For a format that is supposed to be put out to pasture, developers are still putting a lot of effort into the PS2 and still producing some outstanding games. Take Square Enix's Valkyrie Profile 2 for example, a brilliant example of an old-school RPG formula given a new lease of life thanks to developers now knowing how to push the machine to the limit in terms of graphical prowess. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 is another one of those games that defies the technical limitations of the console and benefits greatly as a result.

Based on Masashi Kishimoto's Manga and animé series, the story focuses on Naruto, a hot-headed ninja in training nearing the end of his exams. This builds the core of the game's story mode and fans familiar with the show will be happy to learn that the plot stays true to the series down to the most minute of details. For those Naruto virgins out there, think of this as a Harry Potter type story where ninjas replace wizards and you have a very similar saga.

Progression is made easy with a little bit of free roaming around Naruto's home of Konoha and surrounding areas. Here you can explore the beautifully crafted locales rendered in full cel-shading, talk to citizens and spend cash on hundreds of unlockable items at the bonus shop. The story won't move on until you trigger each new battle, and a handy map system guides you to these missions with ease.

Each battle takes place in a fixed area with many environmental hazards and multi-tier sections. Fans of Power Stone and Smash Bros. will be comfortable with the layout of the levels, as they are very similar in style; from rolling green fields to ocean bridges, each level is beautifully crafted and the oriental flavour of the music enhances the Manga style of the game perfectly. At points it feels as if you are playing through an interactive episode of the TV show, thanks to the bright, vibrant colours that possess the same visual flair as Capcom's most recent cel-shaded title, Okami, albeit rooted in a much more linear world. Each battle has conditions that must be met in order to proceed, which range from simply defeating your opponent to doing so within a set time limit. Some battles also allow you to call upon a support character to help out if things go a bit pear-shaped.

Combat is where the game loses marks in some respects and gains marks in others. For a start, all basic attacks are executed with the circle button, with the special Chakra moves mapped to triangle, while you block and use items with the two shoulder buttons and jump with X. So far, so basic, but having one button for all the character's attacks seems a bit shallow for the format that brought us Tekken. Granted this is a kid's title at heart, but even this can feel a tad simplistic at times [You should never underestimate kids as gamers - it's all too easy to be repeatedly fragged by ten-year-olds on Halo 3! Ed].

The fighting method redeems itself through the game's many special attacks known as Jutsus. Just like the outstanding Street Fighter Alpha 3, fighters build up power over the course of the bout by filling a three-bar gauge that makes devastating attacks available. Once initiated, a cut scene begins where the two combatants jump and fly across the screen while a string of button prompts flash onscreen. Get them right and the cut scene goes in your favour and your character gives the opponent a satisfying smackdown; fail and the move is reversed or countered, usually with a little bit of humour thrown in (one scene sees the player flattened by their inflated buddy as a special move goes horribly wrong!) There is also a wealth of power-ups scattered around each level, contained inside training dummies including shurikens, smoke bombs, decoys and many other ninja tools. This makes the fighting even more tense as players scramble to reach each power-up before their opponent due to their ability to turn the tables at any time. These items never feel unbalanced or overly powerful however, and this is surely good news for those who regularly found themselves on the receiving end of the baseball bat in Smash Bros! There are no fluke wins or cheesy moves here - and every failure and success is purely down to player skill, just the way it should be.

It's the little touches of humour and occasional fighting grace that gives the gameplay from falling into repetition. The scale of the single player mode also makes for great value and the messages onscreen stating that you have unlocked a new bonus item or character are frequent, giving real satisfaction as you progress. You can't help but feel that the developers at Namco Bandai have played a lot of Smash Bros. in their day, as Ultimate Ninja 2 pays many homage to the series in many ways. Unlockable character figures is an idea first seen in Nintendo's brawler, but all can be forgiven because of this game's fresh approach to the genre.

If you haven't seen the TV series then the value of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 might become lost in translation, whereas fans of Naruto will relish running around the areas lifted straight out of the animé show and spotting many locations and characters that are instantly recognisable. With an impressive character roster, lovely artistic visuals and an immersing soundtrack, Ultimate Ninja 2 is worth a look for newcomers and almost essential for fans. It's a shame that the fighting dynamic still lacks the bite of other scrappers out there, but with countless sequels already available overseas and waiting to be translated to the PAL market, there is plenty of time for Namco Bandai to get it right in the future while we await the next release, impatiently twiddling our shurikens.

Reviewed by Dave Cook for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).