Crispy Gamer writes: "The DS has long been the handheld of choice for anyone that's ever wanted to raise and take care of a fake dog or grow their brain from its puny human status. While that may be enough for those who just want pets without the hassle of buying pet food or watching where they step, and those who don't mind having to buy their hats in increasingly larger sizes, a whole lot of gamers have felt no love from Nintendo's toy.
Fans of fighting games have had little to chew on in the DS era. The system didn't get its first decent fighter until last fall with the release of Bleach: The Blade of Fate. Now, the DS is boldly stepping into the 21st century with the release of Tomy's and Dream Factory's Naruto: Ninja Destiny -- the first 3-D fighter for the handheld. The game does a few things right, but -- more than anything else -- it just whets the appetite for what's to come."
What's Hot: The first 3-D fighter in the almost three-and-a-half year history of the DS.
What's Not: Controls will limit what you can do in battle and the lack of game depth will limit how long you'll battle
Ninja Destiny takes the first stab at providing a quality 3D fighter for the DS, but is mechanical machismo enough to deliver a solid fighting experience?
Game Revolution reports:
''Naruto: Ninja Destiny, the latest offering in the endless Naruto game series seems like nothing more than an attempt to exploit people's love for the anime. All you otaku out there that must have every product related to your most beloved cartoons are nothing but prey to big companies who peddle their wares to you at whatever price they see fit, and this is no exception.
I grew up in an era where the only anime one could procure was of a certain quality. Before Pokemon opened up the eyes of corporations to fact that there is a shit-ton of cash waiting to be made off licensed products, the only Japanese animation most Americans were aware of was Akira or Robotech. And it was great. Over a decade later shows like Pokemon, Dragon Ball and Naruto have flooded the market with every product you can imagine in an attempt gain control over an army of otakus.''
PALGN writes: "There have been a mixed bag of Naruto titles over the last few years. While they have ranged from good to downright poor, one particular series that has always stood out was Naruto: Clash of Ninja, which is considered by most fans to be the best of the Naruto fighters. Naruto: Ninja Destiny attempts to take the Clash of Ninja formula and put it into a handheld game, but the end result is basic fighter with minimal replay value.
Ninja Destiny's story takes place during the final stages of the Chunin Exams, and has players take part in all the battles that occur in the TV series right up until the point where Tsunade accepts the title of Fifth Hokage. The game tells the story painfully through slabs of text, which not only contain occasional grammar errors, but also do a rough job of describing the actions and motives of characters. For example, Naruto seeks revenge against Neji for the way he taunted and ultimately defeated Hinata during the preliminary exams, but the game more or less skips this point and has the pair bait each other before their fight. It just doesn't capture the strong points of the show, and will leave fans with a bitter taste in their mouth."
