Naruto, for anyone unfamiliar with the anime series, follows the story of said Ninja, a child with the power of a Demon Fox sealed within him, who is aspiring to be the Konoha Village’s most revered Ninja. Naruto 2 stays loyal to the plot in the form of its story mode, stretching all the way up to where the Anime series is currently being aired in Japan. The sheer class in presentation has increased tenfold over the original, eschewing the previous staccato images present in the Story Mode with an almost dynamic cartoon depicting the story. The cel-shading, even though it has been used in countless numbers of games recently still impresses, making the game look like an interactive anime cartoon.

Developers Eighting have obviously been listening to the fans, and now the moves list (and also the physics of the game) have been tweaked purely to enable the player to juggle the opponent in the air to a much greater extent than its forebear. At first play, the game seems incredibly similar to the original, but more experience with the game shows us the slight tweaks that have improved the game considerably. The throw is now easier to plant on an opponent, and the throw range has been shortened by just the right amount to allow the player to follow up with a well-timed combo, keeping the enemy in the air and whittling down their energy bar a little more. Another important technique to master early-on is that of cancelling combinations at critical times, so that the combo is never 'finalised' and another combo can start afresh. Gaara's sand attacks can cleverly be used to keep tipping the opponent up again and again, and Sasuke has a handy Fireball attack which can punctuate the perfect combo, full-stop style.

Once a player has got to grips with the simple controls, then the game plays like silk. It's quick, there are no QCF+P moves to pull off, and it's all a case of pushing the stick in a direction and letting rip. Counters are still a simple case of pulling a trigger when an enemy is about to attack which will launch an attack back at the enemy. Unlike Street Fighter III's Parry ability, Narutos' Counters (also known as the Kawarimi) give the player a massive window of time to perform them, making them a tool that beginners will use from the start. However, as you play more, you'll learn that you can capitalise on an opponent’s over-use of this ability. Using the Counter will drain your Chakra bar (when this fills, you can use a super-special), so an opponent over-indulging in his Counters will rarely be able to land a super-special on the player. Also, if you can foretell that a player will counter your next move, it is entirely possible to stop your combo early enough, get out of the way just as the opponent returns with his killer blow, and giving you an opportunity to counter their counter. If all else fails and there is nothing available to stop an impending blow, Naruto 2 (and indeed, the original) gives the player a Parry ability much like Street Fighter III, but with a much shorter opportunity to execute it. Pressing B at the exact point in time that a punch lands upon you will make the screen flash, giving you a chance to get out of the way, or launch your own counterattack.

Games of Naruto tend to end up being cat-and-mouse affairs. The game shamelessly includes an auto block and multiple methods of evading attacks, so one would be thinking that it's quite hard to land these multiple-hit combos upon an enemy. A player has to use all of their cunning to coax an opponent into making a false move, and then completely destroying them whilst they are vulnerable. Beginners tend to just mash the buttons and let loose their longest combos as soon as they can, but an expert can use that to their advantage. Its almost reversing the roles somewhat from early 2D fighters such as Killer Instinct, whereby a player must become an expert at the longer combos to master the game, Naruto 2 gives the player the tools from that start, it's how you use them that counts.

For example, two players start a round. They tentatively throw Kunai at each other (Ninja's knife) hoping that they will connect, before moving towards each other to fight in earnest. One player launches into a combo, whilst the other simply sidesteps it, throws the enemy across the arena, throws a few Kunai into the air to keep them afloat, hop along and unleashes a small combo which launches them further, at which point the opponent vanishes, re-appears behind the attacker and beats them into the ground. At no point in Naruto are you a victim, unlike Soul Calibur (whereby if an enemy gets you into the air you are completely helpless) you almost always have an escape method at your disposal.

Possibly the most noticeable addition over the original is the four-player simultaneous fights. Unfortunately, a free-for-all mode isn't available but 2v2 and 3v1 modes are. Working in almost the same way as Power Stone 2 (except you aren't quite given complete 3D control) you are given a specific opponent to target, who is usually the closest one, and this changes only when another enemy comes closer to you. It works surprisingly well, and is definitely a worthwhile addition, except for when it is included in the Story mode. Whilst the game’s AI is fine for one-on-one matches, in team mode they tend to work independently, and will quite often jump-in and attack while you are tentatively balancing the opponent in a juggle. At least it's nice to have the option there.

Naruto 2 is a far more complete package than the original. Completing certain modes will give the player money to spend in the game’s shop. You can buy anything from new characters to an interactive profile of each character. This is a far cry from the original’s single unlockable character (okay, there were three, but two of them were simply alternate forms), as the character roster almost doubles what you are given to begin with.

Some gamers will completely miss the point that the simplicity present in Naruto is not a downfall, but the games unique selling point. Admittedly, it won't take gamers who relish learning complex moves lists a long time to get to grips with the moves list, and some will complain that reaching the hypothetical 'ceiling' will only take a short while. These gamers should take a step back and look at what really matters in fighting games - one on one challenges. Even the games AI does a fantastic job of shamelessly destroying your best attacks, and showing you just how to master the juggling and dodging.

If you watch the Naruto anime, this game is a must-buy. Since the story mode is mainly illegible due to the language barrier, this then won't be a problem since it follows the same story as the manga and TV shows. If you've always been scared of spending hours studying and practicing moves lists, but always had fond eye constantly peering towards the genre, then Naruto 2 is for you. Fast, cute and insanely fun, Naruto 2 deserves as much attention as it can get.