Review: Naruto Clash of Ninja 2
I am a fan of the Naruto series, and to say the least when I reviewed the last game in the series, I was disappointed in the amount of content that was present. Will Clash of the Ninja 2 be as shallow as the first or will there be more to do?
Story:
Naruto is a young man that has just become a ninja and he out to prove his worth to his village of ninjas, despite the fact that he is the class clown and is considered and outsider by the rest of the villagers. The story stays faithful to the anime source material which for fans is a very good thing, and continues well into the story from the second season of the anime.
Graphics:
The graphics are good and capture the look and feel of the anime extremely well. But what anime based game doesn't now a days regardless of quality? The graphics are still every bit as good as they were in the first, and while there were little tweaks in the graphics, like maneuvers look more flashy in the second game, they are still nothing to run out and tell you mom about.
Music:
The music is average. They didn't use any of the music from the series, but they did use music that sounded like they could have used it in the series. But it bugs me that the character's victory lines were repeated, a lot, something that didn't happen in the first game, the voice acting not only stays true to the dubbed version of the series, but offers a lot of variety, so your interest manages to be kept the entire time, though I wish that the option was still there to switch the voice acting to the Japanese voice actors, (but that is a matter of personal opinion, and not a gripe.)
Control:
Control wise the game is simple to control and play, yet manages to have a complex countering system that is intuitive, and easier to pull off than the counter system in Dead or Alive, but can not be abused like it was in DOA3 due to the fact that you need your chakra gauge partially filled to do it. Fighting can get frantic and intense as you attack, counter, and dodge. And things can get really heated when you are beating on your friends. I would call this a button masher but the counter system breaks that tactic up nicely, and still leaves the chance of someone new picking up and playing the game. Also you can focus to put more power into attacks, usually in ninja star throwing, but it plays a big part especially power attacks like Kakashi's Chidori allowing you to take out a big chunk of life if you get the chance to hit your opponent with it.
Design:
Naruto Clash of the Ninja 2 is a far superior game than the original. How do you ask? More Characters more stages and plenty to work for in this game including new story elements, but what makes the game even more interesting is the 4 player battles. That is right 4 vs. 4 action. You and either 3 of your buddies or computer players dueling it out to the death in an arena. If there is one flaw in this game it is that the only depth that the game lacks is the in depth fighting that the hardcore fighting fans will come looking for. Still the other options will keep them busy for a while.
Naruto fans this is your game, forget about the original Clash of Ninja. Fighting game fans should like it for a quick fix in-between sessions of Soul Caliber 2, or Super Smash Bros. Melee, Casual gamers should enjoy this game for a while. This is a game that deserves to be tried, and is well worth the cash for Gamecube owners!
Graphics
8/10
Game play
8/10
Sound
8/10
Fun factor
9/10
Tilt
10/10
Average score
8.6
Naruto Clash of Ninja 2:
Pros:
Good graphics
Great game play
Frantic multiplayer
27 characters
4 player fights
Cons:
Still lacks the depth in fighting that hardcore fighting fans will want
Voice overs are starting to get in the way in this version of the game