Video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America announced that "NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja" has gone gold for the PlayStation 2.

Based on the hit anime series, SHONEN JUMP's NARUTO from VIZ Media airing on Cartoon Network, "NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja" allows fans to enroll in the Ninja Academy and fight as their favorite characters from the show. Players will experience interactive stages, use varied weapons and develop skills that will enable them to become the ultimate Hokage - the greatest ninja of all.

"NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja" features blazing single and multiplayer ninja battles that brings the series to life. Fans can choose to fight as Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Rock Lee and many more as well as summon support characters for super attacks and special items. A variety of ninja fighting techniques are at a player's disposal including ranged-weapon attacks and close-combat moves. Featuring 12 multi-tiered stages taken from the anime series, gamers can switch stage mid-combat to gain tactical advantage.

"NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja's" array of game modes allows players to follow their favorite character's storyline, accomplish specific missions or battle it out against a friend. Secret characters, movies and other unlockable features further immerse fans in the ultimate NARUTO experience!

First introduced into the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in Japan in 1999, NARUTO - by revered creator Masashi Kishimoto - quickly became Japan's most popular ninja manga. In 2000, NARUTO was expanded into a series of graphic novels with more than 59 million copies sold in total in Japan.