Hands-on: Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2

Jul 26, 2006

As part of the joy of Comic-Con 2006, we had a chance to attend one of the tastiest events in a long time: The Naruto Preview Party. Of course, while we've already expressed our love for the scrumptious vittles that were at the show, there was another reason we went as well. Not only did we have a chance to preview Naruto: Clash of Ninja a few days before the event, we also had a chance to rumble with other attendees from the party, and that's where things got quite interesting.

Now, we're no stranger to the Clash of Ninja series here at IGN. We've played our fill of the original Clash of Ninja game for Cube, and have gone hands-on with Clash of Ninja 2 once before. This time around, however, we're able to confirm a few more solid facts about the game, as well as take you through a few of the ups and downs of multiplayer play. For those of you that aren't familiar with the series, Clash of Ninja 2 pits the stars of Naruto against each other in a variety of play modes, offering two, three, or four fighters at a time as the new feature for the sequel. Battles can consist of any type of division of those fighters, either one on one, two on one, three on one, or two on two. In addition, teams can be turned off to allow for free-for-all battles, which are pretty entertaining to say the least. Each character is controlled essentially the same, offering combo attacks, special attacks, and super attacks each fitted specifically for that fighter's style. So how does the action stack up with up to four fighters simultaneously on the battlefield? Pretty well, actually.

Single Player:

Since Clash of Ninja has been one of the last great titles we've had on the Cube, we've been getting a good deal of fan mail about the game, specifically when dealing with the lack of single player support. With only a few different modes to work with, as well as one main story mode, the first Clash of Ninja came up a bit short on the single player modes, though it offered a ton of action when dealing with multiplayer. For obvious reason, the original game didn't quite have the confidence of knowing it would be a hit fighter for anime fans, so the overall product is a bit on the small side.

With Clash of Ninja 2, however, the entire game has gotten one heck of an overhaul, and four player combat is just the beginning. The game offers 23 total fighters, 12 game modes, and 30 different arenas to battle in. While a ton of the content will be unlockable only after completing specific modes, the amount of overall content in Clash of Ninja 2 is huge in comparison to the original.

The story mode has been extended to great lengths, offering multiple adventures which can be played with each of the core characters. Completion of each of these stories results in new modes, characters, stages, and other extras (such as an art gallery, character bios, and music player), as well as an added 10 additional story mode chapters. Those looking for a stronger one player experience should be rewarded with a far better adventure, though Clash of Ninja goes deeper than the story mode as well. In addition to story mode, players can also take part in Training, Survival, Time Attack, and a new unlockable 100 Continuous Defeat mode, which requires to do exactly what it sounds like… defeat 100 opponents. Participation in each of these events will earn players cash, which can be spent at the Naruto Shop to purchase hidden fighters. Not a bad single player offering.

Multiplayer:

Everyone knows, however, that multiplayer is where it's at, and Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is no different, allowing up to four players to duke it out. As the obvious focus of the game, the multiplayer mode is where we've spent most of our time thus far, batting in nearly every set-up. The fighting is seamless and quick, as the game makes use of a player lock-on feature (Wrestling games come to mind) that keeps your character facing the targeted opponent no matter what. In this way, players will still get the 2D feeling (imagine a vs. mode to Tales of Symphonia) while still retaining all the advantages of a 3D arena. We honestly can't say how happy we were to see multiplayer tackled this way, as so many games run into collision and general combat issue when opening it up to full 3D roaming. Naruto stays honest to the science of a one-on-one battle, even when there are four fighters on the screen.

At the same time, the targeting system demands a lot from the player, as fighters stay locked onto their opponents no matter what. If you're attacked from behind, for instance, your character won't reposition themselves to counter it. After all, if you were to get into a two vs. one situation you'd be continuously switching orientation, and wouldn't be able to set up a decent plan of attack (or defense, for that matter). Instead, Clash of Ninja 2 keeps players locked on no matter what (unless your target is eliminated, in which case you automatically position you onto the nearest character), and it's up to the player to work with that basic rule. Even still, switching orientation is as simple as tapping the Z button, and will become second nature in a matter of just a few fights.

From there, it's all about picking your battles. We've seen multiple fights that begin in a free-for-all, and after the first fighter is eliminated two of the characters forget about the third fighter altogether. In fact, there was an awesome fight at the Comic-Con preview party where a character was eliminated, and the other player used a taunt to sit down and read a book while watching the remaining two beat the hell out of each other. Once they were weakened, he sprinted in and eliminated them both. Oh it's dirty playing, but it got the job done, and it also got a few cheers from spectators in the process.

It's those moments that will keep people coming back, as there's a ton of variation to work with in four-player battles. The only other gripe we have with the combat aside from the few instances with targeting, is the fact that every time a super is executed the rest of the players have to watch the combo play out, and with multiple supers happening each round it can get a bit tiresome. Even still, Naruto offers some of the best four-player fighting out there, and anyone obsessed with the show will most certainly be getting their money's worth in multiplayer action alone.

We'll have more on Naruto: Clash of Ninja as we near its launch, including more hands-on coverage, fresh new media, and even a chance for you all to win some awesome Naruto swag. Until then, be sure to head on over to our media section and check out a few new clips direct from the crew over at D3. More details to come soon.