Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes

The fighting system is still simple, yet adrenaline fueled, like a car with only one gear but that just happens to go 200 miles an hour. Highly reminiscent of Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 for PS2, Super Smash Bros Melee, or even the Dreamcast Power Stone games, it's all about one attack button, one "throw something at the other person's head" button, a jump, a few grabs and bombastic secret techniques, and the rarely used Guard button. And just as before, each fighting location has a foreground and a background, which you can switch between with a simple leap and tap of the d-pad.

The roster is pared down a bit, with 20 fighters pounding it out in eight arenas, and the ad-hoc multiplayer modes are limited to one-on-one - but with game sharing support, which is really nice. We love beating the snarf out of a buddy and also simultaneously taunting them because we have the game and they don't.

Beyond that, this is more of the same lovely, tangerine-clad, ninja Hogwarts-style magic face-punchery you know and love from the PS2 offerings, but with slightly less elaborate special moves. Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes may not be treading much new ground, but we're thinking an fighter this instantly accessible, this action-packed could make the ol' bus ride or bank line a much more tolerable experience.

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Eric Bratcher
I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.