Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles

UPC: 722674100618

Platform: PlayStation 2

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.

Developer: Cavia, Inc.

Category: Action

Style(s): Combat

Synopsis: Taking characters, enemies, locations, and moves directly from the Cartoon Network series, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles gives gamers the chance to take the role of Naruto, a young ninja-in-training. Players navigate Naruto through such environments as Hidden Leaf Village to face and defeat the evil threatening Naruto's hometown. Gamers may defeat enemies with close-range combos and attacks, or with long-range weapons including shuriken and explosive cards, and by charging the power meter, players can unlock such special moves as Kagebunshin no Jutsu and Rasengan. Defeating a pre-determined amount of enemies launches the protagonist into a violent "berserker" mode, and allows Naruto to execute deadlier attacks. Gamers may upgrade their character by selecting from a variety of different skill cards that increase power, moves, and life. Other avatars including Sasuke, Neji, and Chouji fight along side Naruto from time to time, and when the spirit meter is full, players may switch between members in the group until the spirit level is back at zero. ~ Gracie Leach, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Collector's Card

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

A well-written, engaging manual. Shame the rest of the game isn't as good.

Definitely lacking, seeming muddy, dull, and flat.

The most successful anime/manga series to hit U.S. shores since Dragon Ball, Naruto has spawned a host of spin-offs: trading card games, endless varieties of merchandise, and several video games. Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles for PlayStation 2 represents a narrative-driven take on the Naruto franchise, as opposed to the more straightforward (and more fun) Street Fighter-style beat ?em up Naruto: Ultimate Ninja. For those unfamiliar with the sprawling, tangled tale, Naruto describes the coming of age of a young ninja (the eponymous Naruto) from the Leaf Clan. Chronicles wisely doesn't retell the entire story, but assumes at least a passing familiarity with the anime or manga. Owing to an increasing number of enemy attacks, the full-fledged members of the Leaf Clan cannot perform their more mundane duties. Thus, the Hokage (the leader of the clan) presses some of the most experienced students (including Naruto) into service, assigning a variety of missions of increasing difficulty. These tasks range from finding ingredients for a special type of candy, to escorting prisoners, to training younger ninjas. Along the way, Naruto teams up with other friends from the anime, including Sasuke, Choji, and others, whom players can control for short periods of time. Naruto also grows stronger as the game progresses, using virtue orbs to unlock a variety of special attacks and abilities and to increase his maximum health and stamina. RPG elements aside, Chronicles' primary focus is combat, meaning that precise, intuitive controls, and varied opponents are a must. Chronicles succeeds tolerably on the first score (more on that later), but sorely lacks a variety of opponents. While it's certainly fast paced, d?j? vu creeps in after you realize you're beating up the same group of boneheaded ninjas over and over again, only in outfits of varying color. Missions inject some variations -- by forcing you to guard a fragile merchant cart, for example -- but most of the time these variations feel like needless restrictions more than a true challenge. In terms of intuitive controls, becoming truly comfortable directing Naruto takes an inordinate amount of time, mainly due the game's counterintuitive targeting system and camera. With such a variety of ways to get your Naruto fix, Chronicles offers little that isn't done better elsewhere. Simply put, there isn't much fun to be had playing Chronicles for more than a couple of hours. Naruto fans would be much better served giving Naruto: Ultimate Ninja a try.

Playing the game through more than once unlocks a couple of hidden characters -- but why play this more than once?

The voice actors from the anime reprise their roles, lending an air of credibility to the game.

Repetitive missions that feel more like chores than fun.

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.