As more games based on popular cartoon series are released, one must wonder if the market is being flooded with the same thing. Just a few weeks ago, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja was released for the PS2; in March, two Naruto titles were released, including the original Clash of Ninja, and there's sure to be more on the way. Is this too much of the same thing? Are we being given a handful of the exact same game? Fortunately, the answer is no -- in each new title in the Naruto series, there are enough improvements over its predecessors to make each title something worth checking out. Though the original Clash of Ninja was mediocre, its sequel sees enough tweaks and fixes to bring it a notch higher.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 has players follow the exploits of Naruto and his familiar cohorts through their trials and tribulations of becoming full-fledged ninjas. The usual gameplay modes are present and accounted for, including a training mode, a single-player mode, a multiplayer mode, and a story mode. A few extra categories where you don't actually fight are the View, Extras and Shop modes. There's more than enough to keep even the most dedicated of players trucking along, as there's an entire library of great unlockables to spice things up. The single-player mode has four different subcategories, including an arcade mode, a mode to fight a computer opponent in a single match, a survival mode where you fight until you're KO'd, and a time attack mode, which is a timed survival mode.


Though the gameplay is rather simple, consisting of mashing on the A and B buttons, chaining together plain and straightforward combos, this new version of CON has a few tricks up its sleeve. The multiplayer mode really stands out, as it adds a new twist over the first CON title. While it has a standard one-on-one mode, the thing that brings it up a notch is the Four Player Battle mode. It's a four-man fracas similar to what you'd find in Super Smash Bros.. Not only can you play with three other people, if you're on your own, you can play against computer-controlled opponents. Each character has an arrow under their feet, pointing to their opponent, and the opponents can be toggled with a simple tap on the Z button. The action here is frenzied and is a welcome improvement to the series.

The story mode is easily the most satisfying portion of the game as it manages to keep the interesting plot points of the series intact while throwing in engaging challenges to keep the gameplay from becoming repetitive. The new four-player dynamic from the multiplayer section finds its way into the story mode and is put to great use; portions of the story call for Naruto to team up with his classmates to take down a common enemy. The four-player mode allows for an accurate translation of the series, having all the characters attacking the foe at the same time, which really adds to the entire experience. This dynamic works in the other direction as well, as the story mode will pit the player against multiple enemies, making for a great new mechanic.