Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive Message Board

Though its title is about as inaccessible as titles get, we're starting to understand Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive thanks to the two gameplay videos posted below. In short: It's Phantasy Star Online, only minus all the technology, and plus a whole bunch of impossible ninja magic.

Cast Ripping Torrent to vanquish your foes.

If you let ten enemies through your line of defense, you fail the mission!

Naruto's a perfect match for multiplayer. The series may be named for just one character, but Naruto himself rarely travels alone in the anime or manga -- he's always with others. Usually two younger ninja of his same age, then one older mentor character. A four-man cell. And it's that common dynamic that suggests that a game adaptation of the series would be a perfect match for four-person multiplayer...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced that NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Kizuna Drive is now available at retailers nationwide for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Based on the popular animated NARUTO SHIPPUDEN series, the game ...

Sasuke defends a tattered village in this gameplay from Kizuna Drive.

Shikamaru battles a fearsome beast in this clip from Kizuna Drive.

Naruto employs the Great Paper Bomb against a lumbering beast.

Itachi lurks in an inverted realm.

Choji employs the super slap attack.

Open a can on some Temro Ninja in the demo for Kizuna Drive on PSP.

Put a ninja in your PSP.

The very first trailer for the latest Naruto video game: Kizuna Drive.

There's a reason why every PSP game seemingly has four player co-op play nowadays: Monster Hunter. Capcom struck a gold mine by bringing the franchise to Sony's handheld, and Japanese developers have tried -- over and over again -- to replicate that success. Phantasy Star Portable, God Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker are just a few of the titles that have attempted to follow the formula.

Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive is Namco Bandai's anime ninja flavored variation, and it's coming to the US in Spring 2011, nearly a year since its original July release in Japan. Unlike the Storm series, Kizuna Drive is developed by Premium Agency.

In addition to featuring an "all new story" with "game-exclusive characters," Kizuna Drive will have one more bonus Naruto fans will probably appreciate: a theme song, sung by Naruto's voice actor, Junko Takeuchi. See the press release after the break.

Dynamic multiplayer battles coupled with an original story delivers the most exciting portable Naruto game yet.

Namco Bandai is readying a four player team-based Naruto game for PSP. Japanese players can team up later this year.