About Naruto Tycoon:
I adore this game, I think it’s fun and charming and varied. By no means do I think this is a masterpiece, but not every game has to be. The Naruto cast has a huge range of characters and this game effectively skims down to a varied roster where you can feel differences in each character you play. If this game had an online fighting system then I would probably complain about balancing – some characters or moves are objectively better than others. But as stated there isn’t an online mode so it’s not a fatal flaw for the game. Speaking of moves, there’s plenty here to experiment with – you’ve got your basic combos but you also have your Jutsu and Ultimate Jutsu which come with beautiful cutscenes that capture the feel of the show’s animation really well. There’s nothing more satisfying than landing an Ultimate Jutsu on your friend first try and then watching their horror as their character of choice is absolutely decimated in the cutscene. Which is all well and good when you’re playing in local multiplayer but, even I have to admit that watching the cutscenes can get really repetitive in normal gameplay. And that’s not the only feature that’s fun at first before becoming repetitive, your hub area of the Hidden Leaf Village has a fair amount of empty-ish space that you will do nothing but run through. There’s stuff to do in the hub for sure and with the Naruto Cannon movement can be intensely fun but going to and from places can really begin to drag the pace of the game and your potential enjoyment down. So with all the flaws present, why do I love this game so much? Although it may sound like I have a case of Stockholm Syndrome, in actuality it’s just because of how fun it is to pick up a controller and pull out some fancy Jutsu. It sounds ridiculous but the game is tailor made to make you feel awesome, the punchy sound effects and win screen with grinning characters really do create a feeling of epicness when you take down your foe. In essence the game works perfectly as fan-service in regards, play as already established characters and take down the big bad, or just any friend you can rope into playing with you, and have fun doing it.
