After making a splash on GameCube, ninja-in-training Naruto Uzumaki is headed for a battle royale on the PlayStation 2. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja once again adapts the anime series into a one-on-one fighter, with Naruto and his Ninja Academy classmates battling for supremacy.

Unlike the GameCube's Naruto: Clash of Ninja, however, Ultimate Ninja isn't a straight-up 3D fighter. It's a little closer to 2D, but the characters can jump between the different "layers" of each arena to attack from a safe distance. Ultimate Ninja will feature 12 of these interactive stages, as well as more than 12 playable fighters and an overall darker tone than previous Narutogames.

Ultimate Ninja isn't due in the US until June, but would-be student ninjas can get a little taste by clicking the the thumbnails to the right for our latest batch of screenshots.

April 27, 2006