Namco Bandai sent over a huge press kit full of screenshots and other assets from the company’s annual Global Gamers Day. The event was headlined by new game announcements, including GRID Autosport, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2, Sword Art Online, Tales of Hearts R, and a free-to-play PC fighting game called Rise of Incarnates collaboratively designed by the teams behind Tekken, Soulcalibur, and Gundam Extreme VS. New screens are also in for games like Tales of Xillia 2, Lords of the Fallen, Enemy Front and plenty of anime-related goodness. Enjoy!

Rise of Incarnates (PC Free-to-Play)
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GRID Autosport (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
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TALES OF XILLIA 2 (PlayStation 3)
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Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (PlayStation Vita)
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TALES OF HEARTS R (PlayStation Vita)
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One Piece Unlimited World Red (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, 3DS, Wii U on eShop)
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Lords of the Fallen (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC)
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Enemy Front (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
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PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, 3DS)
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SOULCALIBUR: Lost Swords (PlayStation 3 free-to-play)
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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (PlayStation 3)
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DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM REBORN (PlayStation 3)
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NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM REVOLUTION (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
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ACE COMBAT INFINITY (PlayStation 3 Free-to-Play)
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Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 will hog all of the attention as the major HD console release, but there’s another new Naruto game out this month that may just sneak up and surprise you with some silly on-the-go brawling, even if you don’t have a deep attachment to the anime.

Based on the spin-off series Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals, Naruto Powerful Shippuden for the 3DS chronicles the exploits of the hyper-cheery teen ninja and his bushy-browed shinobi friend with more of a zany, lighthearted sense of humor than what you may be used to from the regular Naruto. Most notably, the series’ huge roster of characters has been given a chibi-style makeover, with oversized heads and bulging eyes that make the popular anime stars look more like vinyl figurine collectibles. Maybe it’s because I’m not a Naruto purist, but I prefer this caricature-esque approach to the series’ traditional art.

In storylines pulled directly from the anime, Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee join forces as co-stars in a dual campaign that gives each character his own sequence of missions to complete. Missions are presented in the form of a node-based map tree that sprouts new branches to follow as preceding missions are finished. Each character has a unique map, but at certain points in the mission progression certain levels require keys to unlock. At these times, you’ll need to switch to the other character’s map and complete specially marked stages to earn the necessary keys that will allow advancement through the other hero’s story. So basically you’re playing one large campaign even though it’s split between two characters. Large may be a generous description as well considering the main portion of the campaign is over in four to five hours.

Powerful Shippuden is a basic and approachable 2D brawler. In their respective storylines, Naruto and Rock Lee do some light side-scrolling platform hopping but mainly specialize in pounding on generic ninja dudes and critters like birds and giant toads within forested and mountainous locales that barely stretch beyond the size of the top screen. Both characters control the same, sharing the ability to string together normal attack combos, use Chakra to deploy special attacks (either by tapping icons on the touch screen or simultaneously pressing R and either the X or Y button), dash and evade enemy attacks, and call in temporary support from anime pals like Might Guy, Kakashi, Sakura, and Gaara.

The combat system is easy to pick up and pretty shallow overall, but the fluid, expressive animations and snappy controls help to counter what is largely a button-mashing beat ‘em-up. Each character lets his personality shine through in the way he fights. Naruto’s style is more serious and ninjutsu-focused. He can throw kunai for ranged attacks, use his cloning technique to call forth copies of himself as temporary fighting companions, and use skills that unleash the powers of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within. Rock Lee on the other hand employs the comical fighting style of a prankster, ripping off his bushy eyebrows to throw instead of regular shuriken and using sexy jutsu joke attacks to psychologically scar his enemies into submission. Who wouldn’t be traumatized watching Rock Lee flex his muscles while sporting a woman’s red bikini?

What ultimately holds the game back, though, is its general lack of depth and difficulty. Occasional one-off missions breathe some fresh air into the mix with tasks that involve such objectives as timing attacks to launch three different-sized statues into the air at the same time, hitting leaves that float down the screen before they reach the bottom, defending a barrier line from encroaching enemies until the timer hits zero, and punching birds and grabbing their feathers out of the air before they fall to the ground and get all dirty. However the bulk of the game consists of beating up waves of enemies and taking on other iconic Naruto characters in one-on-one boss-style showdowns. The game shows how it could have potentially been fleshed out to be more of a full-fledged 2D action-platformer during missions that involve sprinting through sprawling levels to collect scrolls or reach a goal point within a set period of time, but sadly the developers seemed all to content to shackle players with simple goals like “kill X number of enemies” or “survive waves of enemies until the clock runs out” for much of the campaign.

