Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 (known as Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 2 in Japan and Naruto: Clash of Ninja European Version in Europe) is the second installment of the Gekitou Ninja Taisen (Clash of Ninja) series, which is based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto.

The game sold well enough to be placed in the Nintendo Players Choice line.

Gameplay
Clash of Ninja 2 offers several different game modes such as Arcade mode, VS mode, and Story mode. You can unlock new features such as new characters, stages, and modes by accomplishing certain tasks in the game. Once accomplished, an item will appear in Anko's shop and the player may buy with money earned from fighting.

The game follows the plot of the series, in story mode, starting from Naruto's graduation from the Ninja Academy to the end of the Chunin exams. There are also several fights which may be purchased from Anko that go into detail about things not fully explained in the series.

Playable characters
A list of playable characters is shown below. Characters new to the series are marked with an asterisk (*):


 * Naruto Uzumaki (Normal, Nine-Tailed Demon Fox)
 * Sasuke Uchiha (Normal, Sharingan*)
 * Sakura Haruno
 * Kakashi Hatake (Normal, Sharingan)
 * Iruka Umino
 * Rock Lee
 * Haku
 * Zabuza Momochi
 * Kiba Inuzuka *
 * Neji Hyuga *
 * Might Guy *
 * Shikamaru Nara *
 * Ino Yamanaka *
 * Hinata Hyuga *
 * Gaara *
 * Kankuro *
 * Orochimaru *
 * Akamaru *
 * Crow (Kankuro's puppet) *
 * Mizuki *
 * Third Hokage*

Stages
This is a list of playable stages in Clash of Ninja 2. Stages new to the series are marked with an asterisk (*):
 * Amid Toads (Night)
 * Amid Toads (Day) *
 * Academy - Rooftop (Day)
 * Academy - Rooftop (Raining) *
 * Ichiraku Ramen Shop (Night)
 * Ichiraku Ramen Shop (Sunset) *
 * Village Hidden in the Leaves - Gate (Day)
 * Village Hidden in the Leaves - Gate (Night) *
 * Academy - Schoolyard (Evening)
 * Academy - Schoolyard (Summer) *
 * The Forest of Death (Night)
 * The Forest of Death (Dawn) *
 * Chunin Exams - Qualifiers *
 * Chunin Exams - Final (Field) *
 * Chunin Exams - Final (Rooftop) *
 * The Great Naruto Bridge - Stage 1 (Clear)
 * The Great Naruto Bridge - Stage 2 (Mist)

Reception
Critical reaction ranges from average ratings to fairly high and respectable ones.G4's X-Play gave Clash of Ninja a three out of five, claiming that while the game has "slick cel-shaded graphics and strong animation," the game's characters are all somewhat similar and lacks in the two-player department. Mark Bozon at IGN gave this game an 8.2 out of ten, and said that the game is quite easy to get involved in, even for those unfamiliar to the Naruto series. He also praises the game for its easy-to-learn combos and character roster.

Trivia

 * An extra 10,000 coins can be earned if there is a saved file of Naruto: Clash of Ninja on the player's memory card.
 * There is a limited edition Naruto trading card in every marked box of Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2. It's a holofoil Mission featuring Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke with Gamakichi, a slug, and a snake respectively. The card does not come in Player's Choice editions.