to see that
the game still keeps up a steady and nice framerate. This is a very good thing,
especially if you have four of your friends on your couch and dueling it out to
become the best ninja.

Just like the first game, all of the
characters have the same voice actors as the television show on Cartoon Network.
This is a good thing for people who have seen the show and can easily identify
with all of the characters. Another thing that is nice is that you will hear the
character’s trademark phrases when you are fighting as that makes it all the
more real to the players. Just like the voice actors, the music is taken
directly from the show as well, which is great thing because this makes it even
feel more like the show.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is rated
Teen for cartoon violence. It will take up to 2 blocks on your memory card for
game saves.

Gameplay: 7.1
To me the game is still lacking in this department. The game is still
really simplistic, which is fine, but there needs to be a little more depth to
the controls. The good thing is that now you can battle with up to four people
at one time, which helps re-enact the show more. If you have played the first
game you will know exactly what to expect.

Graphics: 8.1
Just like the first game, the visuals for Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 are
really good. What makes them good is that they mimic how the TV show looks and
it gives it a real cartoon feeling to it.

Sound: 7.2
The dialog is taken straight from the dubbed show, which is a good
thing because people will be able to recognize it immediately. The music is
pretty decent as well.

Difficulty: Easy
This game is really easy to get into and players should have little
trouble performing some fancy moves, en route to beating this game.

Concept: 7.3
I really liked that in this game you were able to have more than two
people on the screen. For instance, there are a couple of battles that will show
three-versus on. This made the game feel more like the TV show.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The multiplayer for this game is way better the than first one, with
the inclusion of letting four players battle it out at once time.

Overall: 7.4
Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is a fun game that fans of the series will
find enjoyable. What I don’t like is that there is not a lot of depth to the
controls. Also I really don’t like that the eight returning characters do not
have any additional moves that wasn’t in the first game, which is a huge
disappointment. If you really enjoy the series and looking for another game for
the game-starved GameCube then you will want to check this out.