Given the simplistic, casual approach, you can also expect to coast along without a whole lot of resistance. Enemies, even bosses, are easy to overwhelm by relentlessly attacking with block-breaker combos that eventually force them into a state of exhaustion as attempts to dodge quickly suck away all of their chakra supply. Difficulty modifiers can be applied before playing each mission, but instead of making the game more challenging they merely increase the experience point multiplier if a set stipulation is achieved during the process of completing the main objective. Completing a level within 30 seconds or without getting hit a single time is definitely tough to pull off, but even if you fail to accomplish such goals the main mission is still a success. You just don’t get the extra experience. Because of this, stockpiling experience points to unlock new skills becomes nigh pointless. Except for when a mission requires having a certain skill equipped, there’s no need to waste time grinding for points so you can learn new attacks or upgrade support characters. Just dump everything into Naruto and Rock Lee’s main level progression to increase their health capacity, and you can whiz through the game no problem.

Once the campaign stories are over, bonus missions which remove the support character mechanic appear on the map and an Endless Battle survival mode pops up in the main menu, but neither of these unlockable extras add meaningful value to extend or expand the experience beyond what’s seen prior to the credits scroll. Naruto Powerful Shippuden is a fun game bursting with colorful personalities and goofy humor, but in the end everything sort of blurs together into a shallow brawler that plateaus early and never puts up enough of a challenge to garner long-term commitment.

Pros:
+ Bizarre, goofball humor abounds
+ Cute chibi art design adds a ton of charm and personality
+ Expressive, smoothly animated combat captures the anime spirit

Cons:
– Limited depth and difficulty
– Not enough different mission types
– Bland level backgrounds with lacking 3D depth

Game Info:
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Inti Creates
Release Date: 3/5/2013
Genre: Action/Fighting
ESRB Rating: E10+
Players: 1
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

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Recently I received copies of Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive (PSP) and Knights Contract (PS3, Xbox 360) from Namco Bandai, and I’ve been playing them with the intention of providing full reviews. But unfortunately, I’ve found myself becoming so frustrated with both titles, that I just can’t motivate myself to finish either one.

Neither game is very good from what I’ve played, and the fact that a very forgiving gamer such as myself can’t tough them out should speak volumes about their quality. Hell, I’ve endured many turds in my time and have very rarely thrown in the towel early (do I get a cookie for finishing Damnation?). But I don’t fully review games I don’t complete, so in fairness I won’t do so here. Instead I would like to talk about the reason behind why I haven’t been able to finish them, because the obstacle impeding my progress is the same in both games.

Put bluntly, the artificial intelligence (AI) in both games is complete garbage. Garbage enough to, in my opinion, render both games unplayably aggravating.

AI is important in all games, but typically is only a make-or-break component in strategy games where things like poor path-finding and unit behavior can ruin the experience, and in competitive games like sports and fighting games where it’s important that CPU teammates and opponents act believably and intelligently without becoming too cheap or too easy to take advantage of.

As more and more games introduce non-multiplayer cooperative elements, though, I’m noticing that genres that usually don’t require the most elaborate AI design — like brawlers and action/adventure — are failing miserably due to poor AI coding. Knights Contract and Kizuna Drive are two such games.

Knights Contract is by far the worst offender, a hack-and-slash action/adventure title from Game Republic, the talented but inconsistent developer behind games like Genji, Folklore, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, and Clash of the Titans.

Close your eyes and imagine the most painful, the most frustrating escort mission you’ve ever had the displeasure of playing through. Now imagine that one mission stretched out over the entirety of a full-length game littered with constant load times to bog you down even further. That’s what playing Knights Contract is like.

The idea behind the game actually sounds intriguing on paper, and I was excited to start playing it when my copy came in. But all hope was dashed as soon as I popped the disc into my Xbox 360.

