Namco Bandai Games sends word that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 has shipped to store shelves today for the Playstation 2.

Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 has shipped to retail outlets across the country. Ninja training and heated combat returns with the highly-anticipated sequel to the popular NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja. Based on the hit anime series SHONEN JUMP NARUTO, from VIZ Media, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 is available exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

"With more characters, environments, and unlockable features, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 ups the ante by providing players more of the intense, action-packed battles they have come to expect from the Ultimate Ninja series," said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. "Playing as their favorite characters, fans can unleash devastating secret techniques onto their opponents as they relive the excitement of the series."

In NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2, Naruto returns with relentless dedication towards becoming Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Fans will experience hours of intense combat with over 60 challenging missions to complete and the ability to play as one of over 30 popular ninja from the series, including Kakashi, Sasuke, Kisame, Itachi, and Tsunade. Participate in the series’ most pivotal moments such as Naruto’s showdown against Gaara, or unlock an original storyline in Ultimate Road mode. Customize characters’ strength, chakra, and special abilities to unleash powerful attacks during head-to-head battles, and sharpen fighting techniques in Iruka’s Training mode. Players will be able to unlock new characters, movies, music, and more as they rise in ranks on their quest to become the ultimate ninja.

Developed by CyberConnect2, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and carries a suggested MSRP of $39.99.

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 70 million copies sold in Japan. NARUTO consistently ranks as one of the most popular titles serialized in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP monthly manga anthology and one of the top graphic novel titles (also published by VIZ Media) in the United States. VIZ Media was named the Master Licensor in February 2005, obtaining the television, home video and merchandising rights to NARUTO for North America and Latin America.

For more information on NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 please visit http://NarutoUN2.namcobandaigames.com.