Naruto: Clash of Ninja (series)
Encyclopedia
The Naruto: Clash of Ninja series, known in Japan as , is a series of 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 cel-shaded fighting games based on the popular manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

by Masashi Kishimoto
Masashi Kishimoto
is a Japanese manga artist, well known for creating the manga series Naruto. His younger twin brother, Seishi Kishimoto, is also a manga artist and creator of the manga series 666 Satan and Blazer Drive...

. They are developed by Eighting and published by D3 Publisher
D3 Publisher
D3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...

 and Tomy
TOMY
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies:  Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...

. Various installments of the series have appeared on both Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

's GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...

 and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

. Four games are available for the GameCube and five for the Wii. Naruto: Clash of Ninja 1, 2, Revolution and Revolution 2 are available in the US. Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 and Revolution are available in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...

s. Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution II was released in Europe on February 13, 2009. All installments, excluding the Revolution series, have been released in Japan.

Each installment of the series has had numerous methods of play with varying types of modes. New games have introduced additional modes that generally appear in subsequent games. The player directly controls a character taken from the Naruto series, and uses their unique abilities to battle and defeat an opponent. New games in the series include more of the Naruto plotline in a "story mode," and it generally stays true to the source material. As a result, the character selection increases with each installment due to the inclusion of more of the Naruto plotline. With the newer games incorporating Naruto: Shippūden, the second part of the Naruto series, many of the characters have been substantially redesigned, and the selection correspondingly limited. Reactions to early installments were mixed, while later titles have been received more positively, with many praising the simple and easy-to-learn fighting system, while others lambasting the fighting system, and the lack of significant unlockable content.

Gameplay

In each game of the series, the player controls one of many characters directly based upon their counterparts in the Naruto anime and manga. As in practically all fighting games, the player then pits their character against another character controlled by the game's AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

 or by another player, depending on the mode that the player is in. The objective of each game is to reduce the opponent's health to zero using basic attacks and special techniques unique to each character that are derived from techniques they use in the source material. For instance, Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. The main protagonist and titular character of the series, he is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a...

 is able to use his signature Shadow Clone Technique, and Rock Lee
Rock Lee
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto considers Lee his favorite character to draw, and at first designed Lee to symbolize human weakness...

 utilizes many of his Strong Fist style techniques. To use these techniques, characters have available a chakra bar, which depletes upon the execution of a special technique. Each game in the series also possesses numerous modes that offer different styles of play. The game's story mode generally follows the plot from the anime and manga, with a versus mode pitting two players against each other also included. Each game in the series adds new modes, as well as incorporating new features into the game. Early games feature unlocking characters by using a Shop and obtaining money in fights. Most of the games feature an 'Omake' bonus section which contains music, sound effects and character models.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja

Naruto: Clash of Ninja, known in Japan as is the first installment of the Clash of Ninja series and the first Naruto game released in Japan and North America. It was released in Japan on April 11, 2003. The game was announced along with its sequel, Clash of Ninja 2, on October 27, 2005 for a 2006 release in North America, which was released on March 7, 2006. The game's plot follows from Naruto's graduation from the Academy to the start of the Chunin Exams.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2, known as in Japan, and Naruto: Clash of Ninja European Version in Europe, is the second installment of the series. It was released in Japan on December 4, 2003. It was announced alongside its prequel, Clash of Ninja, for a 2006 release in North America, which was then released on September 26, 2006. The game follows the plot of the series, in story mode, starting from Naruto's graduation from the Ninja Academy to the end of the Chunin exams. The game retains the characters from the first installment, and added characters from the Chunin Exam arc. This installment allows four players to fight in multiplayer at the same time. Unlockable features in this game are acquired by accomplishing certain tasks to add them to the game's shop, and then using money won in fights to buy access to the features.

Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 3

is the third installment of this series. The game was announced on August 3, 2004, and released in Japan on November 20, 2004. The game covers the events of the anime from the Chunin Exams to the Search for Tsunade arc. This installment introduces the ability to change forms during combat and gives some characters a second special attack. In addition, the game adds on to the tag-team mode from Clash of Ninja 2, granting the player the ability to use team specials. This game was released exclusively in Japan.

Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 4

is the fourth installment of this series. It was released in Japan on November 2005. It covers the events from the Return of Itachi arc to the Sasuke Retrieval arc. The game also introduces the ability for multiple characters to fight one another at once, ranging from a 3-on-3 match to a 4-way brawl. Most noticeably, the game does away with the shop feature, and unlockables are now acquired by simply meeting certain criteria in the game's new Mission mode. Mission mode forces the player to fight increasingly stronger opponents under specific circumstances and with different methods of winning in order to complete each mission. This game was released exclusively in Japan.

Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX

is the fifth installment of the Clash of Ninja series. This game is the first game in the series to be released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

, and was released in Japan on February 22, 2007. The game uses the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...

 by waving the controller in different directions, but the GameCube controller and the Wii Classic controller can be used with the game as well. The game takes place during the Naruto: Shippūden series, specifically the Rescue Gaara arc. The game replaces the cast of characters in the previous games with a new set based specifically on the Shippūden series.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution is an installment of the Clash of Ninja series and was released on October 23, 2007. Clash of Ninja Revolution covers the events of the Chunin Exams arc to the end of the Search for Tsunade arc. Clash of Ninja Revolution uses the same gameplay engine as Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX. The game utilizes the Nunchuk accessory for the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...

, for basic attacks and for special attacks that require specific movements from both items. http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/828/828965p1.html The Classic controller and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...

 controller are also compatible with the game. It was nominated as Wii's Best Fighter for 2007.

Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 2

is the sixth installment of the Clash of Ninja series. It was released on November 29, 2007. This is the first Naruto Shippūden game to feature Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki...

 as a playable character. All characters are playable in their timeskip forms, while Naruto and Sasuke are also playable in their pre-timeskip forms. Two new features are included in the game. The first, "Danger Zones", are hazards on stages that can hurt the player's character when encountered (for example, spikes on cliff walls). The second feature included is a new hand seal mechanism, which can be used by the player to raise their character's attack power or chakra, and for some characters, an in-game transformation.

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2

Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is the fourth English installment of the Clash of Ninja series and the second installment in the Revolution series. It was released in the US on October 21, 2008, in Australia November 12 2008 and came out in Europe on February 13, 2009. The game features an original storyline that was never shown in the anime or manga, set after Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki...

 betrays the Hidden Leaf Village in search of power. In addition, the game introduces new gameplay modes, such as a new Mission Mode with three-hundred missions, with its gameplay as ten missions for each character; and bring back others, such as Oboro mode, now renamed Kumite Mode, among other minor tweaks. All control schemes from the original are available, and the game features a reworked team battle mode, although online play was ruled out in favor of balancing out the characters and perfecting the game's story mode. The game introduces for the North American audience the hand seal mechanism from Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 2, which characters can use to gain chakra or boost their attack power temporarily. It was nominated for Best Fighting Game on the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards.

Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 3

is the seventh installment of the Clash of Ninja series. It was confirmed on August 29, 2008; it was released on November 27, 2008 in Japan. A new mode called 'Hurricane Clash mode' has been added, where players take on hordes of ninja in levels based on the series locations. Another feature was added, called "Senzai Ninriki", in which players gain a new power when they reach Critical Mode. This game includes an original Naruto: Shippuden story line and the beginning of the Hidan and Kakuzu arc. There is also a tag team mode.

Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3

Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 is the fifth installment in the Clash of Ninja series and is the third installment to Revolution series. It was released in America on November 17, 2009 and on April 9, 2010 in PAL territories, as Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 European Version. Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 covers the Rescue Gaara story arc and features 40 playable characters, and fighting environments as well as Wi-fi multiplayer matches, co-op matches, latent ninja powers and an overhauled combat system. This game has a new feature: the ability to call on your teammate in team battle to help. The PAL version features minor bug fixes, minor character re-balancing and also Japanese voice acting everywhere but for the main menu and the Story Mode cutscenes.

Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special

is the eighth installment of the Clash of Ninja series featuring: an updated character roster, a substitution bar, and Wi-fi. It was released on December 2, 2010 in Japan.

Playable characters

The characters in the Clash of Ninja series are directly based upon characters taken from the Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

. Each game introduces a new set of characters, with their appearance and abilities derived directly from the source material. As Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX and its sequels take place during Naruto: Shippūden, which is two and a half years after the initial storyline, the characters' appearance is significantly different. As such, many characters in the GameCube games differ drastically from their Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX, EX2 and EX3 counterparts.
Character 1 2 3 4 EX Revo. EX 2 Revo. 2 EX 3 Revo. 3 Sp.
Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. The main protagonist and titular character of the series, he is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a...

Nine-Tailed Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. The main protagonist and titular character of the series, he is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a...

Ultimate Nine-Tailed Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. The main protagonist and titular character of the series, he is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a...

Sage Mode Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. The main protagonist and titular character of the series, he is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a...

Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki...

Sharingan Sasuke
Sasuke Uchiha
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki...

Second State Sasuke
Sasuke Uchiha
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki...

Sakura Haruno
Sakura Haruno
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Sakura has become the series' female lead, although she was not immediately intended for the role...

Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi Hatake
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto originally planned to introduce Kakashi in the manga to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, early on, but pushed back this meeting so that Naruto's teammates could be better developed.In...

Sharingan Kakashi
Kakashi Hatake
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto originally planned to introduce Kakashi in the manga to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, early on, but pushed back this meeting so that Naruto's teammates could be better developed.In...

ANBU Kakashi
Kakashi Hatake
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto originally planned to introduce Kakashi in the manga to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, early on, but pushed back this meeting so that Naruto's teammates could be better developed.In...

Sai
Yamato
Rock Lee
Rock Lee
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto considers Lee his favorite character to draw, and at first designed Lee to symbolize human weakness...