In the game, you play as an immortal knight named Heinrich who becomes tasked with protecting a witch named Gretchen. The concept seems as if it’s trying to piggyback off of the success of the similar mechanic from last year’s spectacular Enslaved (also from Namco Bandai), but, except for a nifty tag-team magic system, it fails miserably in comparison.

Being immortal, Heinrich can become incapacitated after absorbing too much damage (at which point you mash buttons to revive him as quickly as possible), but he can’t technically die. So instead, Gretchen serves as your health bar — if she dies, it’s game over time. The problem then becomes having to baby sit your brainless bitc…ermmm, I mean witch of a companion at all times, because if you don’t carry her every step of the way, she’ll fall behind, run into danger, fall off of ledges, and well…do pretty much everything she can to make life difficult for you. When you get separated, demons spawn in to attack her, so her inability to keep up is a constant annoyance.

She becomes particularly encumbering during the game’s many challenging boss battles — in fact, a cheap-as-hell boss somewhere around 12-15 chapters in is where I called it quits. I just couldn’t take dying because of her stupid ass and constantly having to retry the fight.

Kizuna Drive‘s AI problem isn’t nearly as severe, but it’s still a major drawback. The game plays like a standard arcade beat-’em-up starring all your favorite Naruto characters, but the twist is a 4-character party system that forces you to play alongside three CPU-controlled allies through every mission. You can call upon each character for periodic assist attacks, and when an enemy is stunned you can pound them to pieces with a powerful quick time event team attack. But in general, your anime teammates do very little to help you out.

Like Knights Contract, the AI is at its worst during bosses, where your companions just seem to run around like chickens with their heads cut off and charge blindly into taking damage, save for when you manually summon them for an assist. Because of this, many bosses drag on and on and on for way too long, since you alone are often the only character actually dishing out damage while your friends putz around twiddling their thumbs.

Multiplayer could have helped in this instance, but unfortunately the game’s ad hoc co-op only works in free mission play, not the main story mode. Infrastructure play is not supported in free play mode either.

The sad thing is, had the AI not been so inept I can see myself enjoying both games enough to at least play them through to completion (both probably would have wound up as skippers regardless). Knights Contract‘s combat system is decent fun when Gretchen decides to cooperate and you can dig your heels in and hack away, and although extremely shallow in gameplay, Kizuna Drive packs plenty of interesting story content and fan service to possibly make it worthwhile for Naruto faithful.

If you don’t mind babysitting and have the patience of a saint, you may be able to appreciate these games where I could not. Otherwise, I suggest finding something – anything! – else to occupy your time. Watching paint dry sure doesn’t sound like a bad alternative to me right about now!

Namco Bandai’s two post-Enslaved game releases now have ship dates set it stone, as both Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 and Time Crisis: Razing Storm have officially gone gold and are scheduled to launch side by side on October 19th. Time Crisis will retail for $50, Naruto for $60.

Time Crisis: Razing Storm is the latest installment in the popular arcade shooter franchise, and once again it is exclusive to PS3. It’ll feature four main play modes plus two bonus games, including Deadstorm Pirates and the arcade version of Time Crisis 4 (the previous PS3 title). Razing Storm has been developed to take advantage of the new PlayStation Move motion controller, but those who still have a Guncon 3 from Time Crisis 4 (I do, I do!) are all set thanks to the game’s support for the light gun peripheral.

Featuring four extensive gameplay modes, Time Crisis: Razing Storm combines the series’ traditional shooting action with fully destructible environments. Arcade Mode provides the perfect coin-op adaptation to experience the adrenaline rush of annihilating an onslaught of enemies. In the game’s free-roaming Story Mode, players can take cover and shoot at-will in a variety of new stages. New to the series, a multiplayer Online Battle Mode will allow up to eight friends from around the world to participate in cooperative and competitive fun. Sentry Mode offers up to four players the offline opportunity to stop prisoners from escaping during a penitentiary riot that unfolds in the beginning of the main story.

As a bonus, Time Crisis: Razing Storm will include two additional games: Deadstorm PiratesTM and Time CrisisTM4 Arcade Ver.

Set sail and step into the shoes of a young swashbuckler in Deadstorm Pirates. Recently released in the arcades, players partake in single or two player co-op arcade adventures while shooting down hordes of enemies and monsters. Players will man the helm, fire guns and cannons, as they travel across the open seas in search for Poseidon’s Treasure.

