Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 Review for Nintendo DS

System: DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: TOMY	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: D3	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Oct. 15, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The control here is very simple and feels quite conventional in DS terms. You are able to move around and select menu options with the stylus and will occasionally have to press the A button for action-triggered elements (like pulling a switch or inspecting an item of interest.) The controls feel very natural, and if you absolutely abhor stylus control, you can always use the DS face buttons. However, if there was one thing that was missing it would be a dash button, which can be quite inconvenient at times. Aside from that, everything works well.

Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 screenshot

The visuals in Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 also work well but they are definitely not as impressive as they could have been. The pixel-based graphics look a little dated when compared with more modern titles on the Nintendo DS. I do wish that they would have punched up the visuals just a little bit, instead of being content with the GBA-style look of the game.

The sound also could have been better. The music is directly sampled from the anime, but is played in little thirty-second snippets that can get a little agitating during longer levels. The voiceover is almost nonexistent, with characters only speaking to say a catchphrase from the TV show during the start of every turn. As you might imagine, this facet also gets quite annoying after a while, so it is generally in your best interest to keep the sound turned down on this one.

While I am definitely a huge fan of role-playing games, as well as games based on anime, it seems like anime-inspired RPGs have a historical tendency of failing to impress. This is not a recent phenomenon, and I can remember playing very poor Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z RPGs for the Famicom systems ages ago. Unfortunately, it looks like the poor Anime-inspired RPG trend continues with Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 for the DS. Although it certainly isn’t a bad game, there is just not enough here to satisfy neither Naruto fans nor RPG fans, and, as such, it just isn’t worth its seven to eight hour playtime.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.0

Graphics
Sprite-based graphics look passable, but definitely do not take advantage of the DS hardware’s capabilities.

4.0

Control
Using the stylus to move around and select menu items feels natural. However, occasional button-based mini-games feel out of place.

2.5

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is alright, but a little too repetitive. Recurring voiceover catchphrases are annoying.

3.0

Play Value
Story mode is long enough to keep you engaged, and the online mode is amusing for a few rounds. However, I can’t imagine getting more than seven or eight hours of playtime out of this title.

3.2

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

All-new, original storyline; can Naruto and his squad complete this S rank mission and stop the spread of this terrible threat before its too late?

Tons more playable characters, so you can customize your squad more than ever before.

Wi-Fi battles pit your squad against other players’ squads from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to prove your ninja skills!

In-depth graphic and gameplay improvements, including character customization, a team leader system, and strategic battle formations.

Unlock secrets and rewards by collecting cards and points in Wi-Fi battles.

Gather special items and test your ninja reflexes with side-scrolling, action mini-games.

Use the full functionality of the DS and Touch Screen to complete special tasks and progress your game.