Review by: Brian Rowe

Naruto is quite possibly the greatest martial-arts series to hit the otaku scene since Dragon Ball. Some people will argue that it surpasses Toriyama's epic. Blasphemous or not, the orange-clad ninja's popularity around the world ensures that fans are never left wanting for video game adaptations, but it also makes it harder for each iteration to justify its existence.

Unlike most handheld Naruto games, Shinobi Rumble forgoes platforming in favor of all-out brawls. Combat in the arena is fast, responsive, and surprisingly tactical, though not quite as robust as the Ultimate Ninja or Clash of Ninja series. Aerial attacks, for example, are especially cumbersome. On the flipside, teleportation jutsu and counterattacks are more user-friendly than ever, so button-mashers beware. As in Naruto vs. Sasuke, jutsu (i.e. special moves) are activated with ease via the touchscreen. Best of all, you can customize three slots with jutsu and skills such as heightened attack power or regenerating stamina.

Wireless multiplayer (no download-play) is available, although Shinobi Rumble has the good grace to include AI opponents. Up to four players, human or not, can duke it out in a free-for-all or in any combination of teams. Strangely, there isn't a single shuriken or kunai in sight. Instead, items randomly drop from the sky to provide beneficial or positive effects when touched. Items can be turned off in versus matches, but not in other modes. I don't know about you, but I would rather not lose a match due to a jar of poison suddenly falling on my head.

Story mode picks up immediately after Sasuke fends off Orochimaru and sets out to find Itachi, and culminates with the appearance of Pain. While I am glad that we can finally move on from the opening arcs of Shippuden, the cliff-note style of storytelling is uninteresting at best, and, I imagine, completely bewildering for newcomers. In the end, Story mode is little more than a disappointing time-sink. Not only is the finale stained by an unremarkable battle and an abrupt ending, but out of ten unlockable characters, you are only rewarded with one – Itachi. Sure, he's powerful, but one character is unnecessarily stingy.

You get six characters to start and Itachi from Story mode, leaving the other nine to unlock through Personal Battles; a series of ten fights that pit you against random adversaries. Mind you, that is ten battles per unlockable character. After trudging through Story mode, it's not a tantalizing prospect by any means, especially since the computer isn't hesitant about using three-person teams. I also found out the hard way that any progress made through a ten-round gauntlet is not saved until the end, so it's one straight shot or nothing at all.

As if completing Story mode and all of the Personal Battles isn't enough, the only way to unlock additional jutsu and skills is through Special Missions. These often have special rules, such as avoiding damage or protecting a teammate, and missions yield up to three tokens for a bingo sheet. The variety is refreshing, but equally aggravating. Even while sticking to harder missions, filling up a bingo sheet usually takes six or more rounds. As you probably expect by now, this process must be repeated for every character.

Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is an enjoyable brawler backed by a capable and customizable combat system, but it is also the victim of contradictory game design. Four-person battles are the obvious attractions, but unlocking new characters and abilities through the single-player modes is so labor-intensive that you will likely be sick of it all by the time your friends stop by.