(Bandai Namco)
PlayStation 2

Video games based on a Japanese anime series tend to be as compelling as watching Paris Hilton leave jail: there's no need to watch for more than five seconds because we all know how it's going to go down. But Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 for the PlayStation 2 is so chock full of captivating gameplay, I can't pull myself away. Each of the stages has these soulfully and creepily transmogrified names like Hidden Mist Village and Forest of Death, monikers that, if nothing else, speak to the hours of intense nerditude that was put into this game. It's so lovingly made, it's like a winter scarf knitted by an new girlfriend.

Which isn't to say the fisticuffs don't fly. In this graphically stunning fighting and role playing game, I can become any of 32 characters, and even walk on walls or water as I kick and punch. And there are enough moves to make any Tekken fan jealous. To wit: if I hit the 'X' button as I'm being thrown, I'll rebound and won't feel like a 98 pound weakling when I hit the ground.

And for all those Chowhound fans without a foodie-friendly game, take note. If you lose your health in Naruto, you'll have to find some ramen or sweet red bean soup to get your chakras going again.—Harold Goldberg