Game #876: Naruto - Clash of Ninja

  They had to start somewhere, right?

 In what feels like a lifetime ago I played Naruto Shippuden Clash of Ninja Revolution 3, and it was really good. It was touted as a anime fighter that could also be played competitively, and while your mileage may vary on that one, it was certainly a fun one... even if it played exactly like every single other fighting game 8ing ever made. Seeing how it was the last Clash of Ninja game ever released, at least outside of Japan, I decided to go back to their first entry, Naruto: Clash of Ninja.

 Well, the good news is that the game plays well. You have two attack buttons, and characters have pre-set combo strings using those buttons, sometimes needing to add a directional tap alongside the button press. There's also a grab, a super move and a substitution dodge that consumes chakra. It's fine, it feels just like Bleach Heat the Soul, Fullmetal Alchemist Dream Carnival or Bloody Roar. As far as mechanics goes, it's more than serviceable, and characters feel different enough... even if most of them have a counter move.

 The problem is... there's no content in the game. There are only 8 different characters(10 if you count alternate forms) and barely any content. There's a 40 minute story mode that features a truncated bit of story, from Naruto becoming a Ninja 'till the start of the Ninja trials. It's just an excuse to have you, as Naruto, fight the other seven characters: Iruka, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Haku, Zabuza and... Rock Lee. If anything, I'm glad we have a playable Iruka that has an actual moveset and isn't a joke character. He also fights with a giant Shuriken, almost, as if he was meant to be Mizuki... Which, honestly, would've made more sense even for the story mode, since Iruka never tests Naruto in physical combat!

 Alright, so how do they fix having no content? By making unlocking characters as annoying as possible. In order to unlock One-Tailed Naruto and Curse-Mark Sasuke, first you have to beat the Arcade mode as everyone, which unlocks Sound Test. Now you have to beat Arcade mode as everyone, AGAIN. I did it once, and the game was fun, but, no thanks, I'd rather spend my time doing other things.

 Naruto: Clash of Ninja is alright. If the game was analyzed in a vacuum, sure, it's fun, plays well, the whole gamut. But... the roster is pathetic, the amount of content in the game is pathetic, the fact is, you can get Naruto games that play exactly like this one but have tons more characters, making this entry a fun curiosity at its best.

 4.0