Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 builds on Namco Bandai’s franchise, offering gamers more content and anime inspired shenanigans. Based on the hit anime series that currently airs Saturday nights on Cartoon Network, the game lets players select from a cast of over thirty fighters to brawl it out in the name of ninja school supremacy. These characters include students (the wily Naruto and the skillful Rock Lee), oddballs (the sand-powered Gaara) and several others. Other fighters unlocked over the course of the game, along with other anime-related goodies such as movie clips, collectible cards and more.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 brings back everything that made the original game such a hit. Players run through sixteen different multi-tiered levels, fighting off opponents with both close-range attacks (punches, kicks) and long-distance weaponry (throwing stars and others). It operates in a similar fashion to Capcom’s Power Stone games, but in a 2-D environment rather than 3-D.

For the sequel, CyberConnect2 has thrown in a new feature — being able to call for back-up support. An assisting character can be summoned to drop off a helpful weapon or to lend a hand during a concentrated super-attack — similar to the teamwork-powered super combos in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Being able to charge up super attacks with additional chakra makes them almost limitless in power and a major threat to opponents — even those with proper shielding.

A new mode, Ultimate Road, features an original storyline. Along the way, players pick up coins to buy additional items and unlockable goodies at a local shop. Assessed power-up points also become earnable through this campaign, granting players the ability to customize their character through several areas, such as strength, defense, agility and a magical energy called chakra.

In addition, the game also contains a solid presentation on par with the hit show. Animations should remain very true to each fighter’s characteristics, such as Rock Lee’s determination and Naruto’s inability to restrain. The environments show quite a bit of appeal as well, ranging from the rooftop of the school during a gorgeous sunset to a deceivingly peaceful mountain setting. The show’s cast provides voice-overs while a fitting soundtrack backs them up.

Along with the Ultimate Road campaign, players can try their fighting dexterity against others in versus mode or on their own in a practice dojo. Fans should also be happy stumbling upon memorable scenarios from the show, including the Tsudane Story and Chunin Exam, among others. Finally, Ultimate Ninja 2 offers six brand new mini-games ready to add extra variety to the fighting action.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 foregoes the odd play-style of Uzumaki Chronicles in favor of a more traditional fighting effort. Look for GameDaily to take it to school upon its arrival.

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Forget about The Breakfast Club, Miami Vice and Pound Puppies. Music dominated the 1980s, and on July 17, Activision pays homage to the decade of excess in the PlayStation 2 exclusive video game, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. The latest addition to the series delivers 30 totally awesome songs to master, tiding metal heads over until Guitar Hero III swallows their souls this fall.

Available for $49.95 without the guitar peripheral, the game includes such hits as Heat of the Moment (Asia), I Ran (Flock of Seagulls), I Wanna Rock (Twisted Sister), I Want Candy (Bow Wow Wow), Synchronicity II (Police), Shakin’ (Eddie Money) and Bathroom Wall (Faster Pussycat), among others, each of which can be played on Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert difficulties.

Rocks the 80s plays like its prequels, as gamers (holding a plastic guitar) press green, red, yellow, blue and orange fret buttons in conjunction with colors on the screen, hitting them (sometimes several at a time) as notes pass along the bottom of the playfield. Easy makes everyone look like rock stars, with players tapping the green, yellow and red frets as notes slowly move along, but on Expert, weary souls succumb to musical fury. At least they can practice in the game’s tutorial mode, as well as check out their stats, which display percentage of notes hit, their longest note streak (notes hit without missing) and the final score.

Career Mode offers the opportunity to unlock new venues, including The Blackout Bar, Rat Cellar and Nilbog High (a possible homage to the horror classic Troll 2) as well as new music. In addition, players earn money to purchase new guitars, like the Kramer Vanguard, Gibson Les Paul and The Fish. In addition, they can snag shiny finishes for their instruments as well as playable characters.

All of these similarities serve to remind gamers that Rocks the 80s is an extension of Guitar Hero II and not an official sequel, a shame, considering the untapped potential. The intro sports ’80s colors and characters dance around in ’80s threads, but neither of these visual nuances offer anything new, which makes its $49.95 price disappointing.

Recycled content notwithstanding, Rocks the 80s will sell hundreds of thousands of copies since more Guitar Hero, plus 80s music equals amazing. Look for the review on July 17, and prepare to rock on.

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2K Sports’ baseball series returns with an all new season in Major League Baseball 2K8. However, the newest addition is more than simple stat changes. The developers gutted out MLB 2K7 and reworked key aspects to bring players the most realistic baseball sim in history.

In addition to working out many of the bugs and kinks that plagued 2K7, particularly the unreliable catching system, the developers refined their approach toward hitting and pitching. Where the ball hits the bat will matter, so players will no longer be able to score homeruns when the ball hits near the handle. This approach makes the hitting feel more natural and rewarding. Pitching was also revamped to compliment the new hitting engine. Players will need to match pre-designated gestures using the right analog stick in order to throw different kinds of pitches, which should be more interactive than pressing a button for a pitch.

Other new features making their way into 2K8 include 90 minor-league teams, all with authentic uniforms and a host of minor-league stadiums. There will also be a number of special unlockable teams that include both current and legendary players. However, the one feature sure to grab people’s attention is the trading card game. Players earn baseball cards by completing tasks and challenges. Duplicate cards can be sold for credits, which can in turn be used to purchase packs that hold ten cards each and may come with a special stadium or team. Once players have enough cards, they can combine them all to create a team to take online for some head-to-head competition against players using other baseball card teams.

