Naruto headed for PS2 once again

For an animated series about the legendarily stealthy ninja, Naruto sure does a poor job of keeping a low profile. Now appearing in the US on the Cartoon Network and fresh off a featured role in the Nintendo codeveloped anime battle royal Jump Superstars, the series is also returning once more to the PlayStation 2.

Bandai is developing the third installment in its Narutimate Hero fighting action game series, reports the latest issue of Shonen Jump. Narutimate Hero 3 will once again feature the ninja-flavored action of previous installments, along with some new moves and tweaked techniques.

Characters confirmed so far include the main character Naruto, his eternal rival Sasuke, and Gaara. As one would expect, Narutimate Hero 3 will feature new characters as well. In terms of new in-game systems, Narutimate Hero 3 will include an ominous-sounding new technique called the "Ultimate Ninjitsu."

Naruto: Narutimate Hero 3 is slated for release this winter on the PlayStation 2 in Japan.