theman61890's Full Review: Naruto: Ninja Council for Game Boy Advance (GBA)
Story 2/10
The story revolves around some Ninja test being held in Konoha. I essentially hated the story since at some times it was utter nonsense and just did not make any sense. The game does not follow the shows story, which is just foolish since the shows story was one hundred times better than this story. You will find yourself button mashing trying to move the story faster as the dialogue between the characters to explain the story is just heinous.
Sound 3/10
All the music in the game will lull you to sleep, but at least every stage has a different song. To go along with the songs you can unlock a sound test and listen to all the character voices. However in the game only your character can speak verbally while, everyone else in this game speaks with text. The moves also sound pretty lame. The only moves that sound pleasant are some of the Jutsus. The punches, kicks and dash attacks all sound the same and the sound gets boring very quick.
Graphics 7/10
The graphics are actually pretty decent. The visuals are crisp and vibrant, like most anime games. The characters are drawn in chibi style, or in other words they are drawn smaller to suit the Gameboy Advance screen and for lack of a better word cuter. Most of the characters are well designed and the bosses are quite exquisite too.
I also love the various areas you compete in. there are many unique stages all whom are moving in some way whether in be water moving in the background and etc. Each level also has a great color scheme that is really pleasant to the eye. The game really surpasses usual Gameboy Advance Games graphics. There is also a picture gallery you can unlock that has great pictures from the anime. This is probably the only thing I liked about the game.
Gameplay 3/10
The game has a very fast learning curve. Before each level, Kakashi, Naruto's Sensei, provides instructions on how to use your abilities. The controls are very easy to learn. The controls are A to jump and B to attack. You can also hold the B button to charge up chakra, which is what you use to emit special attacks. The R button will make your character throw a projectile, which range from shurikens to darts. One cool thing is that you have an infinite amount of throwing objects, so you can keep throwing and never run out of ammo, but this move is terribly weak. The controls setup was really simple but it was a great scheme nonetheless.
In the start of the game you can choose either Naruto or Sasuke to play the game through with. If you beat the game with both characters you unlock Kakashi, and then you can use him to beat the same story over again. Like I alluded to before by holding the B button your character begins charging up for a jutsu. A jutsu meter appears, and releasing the button too soon will result in a failed jutsu. The longer you hold the button for the stronger the Jutsu strength will be. Naruto is capable of doing his Sexy Jutsu and Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sasuke can spit fireballs across the screen.
This game is a side scroller, which means that you play in a horizontal path by following the designated path. The main objective of the levels in the game is to walk around and search for leaves. After you collect enough or have made your way through a level you will then fight a boss. Each boss ranges from skill and all have different attacks. In a stage you must also pick up scrolls that grants you permission to move on in a level. There are hurdles that will trouble you on your mission, they include enemies and environmental hazards. There are also hidden characters that are sporadically located throughout the stage that will heal you or give you an extra life if you find them. Overall there is a total of seven levels.
A problem with the gameplay is that it is relatively to simple. You can easily beat the game, since its a side scroller by just walking from the levels start to the levels end. There are intrusions, but they are to weak to even cause relative damage to your character. Another problem I have is the boss fights are far too easy. You can easily button mash to defeat them. Also you can't even use Jutsu on them or they will die in a matter of a couple of hits. Also I find the game repetitive, each stage is the same thing just with different characters. In each stage you collect leaves, you fight bad guys and then you fight a no good boss. Also once you beat it with one character you will have no desire to do it again. But to unlock anything you mus play through the story mode about 5 or 6 times which is really annoying because of its simplicity.
Replay Value 1/10
You can beat the game again once you beat it for the first time to unlock new things, but some might not since the game is very dull and unexciting. Naruto is such a fun show, but the game really does not pinpoint on the locations of which makes Naruto so great. These areas include fun battles, tough villains, great and comical dialogue and mesmerizing fighting locations, all whom are lacked tremendously in this game.
Overall, I must recommend you to not buy this game unless you are a DIEHARD NARUTO FAN! Unless your not don't pick this one up, and rent it if you must play it. This game lacks in many key departments that really lags it down. A real letdown for Naruto fans and gamers in general.
Seven levels of side-scrolling, beat 'em-up ninja action Play as either the unpredictable Naruto or the steady Sasuke Features all the favorite charac...More at Amazon Marketplace
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