The Naruto license has become a very lucrative videogame property indeed. Before 2006, the games weren’t released outside of Japan, but since then the market has been inundated with Naruto games, with several titles per year from various publishers hitting just about every current gaming platform. One of the more popular Naruto game series in the West has been the Clash of Ninja line, which began on the GameCube and worked its way to the Wii in 2007. Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 European Version is the latest entry in this series, and the second to be released for the Wii.

While the Clash of Ninja series is published by Tomy Corporation, popular Naruto games are also being published by Ubisoft and Namco Bandai. Ubisoft took the license in interesting new directions with its Rise of a Ninja (2007) and The Broken Bond (2008) entries, abandoning the pure fighting game template of other titles in favour of an engaging and enjoyable action-adventure formula. Namco Bandai have kept their successful Ultimate Ninja line on the PlayStation platforms as a fighting series, but have constantly kept it fresh and relevant by expanding the fighting system to allow increasingly cinematic, free-flowing battles that rival those of the anime series.

Unfortunately, Tomy Corporation have taken the opposite route, and it seems as if Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 has been inappropriately titled, as it’s hardly a “revolution.” Instead, Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is a tired and redundant game that stubbornly clings to the habits of past series entries rather than taking chances with anything new. This instalment just feels far too similar to previous games to warrant a purchase, and compared to the recent Naruto games from other publishers it feels awkwardly old-fashioned and outdated.

Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 features mostly the same simple and accessible fighting system as previous games in the series, with the now-familiar strong attacks, weak attacks, throws, evades and secret techniques. This formula has served the series well in the past, but it’s in desperate need of a revamp. The system simply doesn’t feature much depth or substance anymore, with even the fighting system in Ubisoft’s action-adventure entries outclassing it.

Like the previous Wii entry, Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 allows for four different control modes, supporting the Wii Remote, Remote and Nunchuk, Classic Controller and GameCube controller. The Classic- and GameCube controllers seem to be the best options here, providing a traditional control scheme that will be familiar and comfortable for most players. Playing with either of the Wii Remote configurations, however, doesn’t work all too well, as the controls are neither intuitive nor accessible, and most players will find themselves getting frustrated fairly quickly. In a truly mystifying design move, the developers added an additional gameplay option that’s exclusive to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk scheme. By simulating hand gestures, players can boost their attack power and health. It’s unfortunate and clumsy that this option wasn’t included for the other control options as well.

The meat of the game is to be found in the story mode. Players go from one battle encounter to another, playing as different pre-determined characters, with brief story scenes between battles. Most battles are simple one-on-one fights, although the developers have mixed it up with one-on-two, two-on-two, and other variations of encounters. Certain battles will also be built around additional objectives other than merely winning, such as protecting another character or defeating an enemy in a specific way. This adds some diversity to the campaign, but the fundamental shortcomings of the fighting system mean that it doesn’t take long for the encounters to feel repetitive and unexciting.

The game’s one instance of true originality is, however, also found in the story mode: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is the first Naruto game to feature a completely new and original storyline, instead of using an existing plotline from the anime or manga series. The Hidden Leaf Village has been beset upon by an unknown enemy using strange jutsu to turn the villagers against one another, and it’s up to Naruto and friends to save the day. It’s a good enough narrative for a fighting game, and provides a decent premise for the in-game action. The story presentation could’ve used a lot more work though. Cut-scenes are very basic, with some story scenes consisting of merely two-dimensional character models with hardly any animation. It seems rushed and downright lazy. Visual presentation has been somewhat upgraded from previous entries in that widescreen and progressive scan are now supported, but the quality of the visuals still leave quite a bit to be desired. Character outlines are frequently jaggy, and colours seem washed-out.

Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 brings another new addition to the series in the form of a mission mode, with a large number of short missions comprising objective-based battles similar to the ones found in the story mode. This new mode is certainly not unwelcome, and can vastly extend the game experience for fans, but as with the story mode the shortcomings of the fighting system diminish its value. Hopefully with the next instalment of the series the developers will look at revamping the gameplay mechanics, rather than just padding the content.

Speaking of content, the game does include a generous number of characters. Over 30 playable characters are in the game, with some of them not found in any other Naruto games. What the character roster has in quantity though, it lacks in quality, with player characters simply too similar to one another with not nearly enough differentiation in terms of fighting styles and unique strengths.

Local multiplayer is available for up to four players and can provide some decent fun when friends are over. In another instance of refusing to move the series forward, the developers have neglected to include any online multiplayer mode. This is truly unfortunate, as Ubisoft’s two Naruto games both included online modes which greatly added to the games’ value.

Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is not a terrible game, but compared to some of the more recent games released under the Naruto banner it’s not a good game either. Long-time fans of the Clash of Ninja series will feel right at home and will find quite a bit to like, but will also experience an all too frequent sense of déjà vu. Newcomers to the series are unlikely to find much to love here, and are advised to rather look at the Xbox 360 or PS3 Naruto games for true value for money. Here’s hoping that with the (inevitable) next instalment of the series, the developers will go back to the drawing board and figure out how to both embrace change and make the series be truly fun again.

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