I had a wonderful conversation with Jason Acevedo with GameFocus about Cajun French and Canadian press. That was ten minutes before Rannie from Triple Point PR signed on. Let me tell you, ten minutes of cultural discussion is always a great omen. Turns out that, as usual, I was correct. We had a great discussion with Laura Yoshioka and Glenn Stotz from Tomy about Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2, sequel to the Naruto RPG released earlier for the Nintendo DS. First and foremost, let’s look at thirty playable characters and a better understanding of DS graphical capability. Good start? I think so! New cinematic jutsu sequences and battle system are also a plus. Since Tomy had more room to develop this title, they’ve been able to make these improvements all for the better.
A group of angry, rogue ninja (as opposed to more benevolent and regulated ninja) wish to unbind an ancient beast. The quickest way to do that is to toxify the surrounding area, since Eastern gaming culture is way more environmentally effective than anything the real world could produce. Order of the day is to save the day as Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and a slew of others are placed at your disposal. Although the storyline is specifically for the game itself, Tomy has made a habit of making their storylines and atmospheres incredibly reminiscent of the Naruto series that fans have come to know and love.
A new four-man squad system is implemented, with one of them being “inactive.” Not much was made clear on that in the call, but it is one more man over the original Path of the Ninja setup. The DS touch screen allows for movement, character interaction, chest opening, and attack modes. Jutsu attacks are not activated by the various touch screen activities that you must perform, but completing those tasks will make jutsu more effective. Speaking of effectiveness, the new Squad Leader system will provide the rest of your team various bonuses and penalties based on your selection. For instance, Naruto as your Squad Leader will raise your overall attack power, but lower your defense.
Wi-Fi Battle Modes! RPG players are always looking for a big challenge, so Wi-Fi modes are a grand option. No amount of computer generated AI can prepare you for the mind of another living player. Compete in somewhat of a “best of the best” environment against other living players who have constructed their own working ninja teams. No co-operative play, no help, no holds barred. With the new battle features, there is an option to choose how simple or complex you want your combat options to be. However, we’ve been told that players who master subtle complexities will have a definite edge. Also, some of the characters can only be unlocked during Wi-Fi play, so be sure to make some friends.
Look for Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 to come out in the Third Quarter of 2008, hopefully sometime in September. This is a straight localization from the Japanese original, with the addition of an added battle track developed for the North American release. Love it or hate it, the Naruto franchise is certainly not going anywhere, and it doesn’t show signs of anything other than improvement.
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