Major League Baseball 2K8’s stunning graphics make full use of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3’s capabilities, with highly detailed uniforms, players and top-notch physics reproduction. The Wii version will make use of the system’s unique motion-sensing control to provide a greater interactive experience. Baseball fans should keep an eye out for it, scheduled to hit shelves in March.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock has become a monstrous hit for Activision, despite the departure of series developer Harmonix. Now the company has a huge encore waiting in the wings with Guitar Hero Aerosmith, a game that combines the popular guitar-playing franchise with one of rock’s greatest bands. All five members of the group &ndash- lead vocalist Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford, bass guitarist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer signed on for the video game tour. However, don’t expect another case of Revolution X, as this game has deeper substance than you might expect.

GH Aerosmith chronicles the band’s back-story, starting with some of the smaller clubs they’ve played in before moving on to newer venues. You’ll play along to several decades’ worth of the band’s music, starting with selections from the ’70s and working your way into its more modern library. Activision hasn’t finalized the complete set list yet, but we do know the soundtrack includes such favorites as “Dream On” (recently released as a free downloadable track on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network), “Love In an Elevator,” “Rag Doll” and “Sweet Emotion.” We certainly hope that Activision will consider some more of the obscure guitar-heavy favorites, such as “The Grind” and “Road Runner” from the Honkin On’ Bobo LP.

While the game will have a substantial focus on Aerosmith and its history, several favorite characters from the Guitar Hero franchises will return, playing as opening acts. Other bands inspired by the legendary Boston rock act will also supply songs, including Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes”, Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett and “All Day and All of the Night” by the Kinks. No word yet on what kind of downloadable content we can expect, but don’t be surprised if several Aerosmith-devoted packs get released for the game months following its release.

Most of the familiar Guitar Hero controls will remain the same for Aerosmith, although there will be a few touch-ups. First off, hammer-ons and pull-offs will be easier to execute, so they don’t feel so stiff as you move your fingers up and down the fret bar. In addition, the game will have online support and two-player competition, although the co-op career mode is surprisingly missing. We’re hoping for some kind of Jam Session Mode where Joe, Brad and Tom can let loose with their rhythmic thunder.

As far as presentation goes, Neversoft stuck with what works. The game resembles its old Guitar Hero counterpart, complete with roving stage camera and an easy-to-read interface with the five fret streams. However, there will be slight improvements. Guitar Hero characters will now be more life-like, as indicated by early screenshots from the game. Aerosmith band members have also been faithfully rendered, right down to Steven Tyler’s larger-than-life lips (that’s a compliment) and Joe’s guitar stance. Their outfits change as well, depending on the venue and era.

Guitar Hero fans shouldn’t miss this game. The story, inclusion of several classic and current Aerosmith hits, other bands and rock-themed goodies could send Guitar Hero Aerosmith to the video game hall of fame.

Sonic the Hedgehog used to be a name associated with quality. During the Genesis days, buying a game featuring the blue hedgehog usually guaranteed an excellent gaming experience. Since that time, Sega has stumbled with its star mascot, casting him in the decent Sonic Adventure games while terrorizing audiences with the lackluster Sonic Rivals and Sonic Riders games, it’s biggest offense coming in the form of the abysmal (but best selling) Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 bug fest, Sonic the Hedgehog. Yet, despite this rocky road, the latest adventure, Sonic Unleashed feels different. We’re not one to get our hopes up, but based on the early screens, we can’t help but drool just a little.

Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2, Sonic Unleashed is a 3-D adventure with 2-D roots. It appears that instead of creating a free roaming game, a la Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega intends to blend old school Sonic platform mayhem with detailed 3-D visuals. You’ll explore the game’s environments as you would in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, limited to moving left, right, up and down, but you’ll do so within these grand locations. And judging by the recently released trailer, you’ll have limited 3-D movement, but nowhere near as much as in Sonic Adventure. So, in a sense, Unleashed appears to be a compromise between Sega and its fans. The latter have clamored for a traditional 2-D Sonic games for years. While Sega won’t give them that, Unleashed appears to be the next best thing, a game that lets them have that old school feel within a tech savvy world.

As per the usual, the story isn’t exciting. Sonic’s arch nemesis, the diabolical Dr. Eggman, has somehow broken the world into pieces and Sonic must put it back together harnessing the power of the chaos emeralds. To do this, he’ll visit seven distinct continents and complete various challenges. Aside from mentioning that day and night alter gameplay, or at the very least determine what sorts of missions Sonic can complete, Sega hasn’t spilled much information about the game. Done right, this could add more replay value to the experience, as gamers will need to revisit locations at different times for 100% completion.

In addition, the game includes four new speed mechanics and combat moves, but Sega won’t discuss what those are. With that said, we’re glad to see that the company intends to make this game more about speed than aimless wandering.

Furthermore, Sonic Unleashed runs on Sega’s proprietary Hedgehog Engine, which has supposedly been in development for three years. It remains to be seen whether this technology will overshadow the stuff used to create previous Sonic’s games, but thus far, Unleashed looks gorgeous, sporting lush, green forests and a Middle Eastern environment.

Regardless of how this one turns out, Sega might have a multi-million selling hit on its hands. Sonic used to be the mascot to dethrone Mario, and we’d love nothing more than to see him return to glory.