Related:  -Select- Game ProfilePreviewsMediaCheatsDiscussion System: PS3 Publisher: Namco Developer: CyberConnect2 Release: 11-04-2008 Genre: Action Rating: Teen Players: 1-2 Web Site: Go

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Everyone’s favorite No. 1 Hyperactive-Knucklehead ninja has finally made its debut on the PlayStation 3 system with amazing cel-shading techniques that make the line between Naruto animation and game graphics truly disappear. This game exceeds at almost everything ever produced from its predecessors and even competition. But sadly, it also falls short on a lot of things as well.

When I first got the game I was very excited and couldn’t wait to pop this in my PS3 as any other Naruto fan would do. You’ll be granted with a mandatory 4GB install, no big deal. While that goes, read the manual or catch up on your favorite Naruto manga chapters. When that’s finally over, you’re greeted by a very nice intro of some fights, character ultimates and story mode clips. Step away for just a second and come back, you will honestly think “who changed the channel to the show?!” Off to the main screen and you have three options to choose from - Ultimate Mission Mode, Free Battle Mode, and Options. Sadly…that’s it. Options offers the usual computer difficulty from Easy to Insane so players can choose which best suits how they want to tackle the battles in this game. You have your control settings, which are FULLY customizable. Then finally, screen settings and sound settings, which actually let you choose from the English or Japanese Audio all with the original voice actors and with English captions.

Free Battle Mode offers the average vs. mode for your favorite characters to duke out at. You have 1P vs. 2P, which is hands down the most enjoyable part of the game. Also available is COM vs. COM and COM vs. 2P; which for whatever reason was included when they could just as easily left it 1P vs. COM. From the get go, your offered 12 playable characters who could also serve as support characters. To unlock more characters and even more moves you have to play the Ultimate Mission Mode for a total of 25 playable characters. If you want to be surprised on who they are then don’t open that manual! Namco Bandai promises “tons” of downloadable content and so far, support characters and missions have been confirmed. I’m sure down the line playable characters will come too. So each character is started of with one jutsu and only one ultimate jutsu. Naruto for example has Demon Wind Bomb as his jutsu, which could become Rasengan down the line. Each character is set with unique items to choose from. After selecting a character, you’re prompted to choose two mandatory support characters. Choose Sakura and Sasuke to make the perfect Team 7 match or mix it up and put Neji and Lee in the team to fight our some of your favorite what if teams. Before proceeding you can hit square for battle settings like the time, difficulty, handicaps and even choose how a winner is chosen for ultimate jutsus from commands, button mashes, or analog stick spins.

There are nine arenas to choose from and fans will find them all very familiar. Choose a level and the fight begins. Immediately you’re amazed by how good the game looks. Each character feels like an exact replica of how they are in the anime from attacks, mobility, and stances. Now this game is different from past Ultimate Ninja games. From what used to be classic fighting on a 3D plane with a 2D camera is now fully roamable and 3D. The arenas are all pretty big with the option to fight on the wall if you or the opponent gets knocked onto it. The game does a good job of handling the camera which automatically rotates slowly to whoever is getting in the most hits.

The D-pad handles all of your item use while L1 and R1 handles the support characters which can be used once before having to wait for their bar to fill up before using them again. Circle handles your basic attack button and there’s even a command list to do some amazing combos that are just like the show. Hold it down for an Ultimate Impact, which gives you a little animation on just how hard you just punched your opponent. L2 and R2 handle the countering which if clicked at the right time would allow you to transport instantly behind your opponent with a substitution jutsu for some serious damage. They also handle blocking and if used with circle, execute a grab. The cross handles the jumping and double taping it activates the ninja dash. Also while moving you can double tap cross and hold it for the ninja move, which performs summersaults and cartwheels to move swiftly. For the special chakra dash, hit triangle then cross to home in on your opponent with a fast and amazing show of your character dashing side to side very fast. Triangle handles all chakra controls and combos. Hold it to charge up the chakra. Tap it once for the chakra projectile with square or do a jutsu with circle. Double tap it then hit circle after to execute the ultimate if you land it.

For the most part, yes, the game is still basically a button masher. Anyone can pick this up and become good at it in maybe a good hour or so, nothing too hard to learn here folks. Newly introduced to UNS is the storm gauge. Landing consecutive hits such as combos will fill your Storm Gauge which as it’s filled, would increase the effect of your Ultimate Jutsu. When filled completely, you will be given Chakra Regeneration and Attributes Up effects and glow fiery red. Also changed up a bit is the Awakening Mode. When you’re on your last bar on health, you can charge up your chakra bar and hold it until the transformation activates. Some transform, some activate special abilities with their attributes. Like Naruto’s One-tailed transformations and Neji’s Byakugan mode. Sadly, it only lasts a short time though. I guess it’s understandable since some are extremely stronger than before.

Ultimate Mission Mode is the main story mode for the player to reenact everything from episode 1-135…supposedly. Let me tell you know, prepare to be disappointed as many episodes and even main battle arcs…are skipped. For instance, don’t expect to steal the hidden scroll and fight Mizuki or even escort the bridge builder and protect him from the brute force of Haku and Zabuza…those arcs completely don’t exist to CyberConnect2. This would come across as a bit disappointing to fans that were expecting to do every fight that happened in the show, especially since CyberConnect 2 promised 1-135. But still, there’s a promised 30 hours of gameplay and even more with the mini games. CC2 definitely noticed Ubisoft’s Rise of a Ninja, which was released last year on the Xbox 360 and was highly acclaimed for its step into the HD era and roamable Konoha and outside of it. Sadly for the most part here, this entire mode takes place in Konoha…and that’s it. No leaving the village. Honestly, I don’t even see the NEED for this mode since all the missions have to be selected from the start menu! So all your going to be roaming around for is coins and finding Konohamaru with other mini games with some cases, missions where you might have to go here and there to activate the next part of the story. Konoha is big, its huge matter of fact. There are many citizens roaming around the village, allowing you to gather important information to unlock certain events. There are also many buildings such as shops, which allow you to purchase items, or sell the ones you have collected in your missions. To help get around Konoha you can jump, climb, and even launch Naruto place with Naruto Cannon. This is basically Naruto calling in a shadow clone to throw you to your designated point.

Overall Naruto Ultimate Ninja storm is a very good game and any Naruto fan will surely be pleased with this product. Some bad parts about this game is that there is absolutely no online multiplayer which is such a shame because this game could’ve followed Burst Limit’s suit and would’ve made this game much more fun with fighting it out with Naruto fans from all over the world to really show who’s the #1 ninja…me of course. There’s no trophy support either so replay value really comes down to if you have any siblings or friends to play against otherwise I’m afraid it may not last long alone. Also the cutting of vital story mode characters and arcs is a bit disappointing as well and may piss some fans off to see that their favorite character or such, is not in this game…at all or maybe even only as a support character. I feel it’s a bit weird seeing as this was a 2+ year project that these things are a miss, maybe to even beat Ubisoft’s upcoming Naruto game street date. Anticipate the confirmed free DLC in the future and hopefully a sequel will get everything right.

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