Another slice of Naruto action is coming your way

21 July - Just like a true ninja, you will have train hard to perfect your skills in order to succeed in Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 3, coming to Nintendo DS across Europe on 18 September.

An all-action platformer, this is the first ever Nintendo Naruto game in Europe to use the Naruto Shippuden licence.  The game follows the first 30 episodes of the famous anime series, with Team Kakashi, a group of ninja including Naruto himself, setting out to protect a nearby village, from where the leading ninja has been kidnapped by members of the villainous Akatsuki organisation.  Original Japanese sound clips have been retained in some parts of the game, adding to the authenticity of the celebrated anime series.

The game features the more mature Shippuden characters, slightly redesigned from the regular Naruto series of games.  As always, the attacks and special attacks available to each character vary considerably. Choosing which character you will play with for each mission, and which others will make up your supporting team, becomes a strategic decision based on the challenges you expect to face.  Certain characters may also be able to help you reach hidden areas...

Other abilities such as walking across water, scaling walls and evasive teleportation are also available, but require special power, called chakra, which is gradually replenished over time.  Each stage ends with a boss battle and you'll need to hone all your powers if you expect to beat these guys.  After a mission, your performance will be ranked according to the amount of chakra and health left as well as the amount of money collected, before you are awarded a ninja rank.

As well as the challenging single player mode, Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 3 offers compelling multiplayer gameplay.  In Wireless Mode, up to four players can engage locally in competitive battles. One player acts as ‘squad leader’, and hosts the game, selecting the stage and time limit for the fight.  Other players join as ‘team members’. 

Or you can set up a game over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, either entering a Free Battle with random match-making or a Friend Battle against friends that have been registered in your Friend Code roster. 

Whichever way you choose to do battle, there's enough Ninja action available in Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 3 to keep you challenged and entertained for a long time.  Get it on 18 September, when it launches across Europe on Nintendo DS.

Please Note: Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 3 European Version will not be released in the UK.