Naruto, a teenage ninja dramedy anime, has been exploding all over America since its TV debut back in September 2005. Manga, toys, costumes and video games seem to materialize every few months in attempts to sate fans massive hunger to interact with the series. Unfortunately, Japan has been basking in the light of Naruto since 1999, leaving us to enjoy their hand-me-downs. This is especially true when it comes to video games, as we received our last Gamecube Naruto title, Clash of Ninja 2, last fall, almost a year after the fourth saw its Japanese release. That does not mean we got the short end of the series' stick however, as Clash 2 is not only one of the last great Gamecube exclusives but the unadulterated gameplay and wonderfully loyal presentation make this a title that transcends fanboyism, providing anyone with an excellent time.

New to Naruto? The series takes its name from the lead character of the show, Naruto Uzumaki, a teenage boy who also happens to be playing host to the nine-tailed fox demon, a creature that was sealed within his body at birth to defeat it. Shunned as a child by his village, he began to resort to tricks to conjure attention before graduating from the Ninja Academy. This is where Clash 2's story mode picks up, after Naruto and friends graduate. Fans of the series will have no problem understanding the plot and characters throughout the Story Mode, as it is meant to merely compliment the series, but newcomers should expect no help - what I outlined above is more than this game provides in any mode or on its packaging. Playing through Story Mode will let you know if you would ever have the desire to watch the anime though - just don't let the English dub deter you as it runs the gauntlet of decent to terrible.

With that aside, we can jump into the obvious focus of Clash 2: the fighting. Using the same pseudo-3D fighting system as the first game, you make use of a highly accessible fighting system that allows newcomers to button mash to victory and veterans to counter with sensational combos. There are only two attack buttons - 'powerful' and 'less powerful', with different directions unleashing different attacks, putting the focus purely on stringing together combos to make the most use of your character's strengths. By hitting either of the shoulder buttons you can sidestep around the ring, but I found this move unresponsive, especially when fighting up close. As you give or take a beating, your charka meter fills, which can be used in one of two ways. One is to press one of the shoulder buttons to execute a teleport dodge, which can pull you out of the fray and put you back on the offense. The other way you can use the charka meter is to press X and start a special jutsu attack, an over-the-top, choreographed move that can change the entire course of a fight in one hit.

That is about all there is to the fighting system - instant accessibility that leads to skilled refinement. Some may find that as a problem instead of blessing, especially fans of realistic fighters - but don't let yourself be one of the naysayers. If you feel under-whelmed then try your hand at multiplayer - which now supports up to four players simultaneously - with another person who knows the ropes of the game. It should take very little time before you are scrambling for the manual or searching the Internet for the best combos, finding that the game has deceived you. The entire experience is very visceral, which can lead to loud cheers and jeers - even when alone, making it a bad game to play in a library or near a sleeping baby.

Clash 2's presentation is more of a carryover from the first title than it is a sequel, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The high quality cel-shaded character models return, as do the detailed 3D arenas and progressive scan support. The entire game runs silky smooth with four characters onscreen - though anything more and it bogs down real fast, matching the speed and veracity of the anime at a near-perfect level. The soundtrack is boisterous, generally consisting of fast, upbeat rock and voice acting is used liberally, although only the English dub sadly. That leads to my only problem with the presentation - the lack of the original Japanese dub. The English voice actors never hit above decent, with the voice actor for Naruto serving as the low point. I never knew I was capable of hated a teenager simply because of his voice - until now.

The fear that because this is a fighting game it will lack lasting appeal can be put to rest too - the single player is deep and rewarding, with four main modes and a ton of secrets to unlock, including characters, power ups and costumes. Multiplayer adds another facet to the lasting appeal, one that may end up being the most important for those with gaming friends. With twenty-three different characters, each given a move set that imbues personality and originality, there should be little reason why the hours shouldn't pass as a room of people take their turns laying down ninja law on all-comers.

The only problem I can find with Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is its timing - coming at the end of the Gamecube's lifespan. With the first Clash of Ninja having seemingly gone Player's Choice overnight, I can only hope that gamers and anime fans alike give the sequel the same respect and love. This is one awesome, pick-up-and-play fighting game that is tailor-made to help gamers forget Smash Bros. Melee for a few ninja-filled rounds of chaotic combat.

Reviewed by Tony Peters for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).