naruto: Ninja council 2

Released over two years ago in Japan, naruto: Ninja council 2 has now made its way to the states to compliment the rising popularity of the anime.

Like the first Ninja council game, the story follows the show's protagonist naruto Uzamaki as he teams up with friends, fights evil,

and pulls off insane super-attacks that can only be found in good ole "Japanime".

Unlike the previous game, however, Ninja council 2 has taken on a new developer, follows a different design,

and makes some admittedly odd gameplay choices. For starters, the overall presentation of the game is much closer to the characters,

allowing for naruto and the bunch to take center stage on the screen, with the necessity of showing off the license as a top priority.

In addition, the game has gone from being a mix of combat, platforming, and exploration to being primarily combat-based,

and unfortunately the gameplay just isn't there.

In naruto: Ninja council 2, players have a chance to use not only naruto himself,

but also his friends Sasuke and Sakura as they attempt to pass the Chunin Exams at the Ninja Academy.

Unfortunately, the evil Orochimaru has sprung a trap to catch the young ninjas, forcing naruto and his friends to not only pass the exams,

but also thwart Orochimaru's evil plans in the process. At any time in the game, players can switch between the three fighters with a tap of the L button,

bringing in a fresh fighter with new super attacks, different combos, and varying attributes. Regardless of who you're controlling,

the basic premise of the game is still the same; run to the right, kick the crap out of baddies, fight the boss, and repeat.

Unlike its predecessor, Ninja council 2's level design is amazingly bland, usually banking off a single hook for each level.

In the opening forest level, for example, there's very little vertical movement at all, as players merely run to the right,

jump over fallen trees and stumps, and beat up on enemy thugs.