Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 out in stores

The sequel to the hit game Naruto: Clash of Ninja is available in stores today. Developed by 8ing and published by D3 Publisher of America and TOMY, Clash of Ninja 2 offers new modes, twice the amount of playable characters and ninja style combat similar to Clash of Ninja, for up to four players at once. Some of the new modes in the game include survival and timed attack modes, and multiplayer modes will allow players to go up against each other in simultaneous four player battles. Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is available for $39.99 USD or $44.99 CAD for GameCube and is rated T for Teen.

In other Naruto news today, Naruto: Ninja Council 2, the sequel to the popular Game Boy Advance game, will be released on October 10^th. Ninja Council 2 will be a side-scrolling game for up to four players. Multiplayer modes allow for either a two player co-op adventure or up to four player battle mode.

With these two new games coming out, it's clear that TOMY and D3 are taking full advantage of the Cartoon Network show's popularity. They seem to know exactly what the fanbase wants, because the numbers are growing every day. TOMY's president, Masaru Tomiyama, says that the franchise is at a point “where you can legitimately consider Naruto a bona fide phenomenon”, and that the show is so popular that “Naruto mania” is sweeping North America. With the upcoming release of new platforms, we can be sure that, as the popularity of the Naruto franchise grows, so will the number of games.

Valkyrie Profile 2

Six years after Square Enix, then simply Enix, released its 192 part RPG, Valkyrie Profile, it has announced that it is set to release Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, a prequel to the original game. Available today, Valkyrie Profile 2 is set hundreds of years before the story of Lenneth, servant to Odin, and follows the path of the Valkyrie, Silmeria. Once a loyal servant to Odin, Silmeria was reincarnated into the body of Alicia, Princess of Dipan, after an incident between them. Silmeria awakens within Alicia, and Odin sends another Valkyrie to retrieve her spirit and return it to Valhalla. Silmeria and Alicia run and begin a quest to change their fates.

There are plenty of new features to see in the new game, both on the gameplay side and the visual and audio sides. Valkyrie Profile 2 is able to run in 480p and Dolby Pro Logic II, allowing for a full cinematic experience. There is a new battle system using simultaneous, mutli-character combat, and many new puzzles. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is available today for $49.99 USD or $59.99 CAD for Playstation 2 and is rated T for Teen.

EA begins shipping NBA Live 07

The NBA Live franchise moves on to the next generation with this year's installment, NBA Live 07, available today. New features this year include ESPN Motion and streaming ESPN radio podcasts delivered directly through a new ESPN integration package available for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles. Fans connected online will be able to watch real NBA game highlights, segments from the show PTI (Pardon the Interruption) or Around the Horn, SportsCenter clips and more. The new Freestyle Control system allows players to pull off moves and shots just like the stars.

To help promote the release of the new game, Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will be at the NBA Store on 5^th Avenue in New York City tomorrow, starting at 1:00 PM. The first 150 people who have registered to purchase the game from the NBA Store will get an autographed copy of the game, signed by McGrady and Parker, and will also have the opportunity to meet the players. NBA Live 07 is available today for $59.99 USD or $69.99 CAD for Xbox 360, $39.99 USD or $49.99 CAD for Xbox and $39.99 USD or $45.99 CAD for Playstation 2 or PSP and PC. NBA Live 07 is rated E for Everyone.

Nintendo Fusion Tour starts tomorrow

If you weren't already aware that Nintendo is going to be taking the Wii on a cross-country tour all over the U.S.A., we've got some news for you. The Nintendo Fusion Tour, featuring Hawthorne Heights, Relient K., Emery, Plain White T's, The Sleeping and, of course, the Wii, starts tomorrow. The tour will be making more than thirty-five stops along the way, and Wii fans who attend will be able to be some of the first to get hands on time with the console and some of its games. The tour kicks off in Colombus, OH at the The LC Pavillion and ends November 11^th in Chicago, IL at Congress Theatre. To find out if the tour is coming to your town or to buy tickets for one of the concerts you can check out www.nintendofusiontour.com.

Other Game Releases

Tuesday generally means one things, and that is game release day. As you can see above, most of the news we've had so far is about game release. So instead of listing all of the details for every last game that's being released today, we're just going to list the rest of the new titles for you.

The Fast and the Furious – Playstation 2 – Namco Bandai
Phil of the Future – Game Boy Advance – Disney/Buena Vista Games
The Cheetah Girls – Game Boy Advance – Disney/Buena Vista Games
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble – Nintendo DS – Disney/Buena Vista Games
NBA 2K7 – Xbox, Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 – 2K Sports

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