Neji Hyuga
Tenten
Might Guy
Choji Akimichi
Shikamaru Nara
Shikamaru Nara
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the anime and manga, Shikamaru is a ninja affiliated with the village of Konohagakure. He is a member of Team 10, a group of ninja consisting of himself, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and team leader...

Ino Yamanaka
Asuma Sarutobi
Kiba Inuzuka
Akamaru
Shino Aburame
Hinata Hyuga
Awakened Hinata
Kurenai Yuhi
Gaara
Gaara
is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto designed Gaara as a foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, as the two were born through similar circumstances, but develop vastly different personalities as they deal with their...

Kankuro
Crow
Temari
Baki
Jiraiya
Jiraiya (Naruto)
is a fictional character in the Naruto universe created by Masashi Kishimoto. Introduced in the first half of the manga, Jiraiya appears as a perverted old man who the lead character, Naruto Uzumaki, refers to as "Ero-Sennin"...

Orochimaru
Orochimaru (Naruto)
is a fictional character from the Naruto universe created by Masashi Kishimoto and developed into a media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, OVAs, movies, video games, and other collectibles...

Tsunade
Chiyo
Third Hokage
Minato Namikaze
Iruka Umino
Mizuki
Anko Mitarashi
Killer Bee
Raikage
Yugao Uzuki
Komachi
Towa
Zabuza Momochi
Haku
Itachi Uchiha
Kisame Hoshigaki
True Sasori
Sasori in Hiruko
Deidara
Hidan
Kakuzu
Jirobo
Kidomaru
Sakon and Ukon
Tayuya
Kimimaro
Kabuto Yakushi
Bando
Kagura

Notes:
1. This marks an in-game transformation of said character.
2. This marks a character playable in both post and pre-timeskip forms.

Reception

Clash of Ninja has received mixed reactions from critics. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, a website that compiles scores from numerous video game publications, gave Clash of Ninja a 72/100. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 lauded the game's battle system as "very balanced, amazingly quick, and still a lot of fun." In addition, IGN commented on Clash of Ninja's "impressive visuals" and "strong audio." Conversely, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

 provided a more negative review, deriding the game's different modes as "seriously boring and predictable," as well as criticizing the lack of significant differences in the playing style of the game's characters. G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...

's X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...

gave Clash of Ninja two out of five stars, lambasting the fighting engine as "ridiculously basic," and "shallow." It also criticized the lack of a story or use of cutscenes or extras. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...

 also commented on this, noting that "considering the charm of the source material, [the game] is really a disappointment."

Critical reaction for Clash of Ninja 2 has been similar to its predecessor, with mixed opinions from critics. Metacritic compiled a "universal score" of 74/100 from 22 reviews for Clash of Ninja 2. X-Play criticized the game for its limited two-player game and similar fighting styles of the characters. They did, however, praise the game's four-player mode and animation, commenting that it "[nailed] the look of the cartoon characters," and referred specifically to the characters' special techniques animation as "remarkably impressive." IGN agreed with this assessment, noting the game's "sharper look" and "overall depth." GameSpot, echoing its sentiments with Clash of Ninja, called the fighting system "simple," to the point that it made the game's expanded roster "irrelevant," and the game "not very satisfying to play." Although GameSpot remarked favorably on the game's "high-energy Japanese-themed background music," it criticized the "obnoxiously repetitive" voice acting, and its constant presence in the game. GameSpot went on to remark that Clash of Ninja 2 "ultimately [did] little to improve upon the original," and felt more reminiscent of an "upgraded game than a true sequel." IGN heavily disagreed, claiming that although the game was similar to the original, it had a "ton of added depth" in the fighting system and character options. IGN lauded the game's characters' "depth and complexity" as "awesome," and "a blast to play." GameSpy focused on the game's four player multiplayer, comparing it to the best-selling Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...

and that it was a "recipe for plenty of fun." Like its predecessor, Clash of Ninja 2 achieved the 250,000 unit sales benchmark, earning it a spot in Nintendo's Player's Choice games.

As with previous incarnations of the series, Clash of Ninja Revolution received a high score from IGN, who noted the game as "fun whether you're a fan of the anime or not", and went on to name it the best Wii fighting game to date, giving it an 8.4 as the final score. The publication Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...

 gave Clash of Ninja Revolution a 7 out of 10, calling the game a mere roster update from previous versions.

Nintendo Power also gave the sequel, Clash of Ninja Revolution 2, an 8 out of 10 for its new modes and refreshed gameplay, and also called Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 the "best Naruto fighting game for Nintendo to date." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 gave the game an 8.2 out of 10, saying "new characters, new stages, same feel. Fans will love it, but not everyone will want to buy it all over again."

IGN gave Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 an 8 out of 10, praising game to have the most balanced cast of characters and best game mechanics of the series. IGN also criticized Story Mode and laggy online play.

See also

  • Naruto
    Naruto
    is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

  • List of Naruto video games


External links

  1. Official Naruto Nintendo Games site
  2. Official TOMY Publisher site
  3. Official D3 Publisher site
  4. Official D3 Publisher site
  5. Official Eighting site
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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