Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is one of those DS games that actually makes the touchscreen feel useful—you're flicking through hand signs to pull off jutsu mid-battle, which sounds gimmicky but ends up being weirdly satisfying. The fights are fast, almost frantic, with characters darting around the screen throwing kunai or charging up Rasengans.

It’s not just button-mashing though. Some matchups feel like rock-paper-scissors with ninja tools, and I kept getting wrecked by long-range fighters until I figured out how to close the gap. The roster’s smaller than some later Naruto games, but they nailed the feel of each character—Gaara’s sand shield actually works like it should, and Itachi’s genjutsu is as cheap as you’d expect.

Definitely a solid pick if you want that classic Naruto vibe without dealing with a 50-hour story mode.