Naruto fends off Akatsuki Rising on PSP

Sony's PSP is already having a good year. Even if rumors of the UMD-less PSP2 don't pan out, the system has a number of high-profile titles headed its way, including installments in the Little Big Planet, Rock Band, Assassin's Creed, MotorStorm, Persona, and Dante's Inferno franchises, to name a few. And, according to Sony, some of the biggest announcements concerning the portable are slated for next month during the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

As part of its 2009 press event, Namco Bandai said that it too would be heavily supporting the PSP, announcing that Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny and Tekken 6 will arrive for the handheld this summer and fall, respectively. Adding one more to that pile, the publisher has also revealed that Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising will also be released for the PSP this fall.

Based on Naruto's adventures in Viz Media's Shippuden animated series, Legends: Akatsuki Rising sees the titular fighter and a number of his companions embark on a quest to find Gaara, better known as the fifth Kazekage. To accomplish this goal, Naruto must defeat the Akatsuki criminal organization.

Following a mission-based structure, Legends: Akatsuki Rising offers gamers access to more than 10 characters from the animated series. Namco Bandai describes combat as a "fast-paced tactical" affair, with players timing their jutsu attacks to maximize their damage output as well as launching combined assaults as part of a three-man squad.

Legends: Akatsuki Rising features a number of modes, accommodating both two-player cooperative and competitive action. Original mode plays out as the basic storyline adventure, which sees Naruto setting out on his aforementioned quest. In Scenario mode, players can increase their characters' abilities by undertaking various side-mission quests. Akatsuki mode lets players assume the role of a member of the titular criminal organization. Lastly, Versus mode lets players duke it out against friends via ad hoc local wireless play.

For more on Namco Bandai's lineup, check out GameSpot's full coverage of the 2009 Namco Bandai event.