Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising - PSP

Naruto, the blonde, orange jumpsuit-wearing ninja lad, is back on the PSP to give Sony fans another chance to kick some kung-fu hustling backside on the move.

Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising is not the sort of title fans of the little guy are most familiar with - rather than being a one-on-one beat-'em-up, it is first and foremost a group brawler.

The 'Shippuden' part of the title tells us that the game features a slightly older, wiser, tougher Naruto than the spritely young character who first graced the manga, animé and games. The game finds him and his buddies on the hunt for Gaara, the fifth Kazekage, who has been kidnapped by the criminal Akatsuki organisation.

The game promises streamlined controls, with powerful "jutsu" techniques released by simple button commands. These will be enhanced by Hypermode, which sees the Hyper Gauge filling as your character fights, unlocking new jutsus as it builds.

A bit of help is provided by the two support characters you can bring along, resulting in a three-man team and the chance to best make use of their different skills.

While Akatsuki Rising is first and foremost a group brawler, there's still opportunity for players to go head-to-head against their mates thanks to ad-hoc versus mode, as well as co-operative play. Further rounding the game out are Scenario Mode, which opens up the chance to improve your abilities by picking up skill scrolls through side missions and Akatsuki Mode, which puts players in charge of the sinister organisation it takes its name from.

That should be plenty of Ninja shenanigans to keep your thumbs busy! more