If Pokemon doesn’t count, I can’t say I’ve ever been the biggest fan of anime video game tie-ins. That said, I was more than a bit intrigued about some of the lengths that developers of the newest a new iteration in the prolific series of Naruto fighting games have gone into.

A Wii-exclusive, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 features an extensive new storyline, new gameplay modes, and a slew of new characters not seen in the series or manga. Eighting, developer of the Bloody Roar series and more recently, Dragon Quest Swords, enlisted the help of tournament players, the most honest and loyal of all sources, on how to implement gameplay elements and improve the game. As a result, Eightin has created a Naruto game with “polished gameplay, completely original storyline for North America and a robust character roster.”

Though I’m not sure what the “North American” bit means, the fact that Eighing consulted gamers on how to improve their game is an interesting technique that should prove to be effective in making Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 a much better game than it would have been otherwise. Being that many of the gripes that fans have had with the past Clash of Ninja games has been the fighting system, Eighting has apparently learned from their errors, and is offering deeper, more robust gameplay this time around.

Featuring both widescreen and progressive scan support, as well as destructible environments and 4-player brawls, the game will surely make Naruto fans happy little ninjas when it’s released this fall.

Just keep the shuriken away from the television. And your eyes.

[See also: Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 gallery]