Original RPG 'NARUTO: Path of the Ninja' for the DS

TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher of America revealed that the upcoming release of NARUTO: Path of the Ninja is in the works exclusively for the Nintendo DS system. NARUTO and friends will hit shelves sometime in Fall, as the first RPG for American territories, offering original content and scenarios.

"The NARUTO RPG games have proven to be very popular in Japan," said Mark Shinohara, executive vice president, TOMY Corporation. "The upcoming RPG title for North America will bring a completely new style of gameplay to NARUTO games, and the fans will love it!"

Based on episodes from VIZ Media's hit anime series SHONEN JUMP NARUTO the new game will feature a unique time based combat system in which players must determine each character's strengths and use them accurately to defeat the enemy.

Careen Yapp, vice president of licensing and business development, D3PA is confident of the game's success among Americans, due to its originality and RPG elements: "We are really looking forward to bringing NARUTO: Path of the Ninja to North America. Some of the best elements from all the Japanese NARUTO RPG releases will be utilized to create an exclusive and unique game that no one has ever seen!"

Gamers will have six available characters to choose from. After selecting their favorite character, they will begin exploring the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the world of Naruto, roaming across forests, fields, rivers and mountains. But as nice as this world sounds, enemies and bosses will be scattered ensuring that gamers don't get to their destination easily. This is where each character's special techniques should come in handy, in order to defeat them.

This is pretty much everything that we know about the game so far. Remember, NARUTO: Path of the Ninja has been slated for a Fall release this year. The game's title is not certain either, but what is a certainty is that DS owners in America are finally getting an original RPG for their handheld systems. Of only Sony could deliver as many games for the PSP...