Due out on October 23, Naruto: Path of the Ninja is a turn-based RPG set in the world of the first 200 or so episodes of the Naruto anime series.
Players will take control of recognizable figures from the anime, namely Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Lee, Neiji, and Shikamaru. Each has several different signature skills (the famous "jutsu" from the anime, naturally), and by using the DS's touchscreen in battle, it is said that players will be able to combine individual techniques to form new, cooperative jutsu.
Battles are turn-based, with the player characters on one side of the 2D battlefield and enemies on the other. Formation is very important to the battle, as positioning one's party members differently has effects on their performance in the fight.
As expected, plenty of other familiar non-playable charcters from the show will appear, and players will be exploring some familiar ground. Trips to other villages might be out of the question though, as the game is said to take place mostly (perhaps entirely) in and around the Village of the Hidden Leaves (or "Konoha" to those who've watched the show in Japanese).
North Americans have not previously been given a Naruto RPG outing, so it's hard to say at this time how this new one compares to the game or two that Japan got. D3 Publisher claims that Path of the Ninja takes the best from previous Naruto games, and from the looks of the trailer and screens, hard core Naruto series fans might have something to look forward to. RPG Land will try to deliver a full review close to the game's October 23 release time.
