Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 Hands-On

Naruto makes another appearance on the Nintendo Wii with Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2, a sequel to last year's release. The popular manga and anime featuring the spiky-haired, hyperactive boy in an orange jumpsuit is back in an original storyline that expands the Naruto universe and delves deeper into the backstory of some of the other characters. The new content should bring something fresh to Naruto fans and be easy to follow for newcomers who want to see what all the fuss is about. Publishers D3 and Tomy stopped by to give us a glimpse of what's new and brewing in the upcoming fighter.

Like its predecessor, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is a fighting game. Those familiar with the game will find that this sequel is much larger in terms of characters and stages. There are 15 stages to choose from as well as 35 characters, including four original characters, two of whom are part of Anbu, a black ops organization. Yugao Uzuki from the anime series will also make an appearance. We had a chance to play with Tag Team mode, in which four players can get involved; it's a one-on-one fight but players can swap out and take turns. If you can pull it off with a partner, you can initiate combos simultaneously. Different pairings can yield some special combinations when you choose from the large roster. For example, if you happen to pair a teacher and an apprentice from the story, together they will pull off a unique attack as compared to any other random pairing. Those who are well-versed in Naruto lore should be able to figure out which characters have a special connection.

In Multimatch, you can play with three other friends in a free-for-all mode, either three versus one or in teams of two. This seemed by far the most intriguing mode because everyone loves to beat on three of their friends at the same time. When someone pulls off a jutsu attack in this hectic mode, the sequence will occur for the attacker and the one being pounded, and the other players will have to wait for them to duke it out before the game continues. For players who may not like that there are objects onscreen or the ability to transition to another part of the stage, there is the option to turn these features off, so purists can fight each other without the environment getting in the way.

On top of the usual Mission mode, there are Score Attack, Time Attack, and Survival modes, all of which you can play cooperatively. There is now a mission list in which each character has a list of challenges and unique objectives to complete, so there is plenty to do. There is also a Kumite mode, in which you will fight an increasing number of opponents until you're up against a giant mob.

Another new feature that we were shown was the paper bomb, which is the ability to drop land mines or throw them directly at your opponent by holding down the Z and C buttons and pressing A. You can also attach them to objects and detonate them at will. The controls are very similar to the first Clash of Ninja Revolution, so veterans should have no problems picking this one up. There is a tutorial mode available from the menu for those who want a refresher course.

Look for more coverage on Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 as it approaches its fall release.