Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Retsuden 3 Critic Reviews

A solid, but safe fighter, Naruto Shippuden Shinobi Rumble is great for anyone looking to pick up an easy and enjoyable fighting game.

It's fast, it's colorful, it's funny, and it goes down smoothly-in other words, it has many of the same things going for it as the Naruto comics themselves.

Overall, NSSR is enjoyable enough for non-Naruto fans and those craving a fighting game on the DS, of which there are few. For Naruto fans, though, the value of this title increases significantly, weaving in and out of the cherished Naruto Shippuden story.

The unlockables, missions, and wide variety of characters save the game from being terrible, luckily.

This is not to say Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is a bad game. It's just a shame it doesn't live up to its potential.

Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is an example that changing a working formula can sometimes be a bad thing.

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.

Ultimately Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is a shallow game.

This basic brawler fails to capture the unique character or high-speed action of its televised counterpart.

What a shinobi bumble.