Gameplay is where
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja does a lot of its shining. In order to stand out just a little above the rest,
Naruto takes elements found in other fighters and brings them together. For instance, like most melee games (i.e.
Super Smash Bros, various power up items will appear during a fight. These items will do everything from increase your speed or defensive capabilities or be used for one-time offensive attacks.
Not only do these items appear on the field for either of the players to pick up, but each character has a friend, or support character, that will appear (for a limited time) and hold an item that only he or she can grab.
Naruto also follows the anime style with its ultra-flashy, super-cool special moves, called Secret Techniques here. As you fight, you can increase the strength of your aura or chakra. When you are allowed to unleash your special moves, each character will have a series of random buttons to try and press. If the attacker succeeds, then his technique will be stronger, while the defending character's success means that the amount of damage taken will be lessened. This is an interesting element that varies slightly from what games like the later Dragon Ball Z: Budokai games have done.
Gameplay modes are fairly standard. Scenario is the story mode where you will choose one of the dozen unlocked characters and play through his or her story. Mission Mode gives you some challenge to complete during a fight. In this mode, merely beating your opponent is not enough. These conditions are things like winning the fight with a certain amount of health or using items in a certain way and so on. Practice and Free Battle modes do just what they sound like.
