Naruto: Rise of a Ninja - T

Coming-of-age story set in violent ninja culture.

Publisher: UbiSoft Category/Genre: Video Games - Action/Adventure Platform: Xbox 360 Price: $59.99 Online Enabled: Yes Graphics: Medium. A blend of realism and anime-style graphics. Playability: Medium. Fight combos can be hard to master. Reading Level: Light Release Date: 10/30/2007 ESRB Rating: T for Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this game is based on the Naruto manga and anime, although familiarity with them isn't required to enjoy the video game. There's plenty of visceral one-on-one fighting where Naruto uses punches, kicks, throwing daggers, and special attacks to defeat opponents. The fights aren't bloody or overly graphic. The cartoon cutscenes, however, show characters getting beaten up pretty badly, including blood dripping from their wounds.

Families can talk about how Naruto's perseverance and determination pay off in his ninja training, and how this can apply to real-life school subjects and topics as well. Naruto sometimes breaks the rules, but always with a reason and usually to help people. Is it important to always follow the rules, or are there times when you should follow your instincts -- such as if a friend is in danger?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Erin Bell

The boy ninja Naruto already enjoys immense success as the star of a collection of manga (Japanese comic books) and a cartoon television series, so it goes without saying that the next medium for him to conquer is video games.

There have been Naruto games before, but nothing on the same scale as NARUTO: RISE OF A NINJA, which is a fighting game, free-roaming platformer, and role-playing game rolled into one.

At the start of the game, things couldn't get much worse for Naruto. His whole town hates him and he's on the verge of flunking out of ninja school. But all it takes is one person to believe in him -- in this case, a kindly sensei(teacher) -- to turn Naruto's fortunes around.

The journey Naruto takes from social outcast to popular guy and powerful ninja is a central theme. Whether it's running errands for the townspeople, going on quests with his squad mates Sakura and Sasuke, or rising through the ranks of the ninja academy, everything Naruto does slowly earns the respect and trust of those around him.

Naruto's home town of Leaf Village serves as the hub of the game, and is where Naruto can find quests, purchase items and upgrades, and train to improve his ninja skills. Every inch of the town has been lovingly re-created from the Naruto comics and cartoons, and players are free to explore all of it from the alleyways to the rooftops.

When Naruto faces an opponent, whether it's a bandit on the road or a rival pupil at the ninja academy, the perspective shifts to a one-on-one fight where Naruto uses a variety of kicks, punches, ranged weapons, and special attacks to drain his enemy's health bar.

The money, coins, and trainer points Naruto earns go toward learning new combo attacks and jutsus (special ninja moves) and buying scrolls to improve offensive and defensive stats.

Although control is a little stiff and there are a few too many fetch-quests in the game, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja succeeds in doing justice to the Naruto franchise. It also doesn't hurt that cutscenes in the game are pulled straight from the cartoon. Rise of a Ninja shouldn't disappoint Naruto fans, and if you aren't a fan going in, you'll probably be one by the end.

Players might want to start with the Naruto television series. If you can't get enough of ninjas, check out TMNT, a video game based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Reviewed: 12/07/2007

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Naruto has a "sexy jutsu" special move that makes opponents swoon by projecting images of scantily clad women at them. One of Naruto's teachers likes to peep into women's bath houses.
Violence The ninja culture depicted in Naruto is a pretty violent one, with frequent fights. There's no blood in the game itself, however the cutscenes show more explicit violence like wounds dripping blood, bodies getting pierced with sharp objects, and comrades getting seriously injured (though it's all still depicted as a hand-drawn cartoon).
Language Threats during battles.
Message
	Social Behavior Naruto frequently sticks up for the weak and displays loyalty to his friends, which gradually earns him the respect of others. Naruto is hot-headed and doesn't always follow orders, but his instincts are usually correct, which makes his teachers more tolerant of his disobedience.
	Commercialism The game is tied into the Naruto anime and manga, and features numerous clips from the Naruto cartoon.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco References aren't widespread; a boss is described in passing as a drug dealer.
	Educational Value