Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes – Sony PSP [$39.99]

Most of the things that some people find utterly annoying about Naruto are things that his fans tend to like: he’s loud, he’s motivated, and he’s also loud. Did I mention loud? Even so, his latest PSP outing Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes manages to quiet him down a bit while offering a surprisingly entertaining fighting experience on Sony’s little machine. The team-based aspects of the game are solid, and if you have PSP-owning friends around, you could have fun with this thing for hours — even the download mode is solid fun. The addiction, however, will hit as you try to ascend through the ranks of ninja prowess, collecting scrolls and completing tests to try and attain the title of hokage. For a game that’s ostensibly based on a chidren’s television program, completing these tasks is incredibly difficult, and if you don’t throw your PSP clear across the room at least once before you do (hint: aim for the sofa), more power to you. Much like he of last year’s underrated Uzumaki Chronicles, the Naruto of Ultimate Ninja Heroes is one you can get behind, in a game you’re bound to enjoy.