Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP)

A great-looking fighting game with many game modes to kick through.
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 2

Millions of testosterone-filled boys are glued to VIZ Media's mega-popular Naruto animated TV series, and if you count the number of related videogames, it's no secret that the company is milking this IP something serious.

If you've been following the interactive versions of this ninja fighting series you'll know some have fared quite well, such as Ubisoft's Naruto: Rise of a Ninja for the Xbox 360, while others have failed to impress, including Namco Bandai's Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 for the PlayStation 2. The latest from the Naruto money tree is Namco Bandai's Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes for the PlayStation Portable, a decent 3-D fighting game developed exclusively for North American and European markets.

While not a slam dunk, it's a good -- and good-looking -- fighter that deserves some kudos for providing a host of game modes (including wireless multiplayer for the first time in the franchise), accessible controls and some depth to boot.

The goal of the main Heroes mode is to rise through the ranks and become the ultimate Hokage. But before you begin your fight against the game's tough artificial intelligence, players first choose a pre-made team of three fighters -- each with their own unique moves and special abilities -- or you can create your own custom team by selecting unlocked available characters. Before the battle commences you'll also see the enemy team's lineup and can then select the order of their fighters to best match the opponents. As an example of a pre-made squad, Team Kakashi consists of Naruto Uzumaki (special skill: 'Sexy Jutsu,' which kicks the opponent into the air before being smashed down towards the ground), Sasuke Uchiha (special skill: 'Chidori,' which releases a damaging lightning ball) and Sakura Haruno, who can help teammates power up before a fight.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes is a fairly straightforward 3-D fighting game between two characters, but the battles take place in large environments that should be familiar to fans of the show, including The Forest of Death, Chunin Exam Stadium, Kikyo Castle Keep, Ichiraku Ramen Shop and Hidden Leaf Hot Spring. The 'camera' will zoom in fairly tight while fighting in one spot, so the characters will fill up more of the screen, but it dynamically changes to a wider shot if the fight goes airborne for a few seconds or if the player or CPU-controlled enemy jumps to another spot in the environment. An example of the latter might be hopping from the grass in front of the Ichiraku Ramen Shop to the rear rooftops and then onto a bridge. Controlling your fighter is quite simple: The four arrow buttons (d-pad) on the left-hand side of the PSP are used to move him or her around the game, while the four buttons on the right (triangle, square, circle and X) are for kicking, punching, special attacks (which usually involve some kind of projectile) or combos. Players will soon learn moves like throwing an opponent (press d-pad away from an opponent and press the circle button) and uppercut punch (up on the d-pad and circle). The Left and Right shoulder buttons are for selecting an item and blocking, respectively. Regrettably, the analog stick isn't used for anything -- it would have been a welcome alternative to the four arrows used for movement.

Boxes, signs and training dummies can be broken open on the screen, revealing consumable items inside, such as food to recover strength: spheres and statues to recover chakra (magic); and weapons including explosive throwing knives, paper bombs and magic such as the ability to instantly relocate to behind your enemy.