N-Philes

Naruto: Clash of Ninja

Posted May 20th 2006 by Max Bunge.

A cartoon-based videogame is often a disaster waiting to happen. Combine some generic gameplay with ho-hum graphics and a contrived storyline and, if the series is popular enough, the game will sell. With more South Park games puchased than you can shake an abused franchise at, it's obvious I've fallen for this marketing ploy too many times. Taking all of this into account, I think it was fair for me to be skeptical that Naruto: Clash of Ninja might break my heart as well. Surprisingly though, the first US Naruto release for the GameCube not only holds true to the television series, but also works out to be a pretty decent fighting game.

Seeing as the Japanese version of the game (Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen) was released nearly three years ago, the US release is a bit belated for many Naruto fans, but somewhat expected because Naruto just began airing in the US on Cartoon Network last fall. With the showing of the first season coming to an end, it's an opportune time to bring the first game in the series to the United States (Japan is already on Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 4).

For those not yet familiar with the series, allow me to give a brief synopsis of the story. Essentially, it's a coming-of-age tale that follows a young man as he learns the ways of the ninja. The story arcs deal with issues such as honor, heritage, the value of comeraderie, death and Naruto's personal philosophies in his role as an upcoming ninja. But rather than simply fall into the category of heavy drama, the writing effectively injects lots of humor, resulting in the hugely popular manga and anime series. If you are a fan of anime, cartoons in general, or are thinking of becoming a ninja, definitely plan to spend an unnatural amount of your time watching the show. Like one of your mother's soap operas, Naruto's addictive, cliff-hanging endings leave viewers coming back for more, but unlike your mom's soaps, this story has ninjas, so you can watch and still be a respectable member of the gaming community.

Back to the review, a major concern with any game based on an animated show is the graphics. The characters and backgrounds don't just have to look good, they need to accurately represent the source animation as well. Rather than try to re-invent the wheel, Naruto: Clash of Ninja uses the tried but true method of cel-shaded characters. In doing so, the game successfully brings 2-dimensional characters to life in a 3-dimensional environment with superbly rendered animations. Every character's costume, stance and fighting style look like they have been pulled straight out of the show. The level of detail that was put into Naruto's bright orange jacket and Rock Lee's outlandish green jumpsuit and orange legwarmers is enough to bring a tear to my eyes. (Editor's Note: Wearing leg warmers and a jumpsuit is enough to bring tears to my eyes.)

Attacks, both standard and special, have made the transition from the 2-D realm of the anime to the game's 3-D environment; moves like Kakashi's Lightning Blade and Sasuke's Fire Style are perfectly animated and help breathe life into this fast-paced fighting game. Each character has his or her own special attack that can be used after the chakra (special) bar is fully charged, but unfortunately with only eight characters, players are forced to see the same cut scenes again and again.

Character design and animation are important, but they aren't the only thing to consider in regards to the game's graphics; the sometimes neglected backgrounds can make or break any fighting game. The background graphics here may not win any awards, but they nevertheless serve their purpose. With eight different stages, all based on areas from the show, they compliment the character design quite nicely. Fans of the show may also notice non-playable characters from the series secretly watching on some levels. Even the life bar and chakra bar are cleverly executed, using scrolls and swords to show the power level.

Impressive as the animation is, though, the audio is rather lackluster. Featuring only the voices from the English release of the TV show, and with music that merely resembles that of the series, the audio is a real disappointment for true Naruto fans. Sure, the music in the game is actually well done, and fits the style of the show, but the original series' soundtrack would have been so much nicer.

I would let the lack of Japanese voicing pass if this were an original game released for US audiences, but it is really just a re-release of an older Japanese title. To leave out what they could just as easily kept in the game is ridiculous. Having watched 170+ episodes of Naruto in Japanese, I have become accustomed to the Japanese cast of voice actors. The English voicing is fine for those that have only seen the show via Cartoon Network, but for others, the inclusion of Japanese voices would have been a nice option.

The game features the standard gameplay modes such as Versus and Arcade, as well as a Story Mode. The Story Mode allows gamers to play as Naruto as he re-enacts fights from the first season of the anime. This is helpful for any newcomers to the show, but for those that have seen Naruto before, the Story Mode's only real purpose is to unlock the eighth playable character, Rock Lee. After one or two voiceover snippets, I found myself skipping over them to get to the next fight. The Story Mode may have been able to better capture my attention if I could play as characters other than just Naruto.

So what about the bread and butter of most fighting games: the controls? You might think that the special ninja throws and moves would be difficult to master, right? Well, no, in actuality the controls are so simple that I think if I repeatedly slammed the controller against my forehead for an hour, I might accidentally beat the game. Basically, there are two buttons that players will find themselves using: A and B. By pressing either the A or B button and a direction on the analog stick, players can create a variety of moves. For a throw or special move, there are singular buttons for each. No messy quarter-circles, or multiple button mashing is needed - just press the button for fireworks.

The simplified controls not only make this a great game for young gamers, but also for those that just want to pick up the controls and play a few rounds. Still, gamers looking for a deeper fighting system may be sorely surprised, but this isn't to say that there's no challenge to the game, because both the variety of combos and emphasis on timing can differentiate a novice from an expert. Even some of my anti-anime friends have managed to get into the game due to the simple learning curve.

Even more shocking than the simplicity in attack controls is that of the counter. I love fighting games, but I have to admit that this is the first fighting game that I have actually used the counter-attack system. The game features two ways that players can execute counter-attacks. The first method is actually a taunt whereby each character has his own method for taunting the opponent; for Kakashi it's reading a book and for others it is simply waving a hand in order to make an opponent attack. If a player is attacked while in the taunt position, he will quickly evade and counter-attack. The second method of countering an opponent is by using the Shadow-Clone Jutsu. Just as in the show, fighters that are under assault can substitute an object such as a log or water in their place to escape damage.

Steady Beat - It won't win any awards, but Naruto fans will be pleased. Believe it!

So with quality graphics, decent sound, and a fun control system, what's not to like? Honestly, with how accurate and well done the game is, it's difficult not to like, especially as a Naruto fan. One major complaint, as mentioned before, is the total lack of Japanese voice acting, but the other is not necessarily even with what's in the game, but what it is lacking: more content! Much like an episode of the show, the game is over as shortly after it has started. Add a few more characters, a little more variety in moves, perhaps some interactive levels, and this good game can easily be a great game. Casual fans may want to until Fall 2006, when Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is released in the US because the sequel features more characters, as well as four-player fighting. For hardcore Naruto fans or just those looking for something a little different, definitely check out Naruto: Clash of Ninja.

Posted in: Reviews

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