Anyone familiar with the manga/anime will know that the one thing Naruto has, above all, is character. The game is no different, well -and I'll take time to make this point now- its just like looking at the anime! Not only with the quality of the cel-shaded graphics but the idiosyncracies of the characters, from the slightest nods of the head to the most spectacular special moves, are all captured perfectly. The little touches, like the various special intros/outros when two rival/love-interst characters clash, make it the essential Naruto experience.

But is it any good? I hear you ask. Well hardcore fighting fans whove honed their skills with the hundreds of moves in Soul Calibur or Virtua Fighter will find it a bit on the light side but thats not to say theres not plenty of tactical nuances and strategies to employ here. The buttons to move ratio may seem simplified to begin with(attack, weapon attack, throw and special being the main four) but once you get used to the phrenetic combo nature and the various uses of the weapon button(especially when yr weapon is a life-size puppet or a dog) you begin to notice a unique style of fighting emerging. The dodges and escapes are a vital part of the flow of a fight which sees you and your opponent dissappearing and reappearing quite a bit during a match. Escaping uses chakra(special fighting energy) but this chakra is also used to pull off the explosive specials, you can see the dilemma! The specials are devastating but can be predictable and avoided quite easily so timing is essential and it adds to the balance of the experience.

All in all its a great fighting package - plenty of varied chacters, various modes(including 4players on one screen!), loads of unlockables(including 30 multiplayer handicaps to spice up the action) and a solid 2 player. I couldn't reccomend it ahead of Soul Calibur2 but it makes a great alternative. Slick, stylish and most of all fun.