Perfect for fans, but flawed enough to deter the unfamiliar.
Naruto: Ninja Destiny is definitely a fan's game. The available story mode starts at the end of the Chunin Exam Duels and moves on from there, bringing in characters and storylines from the TV show's 140 or so episodes. For those not familiar with the television show, the story will probably seem terribly fragmented, although not wholly impossible to understand.
Luckily, the gameplay itself is enough to draw in fans and casual players alike. While the game may have been released in Japan a year earlier, players can expect more than a simple port. The frame rate here has been given a drastic overhaul, allowing most intense battles to progress seamlessly. Lag still seemed to be a bit of an issue when playing as Orochimaru especially, but the lag wasn't enough to stop combos from hitting when they should.
Like in most basic fighting games, combos and basic movements are executed using the directional pad and A,B,X,Y buttons. As you receive or deal out damage, your Chakra meter fills, allowing you to use both basic power-ups (jutsu) and those specific to each player. Something called a substitution jutsu is one usable by every character, which allows you to not only break opponent's combos but also teleport behind their backs by pressing the L button. This move alone makes most battles almost impossible to lose, whether you're a pro or a complete novice at fighting games.
Other items and power ups are located on the touch screen, in the form of very large buttons containing commands like "Jutsu Lock", which stops opponents from using any Chakra for a set amount of time, and "Full Life" which completely refills your life bar. There are 15 power-ups in all, with six being randomly assigned to you at the beginning of each battle.
In order to add more challenge to the gameplay, there are two difficulty levels to choose from, with the harder mode providing a great test for Naruto enthusiasts. The lower difficulty then is great for beginners, especially those who would like to hone their skills in the game's free battle mode. In this quick battle mode, players can either choose their enemies or go up against random opponents.
With 16 playable characters in all, most of which need to be unlocked, it would be hard to imagine someone not finding a fighting style that fits them. Each character available comes with their own personalities and traits, with some being more powerful but slow moving while others are a bit weaker but very agile.
The differences in characters are, for the most part, easy distinguishable thanks to the game's impressive graphics. With so much going on at once on the top screen, the small amount of clipping present is understandable, but the striking 3D environments (straight out of the television show) and intense cinematic animations make up for any annoyance that clipping may cause.
Another slight area of concern comes in the game's sound department. While the music is a great mix of intense, rock inspired tracks that fit perfectly with the action in each battle, the voice acting during said battles has a tendency of becoming repetitive, if you can hear it at all, due to the voices being so quiet.
While all of these features may seem to create a very positive fighting-game experience, I am afraid Ninja Destiny is not without one epic flaw. In possibly the worst oversight I have ever seen in a game, there is no real save feature, meaning that anytime you want to play in story mode, you will have to start from the very beginning, or keep your DS paused indefinitely. While this fact may not bother hardcore fans of the series who wouldn't mind playing through the same battles over and over again, for more casual fans like myself, playing through 45 minutes of repeated material just to get to where you last left off is almost a deal-breaker.
This also seriously affects the game's attraction in terms of being able to pick-up-and-play while on the go. Sure, you can play through Battle Mode and experience most everything the game has to offer, but it really isn't the same as knowing you're actually accomplishing something that you can come back to later.
What might keep fans trying to fulfill their destinies is the ability to play with friends through local wireless multiplayer, where each person has to own the game.
All in all, if you're a huge fan of the Naruto television series, I see no reason why you shouldn't pick this one up. Even without a real save system, the hours of multiplayer and VS. CPU gameplay available here should be more than enough to keep you satisfied. However, if you're not very familiar with the franchise, I would suggest looking elsewhere for your fighting game fix.
Review part of GrrlGamer.com. Full review and screenshots at: http://www.grrlgamer.com/review.php?g=ninjadestiny