Ali enters the Academy...

As a fan of Naruto I was both excited and worried when I heard there was a game being released. I really wanted to play as my favourite characters, but was concerned it would end up completely ignoring the story and ruining what is an amazing anime series. Luckily the excited part of me was right. This game not only gives you the chance to act out all of the cool moves you have been marvelling at in the show, but also contains just about every reference to the series you could want. Everything from spotting little Konohamaru hiding behind a blanket in Konoha village to seeing Shikamaru's coat flying above the Chunin stadium.

Naruto Ultimate Ninja gives you the option of following the characters stories or going on ninja missions. By doing so you can unlock more characters to play with and earn money. The best feature though is the multiplayer part of the game where you can pit your favourite character against your friends. This is possibly the only time you will ever see Kakashi lose, especially to the likes of Sakura!

While playing you can jump into the foreground, background, climb trees and even walk on water. That is until you have been knocked down or run out of chakra (a nice touch as in the series ninja can only walk on water by concentrating chakra in their feet.) In the middle of the battle the other members of your chosen characters team will be cheering you on and throwing in items for you to use against your opponent. You can even call on them to assist you ("Dynamic entry" from Guy Sensei being the most fun to watch.) If you decide you don't like the area you are fighting in then don't worry as half way though the fight you get the option to change.

Chakra techniques are a key part of the series and the game is no different. When you activate a chakra technique you are transferred to another area where you need to push buttons in the right order to see how effective your technique will be. At the same time your opponent is furiously pushing their own set of buttons in order to try and reduce the damage. Once the sequence has been keyed in you get to watch a cut-scene of the technique you have activated. This could be anything from Sasuke's Chidori to Kakashi's dog summoning. If you've ever had the urge to summon a massive bulldog with a double edged sword in its mouth (and who hasn't?), then this is most definitely the game for you!

Techniques such as Sasuke & Kakashi's Sharingan and Neji & Hinata's Byakugan can be retained if you have completed the sequence perfectly which opens up a whole new world of fun when you return to the fight zone. Sharingan for instance gives you the ability to steal other peoples moves!

Of course, if you've never seen Naruto before, a lot of that may have gone over your head. Those that haven't should know that Ultimate Ninja offers fast, addictive fighting fun which will appeal to anyone who likes a beat em up, or just generally a good multiplayer laugh. On the other hand, if you're one of the show's army of fans, then rejoice: This is the Naruto game we've all been waiting for!

GAME's Verdict

• Everything you love from the series is in the game
• Chakra Techniques look awesome
• Graphics are true to the series

• Controls will take a little while to get used to/li>
• As with all beat-em-up games there is the tendency to button bash
• The character voices will eventually get annoying.

Review by: Ali Worrow
Version Tested: PS2
Review Published: 15.02.07