Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2

Just like the first game, Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 came out in the West a few years after it was released in Japan! For a Naruto fan, this was pretty frustrating, but I resisted the temptation this time around and did not end up importing the game. I think that with this game, they did what a good sequel does and that is improve on every aspect of its predecessor. This game was a pretty big step up in every way you could imagine.

Putting The RPG In Naruto

The story mode in the first game was passable, simplistic, but passable! With Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 they went in a different direction and instead of just being about fights. You have a more RPG-style story mode that most games based on anime’s would adopt in the coming years.

In the story mode, you get to play as Naruto and you play through events from the anime, but there are also a couple of exclusive stories that are made just for this game. That is pretty cool and will keep you on your toes that is for sure. I think the story here is just a huge step up from the first game. You do also have your VS mode, arcade mode, missions, and so on, but the story mode is where you will be spending the majority of your time.

Four Button Death Punch

The first game had simplistic gameplay and Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 is the same kind of thing. You have one attack button, but you in total have four buttons that you use for things like specials and throwing things. It features these never-ending combos that are a lot of fun to do… but frustrating when you are on the other end of things. It feels easy to get into, but there are many tricks that you can learn. The character roster is stacked with over 30 characters and I feel like they did a great job of making each character feel different.

This is a game that is great to play with a buddy. I do have to say that you both have to be into Naruto to get the best out of it, but if you have a friend like this, you guys will find this a fantastic game to have in your game night rotation.

Anime Style

If you ask me the presentation of Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 is a pretty big step up from the first game. I love the way this game looks and they managed to capture the look of the anime quite well. By this time, the PS2 had been out for a while and they really knew what they were doing and managed to make the game look much better than the first game. The sound is good too. The game features voice acting which is done well and I am not 100 percent, but I do think that some of the dialogue has been taken from the show. The soundtrack is decent enough, but I think they could have used more actual songs from the show.

Pros:

• This game has a stacked roster
• I loved the RPG style story mode on offer here
• The fighting is fast and fun!
• Playing this with a fellow Naruto fan is awesome

Cons:

• Again, later games are better than this
• Being on the end of a big combo can be frustrating