The Rasengan is loosely translated into English as "spiraling sphere," and is introduced to Naruto by his trainer, Minato Namikaze. In the early part of the series, Naruto was unable to create and control his chakra using only one hand, which is the required method. As a result, he received assistance from his Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) to successfully execute the technique in battle. This was accomplished by the Shadow Clone creating swirls of chakra while Naruto maintained the chakra in an energy ball.
Oodama Rasengan is a more advanced technique, also known as the Great Ball Spiraling Sphere. This is a larger, more-powerful iteration of the standard Rasengan, which Naruto was able to utilize by using the chakra of the nine-tailed fox. The fox's chakra, however, was somewhat unstable, and Naruto realized he once again needed the assistance of his Kage Bunshin to form and control this powerful energy.
The Rasen Shuriken (also known as Wing Release: Spiraling Shuriken) was created by Naruto himself. In this technique, Naruto channeled the element of wind and caused it to form into the shape of a shuriken, a type of small bladed object. Naruto used two shadow clones to help him -- one to manipulate the chakra and the other to manipulate the nature element. Naruto was unable to complete the technique successfully, but even in incomplete form it proved powerful enough to defeat his opponent.
A number of other types of Rasengan techniques have appeared in various "Naruto" movies and episodes of the animated television series. These include a Double Rasengan, a Crescent Moon Rasengan, a Rainbow Rasengan and the Ultimate Rasengan.