Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 Review for Nintendo DS

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 box art

System: DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Takara TOMY	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: TOMY	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Sept. 15, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The only mode that really has significant replay value is the wireless battle mode. However, this mode only allows you to fight against local enemies multi-cart, so your options are somewhat limited.

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 screenshot

It would be great if the Ninja Destiny series would take a hint from the Bleach or the Naruto: Path of Ninja series (both also on the Nintendo DS) and incorporate an online component to the multiplayer, but it looks like we’ll have to keep waiting for that feature. Still, if you have friends with the game in close proximity, duking it out in one of the game’s many battle arenas is always fun, and it just may be the best part of the game.

The only thing that really stands out about Ninja Destiny 2 is the visuals. While every other Naruto game for the Nintendo DS platform tends to use sprites for the action, the Ninja Destiny series is the only one that incorporates 3D, cel-shaded models for the action. This is a very interesting choice, and it works well about 70% of the time. The 3D models look great in battle, and the look of the game is reminiscent of the visuals in the PlayStation 2 iterations of the Ultimate Ninja series. However, when your character is running around in the story mode’s overworld, things get a little less polished. In this situation, character models suffer from very dramatic jagged edges and blurry features. Still, despite these issues, the fights in Ninja Destiny 2 look great, and I was impressed with the choice to go 3D on the DS platform.

With a superb character roster and great source material, Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 could have been a great Naruto-themed brawler for the Nintendo DS. However, the simplistic battle system and poor story/dialogue choices leave this game with much to be desired. It’s hard to recommend this to hardcore Naruto fans, as they’ll likely be disappointed by the shallow gameplay. However, it’s equally difficult to recommend to series newcomers, as the dialogue and story are hard to follow. If you are looking for a great Naruto brawler on the Nintendo DS, you’ll have to keep waiting, because Ninja Destiny 2 just isn’t destined for greatness.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.1

Graphics
3-D animations look great in battle, but they suffer from several issues in overworld settings.

3.2

Control
Simplistic brawling controls work well, but the battle system is sorely lacking depth.L

3.3

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Unsophisticated background music is mostly inoffensive, but voiceover is sparse.

2.1

Play Value
The shallow battle system makes the single-player mode boring, and while the story mode is interesting, it isn’t all that long and doesn’t cover much new ground.

2.8

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

Game Features:

Players will enjoy all-new playable characters like members of the Akatsuki, and new jutsu techniques.

All-new Naruto Shippuden characters as well as legacy characters sporting their new Naruto Shippuden looks.

Choose your favorite character and travel through mazes - battle and defeat opponents to improve character performance and fight your way to the end in the all-new 3D Quest Mode.

Duke it out in fast-paced, high intensity fights in 3D on the Nintendo DS.

Test your skills against your friends in the returning wireless battle mode.