It’s not surprising to find a game based on a popular Japanese manga or anime and it’s equally not surprising that most of them turn out to fighting games whether it’s a long-running series like InuYasha or Full Metal Alchemist. Naruto, one of Shonen Jump’s current fan favorite, has already introduced gamers to a few games based on the popular manga books and Viz Media’s animated series (that is currently enjoying a good run on cable‘s Cartoon Network), but so far only an excellent PSP game is worthy of the franchise. Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is a sequel with a lot to offer but it still just doesn’t quite have the chops to keep up with our favorite spiky-haired ninja.

“Jeez, sorry, we’ll NEVER say anything bad about the Naruto Fan Club ever again!”

Much like the recent Naruto movie, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, the story behind Uzumaki Chronicles 2 stands alone without connecting events that occur before or after any events seen in the anime series. It’s an original tale that puts you in the shoes of Naruto Uzumaki, the feisty Ninja Academy student that lives in the Village of the Hidden Leaves. The story finds Naruto returning from a mission when he runs into Kankuro, a friend from the Hidden Sand Village that was on his way to warn Naruto’s village of an attack by the mysterious puppet masters of the Shirogane Clan. This Clan not only plans to destroy the villages of the various nations in search of Soul Orbs they can use to free their leader, the Puppet Master. As always, Naruto jumps at the chance to take on a dangerous mission sets out - with the aid of a number of familiar characters - to put an end the Shirogane Clan’s devious plan.

It’s an interesting setup but, sadly, the story in Story mode never really takes off and it takes a backseat to the game’s fighting sequences. If you’re new to the world of Naruto, you’re in for some confusion since the story never really offers much insight on the characters or background the various nations and the other village ninjas. The game assumes gamers know who these characters are so if you’re a dedicated fan of the anime or the books you’ll be in for some pleasant surprises such as numerous cameos and an interesting alliance between the Naruto and the psychotic Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village. Sure, the levels are set up in a way that they mimic an episode from the anime (including the voice of Naruto announcing the title of the level the same way he enthusiastically reads off the title of each episode) but the story feels swallowed whole by the game’s action.

Unfortunately, action is what the game doesn’t do right and we’re left with a button-mashing experience that lacks the style and grace of each character’s fighting technique and unique Ninjutsu skills. Each character has his or her own fighting stances and moves but they hardly mimic those from the show in the same way that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja for the PS2 handles the styles. Secondly, the individual Jutsu skills are present but they don’t have the same polish as well. Naruto’s Sexy Jutsu move simply fizzles here but his Shadow Clone Jutsu is the best seen in a Naruto game yet. Naruto can even pull off his Nine-Tail Awakening move if he has enough Chakra (the essence that allows ninjas to pull of seemingly magical abilities). Fans will like many of the Jutsu skills since many of them are true to each character. Shikamaru, for instance, can pull off his Shadow Jutsu (a Jutsu that allows his shadow to snatch his enemies to hold them still for a good beating). Sasuke has his Flame Jutsu and Kankura makes good use of his puppet.

 
Bad Action Movie Idea #3: The Three Stooges: Moe’s Revenge

You’ll run into many enemies along the way that range from enemy ninjas to the puppets sent by the Shirogane Clan but sadly the fights get repetitive quickly. There are boss battles and they’re pretty challenging but even the boss fights can’t distract from the frequent battles with the same unintelligent enemies that won’t attack unless you make a move first. Speaking of frequent, the game contains some lengthy and frequent load times that pop up for everything from moving within the same environment to loading up every cut scene sequence. Some levels have you teaming up with two other characters you also get to control  on the fly like Naruto’s closest friends Sakura and Sasuke just to name a few of the show’s cast of characters that show up. Unless you’re playing the single-player game with a friend, though, the ability to switch characters feels unnecessary since you can very well whip all your enemies as Naruto or the powerful Kakashi sensei.

