GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
OK
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 03/21/2008
- Released on: 02/26/2008
- Originally published on GameSpot: Naruto: Ninja Destiny (DS) Review
Naruto: Ninja Destiny is a shadow clone of a shadow clone, namely, the Naruto: Clash of Ninja fighting games. Whereas those console fighters were a little better than average, Ninja Destiny offers considerably less. For $30, you get a game as bare and skinny as the sexy jutsu. If you're a young Naruto fan you'll probably eat it up, but anyone else will find this game way too shallow to take seriously.
The Ninja Destiny story covers the plot of about 100 episodes with a minimum of effort. The stage is set by a wall of text explaining that the final round of the chunin exams are about to begin, and everything afterward is revealed as bad text dialog between unmoving portraits of the characters. Not only is this a sad and anemic approach to telling one of the most beloved stories in manga history, but it also contains a lot of spoilers. You've probably already seen the first 100 episodes if you're reading this review, but if you haven't, this game may be the worst possible way to find out what happens.
In return, it offers an hour-long story mode, a 30-minute single-player battle mode, individual matches, and the ability to fight another player wirelessly, provided that you both have copies of the game. In about an hour and a half, you can completely finish Ninja Destiny on the default difficulty. Things get trickier on the difficult setting, but that's mainly due to the fact that the computer opponents hit you on the ground more, and use special attacks more liberally. Still, most of the 16 characters need to unlocked before you can use them, and collecting them can be tough enough to keep determined Naruto nuts busy for awhile. If a friend also has a copy of the game, you might be able to squeeze another couple of hours out of it. However, you should note that squeezing hours out of a game doesn't necessarily mean having fun.
Indeed, Ninja Destiny's combat system is so simple it makes thumb wrestling seem nuanced by comparison. You have two attack buttons, a jump button, a special button, a block button, and a teleport-behind-your-enemy button. You move your character with the D pad. If you mash the attack and teleport buttons, you can beat any enemy on Normal difficulty without even looking at the screen. Kick it up to difficult, and the game becomes a little more engaging.
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Where to buy
Naruto: Ninja Destiny (DS):
$18.99 - $19.99
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$19.99 | Yes |
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