When I swung by Tomy’s headquarters I tested out the four player mode and I’m glad to say it’s a huge improvement over Naruto Shippuden: Geiktou Ninja Taisen EX. Eighting fixed the issues with the choppy frame rate with tweaks like playing with the shadows. The graphical differences are barely noticeable, but the frame rate improvement is. The proof is in the pudding. Check out a comparison video past the break.
Alternate link to a larger version.
Tenten is a real threat in four player fights. Just like in Gekitou Ninja Taisen 3 she can double jump and rain projectiles on the other players. Like most of the other characters, Tenten has two specials. Tenten’s first attack has motion controls where you swing the nunchuck/remote downwards as Tenten spikes her scrolls into the ground. Her other special doesn’t have motion control, but it’s much more dangerous in free-for-all fights. Tenten jumps in the air and sprays projectiles on a large area and it’s possible to hit three players at once. She also has a backflip jump that throws her in the air and behind an enemy, which makes her hard to hit too.
Like Tenten, Shino is more of a ranged fighter. He can drop a moving mine of bugs that sucks away chakra and throw a triangular blast of parasitic insects in mid-air. The visuals for his insect throwing have been improved and it feels like his attack his been slightly widened in Clash of Ninja: Revolution. His jutsu attacks are identical. When you press the down button on the D-pad Shino punches his foe and corners his opponent with bugs like in his Chuunin exam fight. There are additional gestures for this jutsu. You replicate the punch and shake the remote when the bugs close in. His second super summons a spike of bugs to appear in front of his opponent from far away.
For the most part the characters play with the same moves as they did in Naruto: Geiktou Ninja Taisen 3 on the Gamecube except for Naruto. Eighting gave him the active shadow clone found in Naruto Shippuden: Geiktou Ninja Taisen EX when you press back+A instead of his sexy jutsu counter.
The stages also have changes from Naruto: Geiktou Ninja Taisen 3 to reflect the dual battlefield system introduced in Naruto: Shippuden: Geiktou Ninja Taisen EX. Eighting had to come up with new ring out animations and I think fans are going to like them. In the Kyuubi arena you fight on an all new stage, filled with pipes and a greenish tint. When you do the ring out move you knock the other player into the red chakra room where the kyuubi is sealed. When you ring out another player in the Chunnin exam arena one of the characters runs on the side of the wall and launches the other to the roof where the Third Hokage fought Orochimaru.
After a few months of work Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution is shaping up nicely. Most importantly it's keeping the party-fighting game feel that was sort of lost due to the framerate in Naruto Shippuden: Geiktou Ninja Tasien EX. Now that you've seen a comparison video what do you think of Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution?
Published: Sep 14, 2007 05:56 pm