Back once again with the... erm... rabbid lizard puppet master... (!?)
If you've played the original Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles then you know the deal with Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2. If not then it's pretty simple: kill bad guys; complete missions; rise in the ranks to become the best ninja in the village. That said, there's enough in Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 to make fans of the first game want to revisit the world of Naruto.
Attack / Defend
Unlike the Naruto Ultimate Ninja series, Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is centred on the RPG side of things. When you start Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 you are thrown into an attack on Konoha village. You need to defend your home from enemies you have never seen before. Best put by the man himself "I have no idea what's going on but I'm definitely going to beat these guys!"
Once defeated you find that they are in fact puppets sent by a rabbid lizard puppet master who is looking for spirit orbs. No, I had no idea what that was about either, didn't stop me playing though...
Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2, while being similar in gameplay to Uzumaki Chronicles, has upgraded in all the right areas.
And I'm glad I did, because Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2, while being similar in gameplay to Uzumaki Chronicles, has upgraded in all the right areas.
You now get a lot more time once you have killed every enemy in Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 in order to pick up the loot they dropped. Something that used to drive me nuts the first time round as the screen is fading to black and I'm trying to dash across the room to pick up a weapon. None of that here.
There's also far more emphasis in Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 on finding a path through each village. In Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles you'd walk a linear path and only stop to unleash your Razengan on an unsuspecting bandit. In Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 you now use your shadow clones to show you the way.
Nintendo-style design
They run about the area you are in and point at anything you need to look at. This could be the next sign pointing you in the right direction or a handhold you would not have normally seen which allows you to climb onto a roof. It's Nintendo-style game design, and Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is all the better for it.
As with the previous incarnation of Uzumaki Chronicles, Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 lets you upgrade your character using Skill Chips, but there's extra incentive to do so here, as you can now play against your friends in Battle mode. My favourite feature of Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2, however, is that you can choose to hear Japanese voices with English subtitles! But then I'm a Naruto nut.
GAME's Verdict
- More time to loot makes upgrading your character a lot easier
- More involved gameplay in Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 means more fun
- Japanese voices means no more listening to Naruto shouting "Believe it!"
- Graphics are not as good as the original Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles.
- While the storyline in Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is original to the game it is not completely in-keeping with the series
- Constant use of Shadow Clones will deplete your Chakra – Use them wisely!
Review by: Ali Worrow
Version Tested: PS2
Review Published: 20.03.08