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Naruto: Rise of the Ninja follows the story of the popular anime series. The game's style is that of a 'beat 'em up' with RPG aspects, for example, your character's stats do increase and they will learn new moves and abilities as the game progresses.

Whilst I really liked the style of this game, and the use of cell-shading I was disappointed that the developers had not re-animated the cut scenes in the same manner (unlike the new Dragonball Z game), instead they have simply inserted actual slips from the anime into the video game. I actually find this to be quite lazy, especially since the game can be completed in about 10 hours. If they had added some nice CGI it would have made it a little bit more enjoyable.

Despite the length of this game, I really enjoyed playing through it. The graphics are impressive, the story immersive and the voice acting exactly what you can expect from a top class anime series. However, despite the impressive graphics, there is one very obvious flaw, and that is the fact that the in game characters never actually move their mouths to speak, the voice over's simply sound, this is unlike the Dragonball game where they speak even in battle.

I think that they have cut many corners in this game, there are things that I personally would have included in the game in order to improve the style and feel of it. I would have been much more impressed if they had bothered to animate things other than a simple walk, run and jump cycle. The fact that they simply didn't bother to animate the mouths at all throughout the game, leads me to believe that they simply wanted to release this game as soon as possible, with as little work required.

Missions CONSTANTLY require you to travel from A to B, and then back to A, and back to B about five times before you can proceed with the games actual story. This becomes ridiculous and irritating after the third time, and I couldn't help but think I would have enjoyed the experience a bit more if they had bothered to allow you to be transported to the correct location.. And before I get the, "Maybe they couldn't" line, they could and this is proven since after each mission, you can warp back to Leaf Village.

However, despite the many gripes I have about this game, and its lazy development, I am still highly pleased with the game and have enjoyed playing through it, and even though the game was only 10 hours long, I felt should it have continued, my patience would have been tried. I have even decided to watch the complete Naruto series, something that up until now I have failed to manage.

So, hopefully you will find this review useful, and I hope it helps you make the correct choice in your next video games purchase.

Kristen Barghout

Blog: http://www.animezonecentral.com

I am a professional programmer, with a keen interest in all things related to anime and video games. I don't just like certain genre's, I like all genre's, and will always give my honest opinion.

I can't always find the time to post my articles here, but if you visit my blog, there is lots of news and reviews, so please check it out.

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"Smooth Moves", the ingenious new WarioWare game for the Nintendo Wii is already being talked about as one of the best Wii games far. Although, as you'll see, there are a few gripes, the game's ability to draw a crowd and suck them into seriously addictive play is making it a true "must have" for all new Wii owners.

The Plot: After uncovering a mysterious book and a strange device known as the "Form Baton", Wario and the other characters suddenly find themselves with a new set of crazy moves. The characters, controlled in various ways with the Wii remote, must now get through the hurdles of various high-speed games. The new moves your characters will learn such as squatting and scribbling, swinging and spinning are not only physically challenging to the players using the Wii remote, but they are also really funny to watch. The challenges throughout the micro-games include some of craziest and funniest situations and scenes in any Nintendo game so far.

One of the great features players will first notice is how the game developers have taken full advantage of the Wii controllers' unique features to make this game so exciting. For starters, players will have to continually change the way they hold and use the Wii remote to control the characters in the nearly 200 micro-games they must clear. This makes it a very appropriate party game, as it's so wild to watch and cheer on each player as they take their turn and try to get through the next challenge. Expect to get laughed at when it's your turn, as you'll end up wiggling, squirming, and swatting yourself as you learn to make the Wii controllers get your character to do your bidding.

Luckily, Wario will give you guidance along the way!

Admittedly, the many fun and wild challenges that make up the micro-games did not allow for any deeply-developed story lines, rather they are all fun and fast. Its real draw is that it's challenging for you to physically move along with the Wii remote, clear the game, collect your souvenirs and move on to the next one. Although this makes for a real party-pleaser that's more than worth the cost of this game, it won't be long before players have gotten through all the challenges, so the long term playability is certainly shortened on this one.

For the most part though, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is an awesome addition to your Wii collection. Expect this game to finally get Wario the recognition he deserves up along with his predecessor Mario. As it's great for group play and for showing off the capabilities of the new Wii remote, it's bound to become a standard purchase for any Wii owner. Although it has short term playability, the fun and excitement you and your friends will have while you are playing it makes it more than worth the cost.

For more information on nintendo Wii try visiting http://www.buy-nintendo-wii.areasweb.com/, a website that specializes in providing tips and resources to include information on buying Nintendo-Wii online that you can use to secure your own console.

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