Because just one game based on the Naruto license (see Naruto: Ninja Council for the GBA) wasn’t enough, Tomy is bringing Naruto: Clash of Ninja for the Nintendo GameCube to America early next year. While it has taken some anime several games before one rises that is worthy of the license (*cough*Dragonball Z*cough*), Naruto has already had a string of stellar games that not only do the franchise justice, but are also just plain fun for everyone, fan or not. How do I know? I’ve played all of the import versions. Naruto: Clash of Ninja is the first of these quality titles to hit America.

Why me?

While Japan is already getting their fourth (!) game in this series (called Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen in Japan), Tomy has decided to start from the beginning to keep in tune with the anime since it is still in its infancy here in America. While I must say that I’m rather bummed that we aren’t getting the latest game in the series (which has 4-player support and upwards of 30 characters to choose from), it makes sense within the context of the anime’s story. The later games in the series feature characters that fans in America would not be familiar with and would only serve to spoil some of the later storylines in the anime.

Naruto: Clash of the Ninja is a cel-shaded fighting game that has 8 playable characters (1 of them you unlock) and several different modes of play that one would expect from a fighting game. It sports arcade, versus (either against a CPU-controlled opponent or a human one), survival, training, and story modes. Story mode follows the early plots of the show, and these are depicted via voiced (using the American voice actors) still images. Each character has his or her own special moves, and the environments are ripped straight from the show (even including Naruto’s favorite ramen shop).

While later games in the series are more akin to a Power Stone-styled fighting game, Naruto: Clash of Ninja is a strictly traditional 3D fighter. The A and B buttons are used for standard attacks such as kicking and punching, while the Y button is used for throwing. While players will remain in the same plane of movement, they will be able to dodge into the foreground or background by tapping the L and R buttons respectively. There will also be a meter that fills up as you fight, and once it is full, press the X button to unleash a devastating special attack.

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

While the initial setup may sound a bit simplistic for fighting game enthusiasts, there is still enough depth to keep players coming back for more. There are also plenty of unlockables that should entice players to play through the game multiple times with all of the characters. Naruto fans have a lot to look forward to come next year. I just recommend playing with the TV muted (the dub voices are awful).

Will Szwagiel