Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Xbox 360)

NARUTO: RISE OF A NINJA is a fighting game, free-roaming platformer, and role-playing game rolled into one featuring the boy ninja star of a collection of manga and a cartoon television series. At the start of the game, Naruto's 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 -- a kindly teacher -- to turn his fortunes around.

Naruto's hometown 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 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. When Naruto faces an opponent, the perspective shifts to a one-on-one fight where Naruto uses kicks, punches, ranged weapons, and special attacks. The money, coins, and trainer points he earns go toward learning new moves and buying scrolls to improve 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 cut scenes 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.