Description:

A ninja that was anything other than ultimate wouldn't be much use, would they? Hailing from the massively popular Manga bearing the hero's name comes Naruto: Ultimate Ninja on the PS2.

Naruto's a cheeky chappy. Always gadding about and causing mischief. He's a hyperactive student of the Ninja Academy. who just so happens to have the nine-tailed demon fox that once nearly devastated his village trapped inside him.

Ninjas, as you're no doubt aware, have a nasty tendency to get into fights. As you might expect, that's the basis of Naruto's latest videogames outing.

Players step into the (lets face it, funny) shoes of any of 14 characters from the Manga series. Naruto is obviously up for grabs, and his classmates Sakura and Sasuke from the Ninja Academy are also included.

If you just fancy a wholesome bout of ass-whuppin' you can jump straight into the fray of the arcade mode. Dubbed Free Battle, it allows you to pick any of the unlocked characters, pick a venue for your fight and then get straight to it.

For those wanting a more involving experience there's also a story mode in which players are taken through specific missions.

There are a few nifty features thrown in to make the mechanics of the fights more interesting. For one, all characters can teleport around the fighting area, so your battle can take you from dockside to rooftop to fighting on the water itself. Also included are supporters of both your character and your opponent. These can hand out items such as weapons or health at any point. They can also be attacked, however, so make sure you keep an eye on them.

Supported accessories:

• Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only
• Memory Card

Information:

• Number of players: 1-2
• Development Company: CyberConnect 2
• Software House: CyberConnect 2
• Video Dimensions: Combo
• Publisher: Atari
• Point Of View: Combination