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Path of the Ninja 2 Multiplayer Hands-On

We take a look at what happens when ninjas go online.

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Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 is Tomy and D3's upcoming role-playing game for the Nintendo DS that will feature new characters and online multiplayer. Although not a sequel, Path of the Ninja 2 will have an original storyline in the Naruto universe so that fans can expect something new and potential fans can dive in as well. Recently, Tomy and D3 stopped by to let us play around with the multiplayer feature. For a turn-based RPG, it's fast, it's frantic, and it's fun.

Through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, you can play with anyone and anywhere. Also, there are additional bonuses by playing against people in different regions. You will be asked to enter what state you're from so that players can collect cards from all the states, as well as the rest of North America, which includes Canada and Mexico. These cards are used to unlock special items in the main game. Wireless play isn't ready right off the bat; you still need to progress through the game a bit until you come across a Wi-Fi machine. This gives you some time to build up your characters so that the fights will be more interesting.

Time to bring out the jutsu and pummel your opponents.
Time to bring out the jutsu and pummel your opponents.

As for the gameplay itself, you can have a squad of four with a standby alternate. It's turn-based, but depending on what your opponent is doing, you may need to counter his or her jutsu to lessen the damage. This is where the frantic scribbling of the stylus comes into play. The touch screen will indicate what direction to draw circles in or if you need to drag your stylus back and forth as fast as you can. As for your party, you assign a squad leader, and depending on the character, he or she will have a special buff that enhances the entire party. Some examples would be regaining stamina while walking, increasing the chance of protecting an ally, or avoiding enemy encounters entirely. If you've already completed the game, you can put together your ninja dream team and go against an opponent.

We had a chance test out our ninja team, and the possibilities were endless. This is because you'll have 30 characters to choose from, as well as ninja tags to give your characters additional abilities. Each character has a pool of ninja power and a limited number of slots where you can equip ninja cards. Cards can be obtained through the Story mode, through purchase, or by the defeat of bosses. You earn points by playing online so you can use those toward card purchases. When you play online, you get three points if you win and one if you lose. However, if you play on a Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. PDT, you can get bonus points that bring your point total to five if you win and three if you lose. This will occur every Saturday to give players a chance to rack up extra points on the weekend if they can find opponents online.

This multiplayer mode seems like a great way to pass the time, and if you don't have friends close by to play with, you can always get online to play a match with anyone. Check back soon for more Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 coverage when it is released in October.

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