Planning a sequel for a videogame -- especially a fighting game -- is a tough process. How can the brand grow beyond the core audience, the early adopters, without polarizing the existing community? Faced with a potential backlash, a developer and publisher must carefully balance the expectations of its current community with the expectation of its business. In this case, Namco Bandai, along with developer CyberConnect 2, does a decent job of handling Naruto's growth on the PSP, tweaking Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 -- The Phantom Fortress every so slightly by adding several additions, good and bad, while keeping the fun and hectic fighting mechanics largely intact.