The game does try to mix things up during Story mode by allowing you to move within a world map RPG-style and you can upgrade each character’s skills and abilities or even buy Jutsu abilities in the game’s store or Skill Plate menu. Story mode is always the way you unlock new characters you can use in the game’s other game modes that unlock after playing the brief story prologue. There’s 2P Battle mode, a game mode that allows you to battle it out against a friend using any of the available characters. The real treat comes in the form of Missions mode, a game mode that offers objective-based missions set up in the Naruto universe grading system. One mission has you destroying a bandit camp’s stockpile and another one has you providing backup for fellow ninja Choji. Survival mode pits you against a seemingly endless stream of lowly ninjas and while it’s a nice addition, it really gets old fast.

When it comes the visuals, though, Uzumaki Chronicles 2 might not be very pretty but it does a good job of mimicking the anime’s visual style. All the characters look the way you expect them to look and while the character models don’t show any emotion during conversations (or lip movement), the dialogue screen shows character art from the show that conveys emotion. Then again, the animation is stiff during cut scenes, making characters move like robots at times. The camera doesn’t often offer the best view of your surroundings as well. Jeez, for a game based on an animated series, you’d expect some fluid movement from the characters and better art direction when it comes to the backgrounds.

 
“I told them not to ask Lindsay Lohan for an autograph.”

Fans will get a kick out of hearing the show’s cast from the North American dub so every character is voiced by the same voice actor from the show and movie. It’s not just voice clips either but actual dialogue written for the game. Even the soundtrack sounds faithful to the series and it never gets repetitive throughout the game. Sadly, the sound effects just don’t cut it and sound pretty dull throughout.

In the end, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 might have all the pieces in place for an original Naruto game but it’s a game that’s missing style, substance and that charming spark of personality that makes our favorite ramen-loving ninja so loveable. With a story that just isn’t interesting, poorly conceived fighting gameplay and frequent load times, there’s very little to like about this game even if you are a big fan of the show or manga. If I had to recommend one Naruto game this year, it would be the far superior Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes for the PSP or the fun Naruto: Ultimate Ninja game for the PS2.

Gameplay: 5.2
Uzumaki Chronicles 2 isn’t a very inventive fighting game and you can easily get through the levels just mashing buttons. You can switch characters on the fly but you can very well play through the game playing as Naruto. Missions mode adds some extra replay to the game and you can always play the single-player mode with a friend. Speaking of friends, the camera isn’t one at all so be prepared to manually move it around frequently.

Graphics: 5.5
Graphically speaking, the game tries hard to bring the show’s animated style to life and, for the most part, it gets it right. Then again, the animation can look really stiff during cut scenes and the action doesn’t look fluid during gameplay. Even the visual effects aren’t inspiring.

Sound: 6.0
The show’s English dub cast is present and the game’s score sounds faithful to the series so expect Naruto to sound just like he does on the show and the music to get intense during battles. There are some sound effects but they sound repetitive.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Facing off against hordes of ninjas won’t challenge even the novice gamers and even when you are ganged up on you can always call on your Chakra-reducing specialty moves. There are some challenging boss battles in this game and things don’t get hairy until the later chapters.

Concept: 5.5
It’s a completely original story that doesn’t coincide with any episodes from the show much like the Naruto movie and you’ll even get to control some familiar favorites like Shikamaru or Sakura. Unfortunately, the story isn’t good and there’s very little depth to the levels. On the plus side, though, there are a nice number of side missions and extra modes.

Multiplayer: 5.0
Unlock all the characters in the single-player mode and you get to use them in the game’s 2P Battle mode or even Survival mode. The two-player battles are fun for a while but gets old fast. The real multiplayer goodness comes from playing the single-player mode with a friend taking up the role of a secondary character … and your friend can jump in at any time.

Overall: 5.2
Sadly, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is a button-masher devoid of all the things we love about the show or fighting games in general. Even fans of the show won’t find the story intriguing or the fact that all the characters lack the style they possess on the show. Sorry but this sequel lacks the Chakra needed to make it fun.