I am not a Naruto fan on any level. Believe it! Every time I tried to watch the anime shows, it just came off as downright silly to me. Whenever I watched videos of the games in action or a review or even read a review of one of the games, the game came off as “stupid” to me. I don’t know what it is, but I could never connect with the action of the series or the characters. The game series has always had the feel of “shovel-ware” to me. However, I have played Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble for a while now, and I’m pleasantly surprised with it.

Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble follows both the titular character and Sasuke, a fellow ninja who has gone rogue. Both characters are looking for a former teacher who has gone into hiding for some odd reason. The story unfolds in a told fashion with character faces reacting to the plot and still shots that look like they could have been ripped straight from the series (it’s a good thing, I think).

Storytelling and grammatical title issues aside, the plot is interesting. Each of the characters has their own reasons for seeking for the mysterious leader — some good and others not so noble. There are events occurring outside the main characters’ awareness that influence the main story. Everything seems to come together and make sense as a whole. And it raises a very important question to me: Is this what the anime series is like? What drove me away from the anime series is the dialogue. Here, it is well-written and mature. There isn’t a single “believe it!” in sight. The characters’ personalities have been preserved as well. Some of them you will not know very well considering the nature of the story mode, and that’s OK. I feel like this is a decent place to be introduced to the series.

Gameplay flows as a casual group beat-’em-up. The point of the game is to be the last character standing and beat down the competition. There are usually two characters on screen at once, though things can become rather chaotic with four characters duking it out at once. Items will randomly appear on screen and do the typical “stat” boosting, healing, damage or confusion effects. There aren’t many items, and they are not dropping out of the sky like a bunch of giant meatballs. They might give you the edge you need, but do not count on them appearing in a pinch. You have to know what you’re doing.

There is a bit more meat to the game than the story mode. There are character missions that unlock new moves and stronger passive characteristics. The missions are rather easy as they tend to focus around “defeat opponents without using techniques,” “defeat the true opponent” and “survive the round!” It’ll take about 25 minutes or so to complete them all for a character. Then there is the personal mission, which plays out like any other main mode of a fighting. The problem with this mode is simple: If you haven’t unlocked a character, it won’t be used. So essentially, you’ll be fighting the same combination of opponents again and again. It’s annoying at first and gets better as characters become available. And you can play against friends locally provided you all have a copy of the game.

Controls are rather strong as a whole. The Y button is a typical punch, X is a strong hit, B jumps, A guards, R will teleport you away (or toward your opponents) and the touchscreen implements the special techniques. Just using a technique in its normal form doesn’t use any chakra (spiritual energy), though the “ultra attacks” require its use. This leads to a bit unbalanced and odd control use. Characters are invulnerable for a few nanoseconds when they first stand up and can be knocked right back down. It’s cool when you’re the one causing the damage, and it is annoying when the enemy is doing it to you. However, the main problem comes with the touchscreen: It is awkward to use. It makes no sense to me because I have to physically let go of the DS and push the proper section of the screen with the stylus.

Graphically, Naruto Shippunden: Shinobi Rumble is bright and colorful. Cracks can be seen in human-size test tubes, rocks are jagged and dark, a foreboding temple with a massive snake head in the middle of the room, another temple is warm with yellow and orange hues and forest grounds with dense leaves and thick branches make a decent place to train. Characters look unique and move in their own ways. My favorite motion is when the one character touches a scroll and animals suddenly appear in front of him. Ultimately, it moves smoothly. The main problem with the system is the fact there aren’t many backgrounds. You’ll see the same six or so odd places over and over again. It is hard not to wish for more locales to visit.

Sound design wise, everything is decent. Nothing more, nothing less. You’ll hear the same punches, kicks and smacks. The music is Japanese-inspired, which makes sense considering the game follows ninjas. It is a bit generic, though it gets the job done. Fans of the series will probably be disappointed there isn’t any voice acting for the characters. There are no grunts, groans and not even a chirp if you choose a character. Here is a perfect opportunity to draw new fans into the series, and it wasn’t taken advantage of.

In conclusion, Naruto Shippunden: Shinobi Rumble is a solid fighting DS. The combat is fun, especially after a hard day’s work, the graphics are easy on the eyes, the music is decent and there is a fair amount of stuff to do even after the intriguing story mode comes to a close. This is a game that aims to be the next great casual fighting game to be played with friends. Although it is probably a bit more fun with others, it still doesn’t compete with mainstream fighting games on a traditional gaming system. Regardless, this is a game that casual game fans will probably enjoy while Naruto fans helplessly devour it. Still, I enjoyed myself. Believe it!