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Believe it or not, ninja enthusiasts, this week on Play Comics we’re kunai-diving into the pixelated shinobi wasteland that is Naruto: Ninja Council for the Game Boy Advance – because apparently someone at Tomy thought the best way to honor everyone’s favorite orange-clad ramen addict was to trap him in a handheld prison with combat mechanics more frustrating than trying to explain the Chunin Exams to your grandmother. Released in 2003, this side-scrolling “adventure” promised to let players master the art of ninjutsu while battling through iconic locations from the Hidden Leaf Village, but what it actually delivered was a gaming experience so repetitive that even Naruto’s shadow clone jutsu would get bored of itself.
Joining us for this digital journey through the Land of Mediocre Adaptations is Luke Herr from D’ohMance Dawn – a man who’s witnessed more anime-to-game train wrecks than a rejected Akatsuki recruitment video. Together, we’ll explore how this GBA “masterpiece” managed to spawn not one, not two, but THREE sequels despite having the gameplay depth of a puddle in the desert and graphics that make early Dragon Ball Z filler episodes look like Studio Ghibli productions.
So grab your headband and prepare for an episode that’s more entertaining than actually grinding through the same three enemy types for hours on end – which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly setting the bar at Hokage level. Will this portable ninja adventure redeem itself through sheer nostalgic chakra, or will it vanish faster than Sasuke after a family reunion? Tune in to discover if this manga adaptation belongs in the Hall of Fame… or should be sealed away forever like the Nine-Tailed Fox!
Learn such things as:
Is it dangerous to have pretty eyes?
Is all manga and anime just a giant metaphor for the horrible nature of man?
Does a game being fun make it a good intro to the franchise?
And so much more!
You can find Luke over on D’OhMance Dawn, Exiled, Multiversal Q, and RPG Pals Club. Or catch him on BlueSky @koltreg or his Patreon, found under Luke Herr.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscaston Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Groupon Facebook.
A big thanks to the Glitterjaw Podcast Collective and the Kickstarter campaign for Aces and Aros for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who doesn’t understand Naruto any better than I do.