While I am not a big fan of the Naruto series (and only watch it when I have to), I know that my son enjoys the television show. It is always interesting to see what happens when a video game is made based on a television series. It is easier to handle the animation for a television show as opposed to a video game. While designing processes may be similar, the interactivity of video games is a bit more difficult to tackle. In a television show, the story is laid out, drawn, and then animated. In a video game, the story will have to take a different path based on the selection the player chooses. This could mean hundreds to thousands of different scenarios are played out in one single game. This is partially why it takes games so much longer to be developed.
Needless to say, I received “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” for the Nintendo DS, to review. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I wasn’t sure what kind of game I was going to be playing. If you like the RPG style games then “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” falls somewhat along those lines. The game follows through nearly 90 of the episodes of the Naruto television show. You actually get to live out the episodes through the game so fans of the TV show are going to love this aspect of “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”.
Still, with two other consoles (the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360) releasing Naruto games around the same time “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” comes out, it is going to be hard for this Nintendo DS game to compete with them. “Clash of Ninja Revolution” is available for the Wii and “Rise of a Ninja” makes it on the Xbox 360. With the better, bigger systems, more can be done with both the animation and the game play. The games look better, sound better, and generally tend to be more fun to play. Needless to say, fans of the series with a DS, but no other system may enjoy this game, but those with the other systems who purchase the aforementioned games for these systems have far more to be disappointed about when comparing those games to “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”.
The “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” Story:
“Naruto: Path of the Ninja” starts with the first season of the Naruto series. Following a similar path as the series, you will play as the primary ninja students, Naruto (obviously!), Sakuma, and Lee. I need to warn you that the story is rather traditional. It doesn’t stray much from the story of the original anime. You’ve returned to prove your worth and show off your skills.
This time, it is you dictating what each character does, though what happens once you defeat (or lose) to an opponent generally follows what happened on the show, as well. Part of the downfall of this RPG is the fact that it really does have very few surprises. Fans of the shows will either love or hate “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. You will need to decide where you stand before you purchase the game.
Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 
I can see the enjoyment in “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. It has a lot of game play for you to explore. There is well over 25 hours worth of game enjoyment to be had with this game. The more you play the more control you gain over your character and your party. Still, this is pretty much an anime dictated story.
You can expect to follow a certain story and stick with it until the end. I can see how this might be fun for some and boring for others. I enjoyed playing it to a point, but I had the chance to play and review other Naruto video games and unfortunately, “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” just can’t compete with the other games.
This would be a nice stocking stuffer for a diehard fan of the show. Enjoyment can be had from “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. It just wasn’t my kind of game. I also wouldn’t recommend this game for kids that are little. While Naruto is rated E for everyone, you may not want your children experiencing the snarky behavior of some of the characters. You might not like the ninja moves either, though I think that is less of a problem then the snappy comments are. For kids 8 and up, this game will be a fun way to pass time. Adults may want to consider testing this game out first (by renting it) due to the repetitious nature of the game. Kids are less likely to mind this as they will love leading their pal, Naruto, to ultimate victory in this RPG game.
Controls:
The controls are easy to use on “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. Your screen will explain how to do various things, how to switch screens and you are going to rely primarily on button pushing. It would have been cool for more touch screen interaction to really let you get into the fighting, but the game does have its strong points, too. It isn’t as mindless as other ninja based games where you press a button or two and you win the battle. It’s more like the style you’d see with a Pokemon battle, where you actually have options for what you plan to do (attack, defend, use an item, etc.) during a battle.
Overall, I found the controls rather simplistic for a DS game, but there wasn’t too much other than that to complain about when it came to how the controls work.
Ease of Use:
Visual Quality:
I’ve been told “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” was developed from a prototype of a game that was released for Nintendo GBA in Japan. You can tell that “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” isn’t quite as magnificent visually as some of the visuals we see in other Nintendo DS designed games. Still, it sure beats the games I used to play on my 1990s, gray Game Boy. Nintendo has come a long way when it comes to gaming. While I would have liked to see something a little more visually pleasing with “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”, I’m not too disappointed with what is available.
Visual:
Audio Quality:
The audio is typical if not a little weak for the DS. I know there is a limited amount of what you can do with sound in handheld games. However, there is only a bit of voice over work that seems to have been done from past voice work that was available in past releases of Naruto games and anime. I felt like I was playing more of a GBA game than a DS game. Still, the audio was good enough to hear the music and sounds. However, it wasn’t nearly as annoying music wise as it could have been so that’s a plus.
Audio:
Artificial Intelligence:
The AI for “Naruto: Path of the Ninja” is pretty good. While most of the time you are guided through what you have to do, there are occasional moments where you do have to decide what to do on your own. Ultimately, this game isn’t so dictated that you have no say, but there is a definite path you need to follow to advance forward in the game.
The AI is a lot stronger than in most games, because the path is specific to the anime and it is pretty clear the developers planned it so the path of the anime wasn’t deviated from very much if at all. This is only a hindrance for those of us who want to see something new with Naruto. Those who like playing the story as is are going to love owning “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”.
Artificial Intelligence:
Replayability:
I’ve seen the story, watched the anime (briefly), and feel like I’ve played this game many times before. I didn’t even want to go through and finish playing this once (but I did because I’m a good reviewer like that) let alone additional times. I feel like D3 is rehashing the same story over and over. Had the developers put half the effort they put into “Clash of Ninja Revolution” I truly believe this game would be much better than it is. I’m not dissing D3 in any sense though because there is an audience for “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. This audience just doesn’t happen to be me.
Those who love reliving and retelling the main anime story for Naruto are going to love “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. The game got mixed reviews by players and reviewers alike, which tells me not everyone shares my dislike of the game, so don’t take too much stock in my word that I didn’t like it unless you too are sick of the same Naruto over and over again.
Replayability:
Bottom Line:
If you love Naruto and want another game that tells the same story as past games, animes and mangas then you will love “Naruto: Path of the Ninja”. I found the game to be lacking in newness and the quality wasn’t as fresh as it could be. Sure the game looks pretty decent on the Nintendo DS. Sure, it’s fun for the first few minutes, but for those of us ready to move on to a new Naruto game, this one just doesn’t stack up. This one is recommended only for those who are diehard, Naruto purists, wanting more of the same ol’, same ol’. If you want some real action and have a Nintendo Wii or Xbox 360, you’ll be better suited with the new Naruto games for those systems instead.
Overall Rating:
Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
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