Revisit the dynamic partnership of Giorgio Bruno and Evan Bernard as they prevent a biological weapon from falling into the wrong hands in the arcade version of Time Crisis 4. Based on the 2007 hit, Time Crisis 4 features fast-paced action that allows players to take cover from a barrage of bullets, lead out, and then engage their enemies in either single or split-screen multiplayer modes. An online ranking system will be available in both Deadstorm Pirates and Time Crisis 4, so players can see how their performance stacks up against the world. Both games will also be compatible with the PlayStation®Move motion controller and Guncon®3.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is the PS3 and Xbox 360 sequel to the PS3-exclusive Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, and it is set to upgrade many of the first game’s shortcomings.

Developed by CyberConnect2, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja: STORM 2 brings the anime series to life with rich content and engaging gameplay. While there are two sides to every story, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja: STORM 2 has three. Encompassing the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN story arc, players will live the adventure through the eyes of Naruto, Sasuke and Jiraiya. In addition to these fan-favorite ninja, the game will include more than 40 playable warriors for more intense epic battles. As an added bonus, Lars Alexandersson, of TEKKEN® 6 fame, will appear as an unlockable guest character. Bringing his explosive signature moves to the game’s versus mode, Lars will also appear in his TEKKEN 6 costume designed by NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto.

Faithfully recreating the anime universe, players will not only be able to travel through the stomping grounds of Hidden Leaf Village, but also Tenchi Bridge, Orochimaru’s Hideout, and now Mount Myoboku. Additionally for the first time in the Ultimate Ninja series, online versus play will be available to let budding ninja flex their jutsu muscle and take on the world. Featuring an evolved Support Character system, players must strategically recruit the correct allies to help unleash bigger and more explosive Team Ultimate Jutsu upon enemies who stand in the way.

To finish, here are three new gameplay videos from Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.

Naruto Shippuden is the continuation of the Naruto manga wherein the youth with the nine-tail fox sealed within him returns from his two and a half year training away from his friends after Sasuke departs. All of the other original characters are present in the new manga, and everyone is older and more skilled. This opens up a realm of possibilities for more intense combat and more variety of battles between different characters.

So I was immediately disappointed with how much this game was like the earlier Ninja Council games in pretty much every way. Technically I’m not surprised: the graphics and sounds work very nicely for the DS. You run around in real time in an isometric viewed world representing Konoha and other towns from the manga, taking on quests, eating raman, and battling enemies. There is occasional voice acting, but since the first time I played a Naruto game I’ve generally played in silence because the voices replicate those from the anime: annoyingly over the top.

The next disappointment was the story itself – earlier games had issues with trying to cram too much of the manga into a relatively short video game, but they actually felt like they contained passion for the subject material, as if actual choices were made as to what they should include and remove. Here it feels like they just wrapped up a quick story from the beginning of the new Shippuden manga and wrapped it around the same game as before.

The other Ninja Council games were pretty easy for a more seasoned gamer, but were fairly challenging for younger kids. My kids found them pretty easy but fun enough to keep them engaged. When this arrived I gave my younger son the option to play and review, but he kept losing interest in playing and eventually just returned the game to me for good. It wasn’t that it was too hard – quite the opposite: the game was too easy, with nothing about the story or combat to captivate him.

Worse yet, there is very little else to do other than the short single player game – the only other option is a multi-cart versus mode. Given that my kids had no interest in the single player game, I certainly wasn’t going to buy a second copy to see how the competitive game was – it is unfortunate that there was no single cart download play to get the kids enticed and potentially get them more interested in the main game.

As it is, Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 feels like a sad money grab from little kids who love Naruto and always want whatever is newest from the series. They will undoubtedly sell plenty of copies of this just because of the Naruto name and Shippuden subtitle, which is unfortunate since this is not just a lousy game, it is the worst Naruto game I’ve ever played.

Believe it!

Pros:
+ First game in the new setting
+ Retells some of the manga
+ Uses same basic systems as before

Cons:
– Very little content
– Unoriginal and boring

Game Info:
Platform: DS
Publisher: TOMY Corporation
Developer: Takara Tomy
Release Date: 6/2/09
Genre: Action
ESRB Rating: E10+
Players: 1-4