The Ninja RPG: Based On the Famous Anime Naruto

There are many online games floating around the internet, some are good, a few are great, but many are terrible. There are a lot of things to consider when looking at an online MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) and although graphics is a major part of the gaming experience, there is quite a bit more to it, and thus is the case with "The Ninja RPG' an online game based on the hit anime series Naruto.

The Ninja RPG is a text based RPG and lacks any kind of graphics, but the community is strong, the battles are engaging, the similarity to Naruto is defiantly a plus and there are many options a player can choose from ever time he or she logs in. The Ninja RPG may be lacking in some areas, but more then makes up for this in other places.

You begin the game as a ninja academy student in one of seven different villages. Here you will be instructed in the ways of the ninja, and serve under the orders of you Kage, the village leader. You have a set amount of health, stamina and chakra that are used during battle and a regen rate that allows these attributes to replenish by X every minuet, where X equals you regen rate. All ninja start with 5 regen and can gain more as time goes on in various ways.

As you fight in battles at the battle arena and also spend time and energy training with your sensei (after becoming a Genin) you will gain experience, and as you gain experience you will level up, moving through the ranks until you become a Special Jonin. After achieving this level you can challenge your village Kage for leadership, and if you win you'll be calling the shots as the village leader.

The gameplay is turn based battle, I hit you, you hit me style, and again is text based so you just select an action, and it is recorded in a battle log, processed and then applied. This can get boring, but for the most part you'll spend a lot of time talking to other ninja in the village tavern, posting stories of your latest adventure in your village forum, or raiding other villages in order to gain points for your own village.

One really interesting feature in the Ninja RPG is the fact that once you reach a certain level you can be assigned a real sensei instead of a computer controlled AI. This is great if you want to get some information about how to play the game, or familiarize yourself with any aspects of the game. Its also nice to be a sensei because then you get to brag about how powerful your Genin squad is compared to other sensei in your village.

The jutsu you can learn directly parallel those in the Naruto anime ... sort of. Like the famed attack "Lightning Blades" is known in the Ninja RPG as "Lightning Edge" and of course there are Clone Jutsu's and Replacement Techniques to learn as well. Also once you reach Genin status you can "roll" for a bloodline trait. These traits are only present in about 6% of the ninja population and have various effects, from allowing you to gain extra regen points to allowing you to learn specific techniques that only one particular bloodline knows, like the "Blood Enchanted eyes" which may be compared to the Sharingan Eye of the Uchiha clan.

Once you have joined a village you can travel around the ninja world via a map system and explore the wilderness, or check out neighboring villages, but be warned, once you reach Chunin status you may be the target of random attacks by warring nations. Your Kage will decide what villages will be your allies, and who will be you enemies that you go to war with, and if you enter a hostile village you may end up in the infirmary. Also beware of vicious outlaws and rouge ninja who have abandoned their village and joined forces with the syndicate ho want nothing more then to thrust the ninja world into chaos.... Oh wait you like the idea of being the bad guy, then become an outlaw yourself and join the syndicate and their ruthless missions!

You have the opportunity to take on a variety of jobs while you stay with your village, and one that contrasts the occupation of being an outlaw is being a bounty hunter. This occupation is available to higher ranked ninja, and their job is to hunt down criminals found in their villages "Bingo Book" and take them down. You can also join an Anbu Black Ops squad once you reach a high enough level and assist your village in many ways, all the while earning respect for your clan. There are just so many options and immersive story it's hard not to get hooked on the Ninja RPG.

Although it's a text based game and at first glance appears to be a dull innovation the Ninja RPG is really a very fun and immersive world where anything is possible. The similarities to Naruto add a lot to this game, and the strong community make it a well rounded experience. If you like Naruto, then you'll probably want to give the Ninja RPG a try, http://theninja-rpg.com/ also check out the forums for more information regarding the overall game, and search the FAQ for information about bloodlines and such.