Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
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| Naruto: Rise of a Ninja | |
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| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Engine | Jade |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 |
| Release date |  October 30, 2007[1] November 1, 2007[2] |
| Genre(s) | Fighting/RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player/Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) |
| Media | DVD-ROM |
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is an Xbox 360-exclusive video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal, making it the first Naruto game to be developed by a non-Japanese company. The game is specifically based on the English dubbed version of the anime. Ubisoft has also released a free 60 mb download which includes a Japanese voice option, the ability to change the in-game voices to Japanese, while still keeping the English subtitles.[3]
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[edit] Gameplay
The game itself consists of two major gameplay modes: one-on-one fighting and RPG, where Konoha serves as a main hub to access various missions players can go on. The main story mode alternates between these two modes, and takes place from the beginning of the series to the end of the Invasion of Konoha arc, with included sidequests. It features gameplay similar to that of a 3D platformer, like jumping acrobatically from rooftop to rooftop or racing through checkpoints, as well as having one-on-one brawls much like the Naruto: Clash of Ninja series. Like with most Naruto games, it features cel-shaded graphics.The game also allows online versus multiplayer via Xbox Live, titled "The Forest of Death", enabling you to play with your friends. You start off choosing a character, and defeating other opponents to rank up and eventually gain points to complete the exam. If the player is defeated, they must begin from the bottom of the table all over again, but the points are still kept.[4] Offline play, and two-player versus mode are also available.
The game supports downloadable content;[5] five new characters have been made available (Shikamaru, Choji, Jiraiya, the 3rd Hokage, and Temari). Downloadable content also adds two new arenas to play in, and also additional achievements for each character played in the Forest of Death. Currently, the game has 37 achievements with a maximum of 1075 Gamerpoints.
[edit] Playable Characters
[edit] Downloadable Characters
Choji, Temari, Sarutobi and Jiraiya come bundled in packs of 2. Choji and Temari, Sarutobi and Jiraiya. Each bundle also comes with 2 new maps/arenas. Each pack is 500 Microsoft Points which is $6.25.
[edit] Reception
The game has met generally good reviews from critics. It's Metacritic aggregate score is 78, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6] One main example of praise is from IGN, awarding the game 8.4/10 and stating 'the first great Naruto game' (despite giving praise to past games in the Naruto franchise).[citation needed] In addition to winning the best fighting game award at E3 2007[citation needed], it was also praised for having a simple but fun and fast fighting engine. The game though was slightly criticised for giving players an abridged story, and many characters not being in the story as well.
[edit] Problems
Exclusive Shikamaru download (which was free) caused games to freeze when hitting a trip wire or log, while also rendering the Japanese voicepack non-functional. These have been solved through a patch in the Jiraiya and Sarutobi download (both trial and full version)[7].
According to sources, Rock Lee's finishing move (Primary Lotus) was removed due to unequal results in both online and offline play, but Ubisoft has said it will restore this in a free firmware patch[citation needed].
What most players criticize is that the reason they can not progress in the Forest of Death Exam is due to multiple players using Rock Lee as their fighter. Rock Lee's Power, Speed, and Range are far better than most characters, and even without his Primary Lotus, his 8 Inner Gates can eliminate an opponent in a matter of seconds, while Rock Lee's combos alone give the other player trouble when trying to counter his moves.
Many also believe Gaara is overpowered, with many of his combos doing inproportional damage, followed by a jutsu which can finish off the victim without them even being able to fight back.
Another thing that is looked down upon is "spamming" combos and jutsu. This means that a player is using the same techniques over and over again to win a match. These moves are usually easy to do and cause anywhere between minimal to medium amounts of damage, depending on the move and character. Common "spammed" combos are generally associated with players who fight with Rock Lee or Gaara. Common "spammed" jutsu are used with players who fight as Naruto (Sexy Jutsu) or Sakura (Healing Palm/Chakra Concentration).
In addition, there are bugs within the achievements for the two new downloadable characters packs, meaning players cannot achieve the 60G promised when completing the exam with these four characters, making many players somewhat skeptical about purchasing them.
[edit] Notes
- Some of the voice actors (e.g David Lodge as the voice of Jiraya) did not reprise their roles for the game. Although, when added in fight mode, the original voice actors did do the voice overs.
- In many scenes, Sakura can be seen with her short hairstyle, though she is not actually playable in this form.
- In most of the other Naruto video games, Kiba can be seen fighting with Akamaru. Here, Akamaru is not present during battles.
- Sakura and Rock Lee are the only 2 characters who don't have "mini-game" style jutsu.
- During fight mode, the characters' mouths don't move while they speak.
- Each character has 2 costumes.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Ubisoft gets calendar-happy. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
- ^ Naruto: Rise of a Ninja Info - Naruto: Rise of a Ninja Information - Naruto: Rise of a Ninja Release Date.
- ^ Major Nelson Marketplace Roundup for November 21, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ Rise of a Ninja at Naruto Xbox 360 game.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Rise of a Ninja video interview. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Metacritic - Rise of a Ninja Reviews
- ^ Ubisoft Solution Center: Answer ID #12181
[edit] External links
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