Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

Console: Playstation 2
No. of Players: 2 (1 Scenario and Mission Mode / 2 Versus Mode)
Genre: Fighting
Developer: CyberConnect2
Release Date: June 26, 2006
Released By: Namco Bandai Games America
Rating: Teen

Naruto Ultimate Ninja - Cover
Story 70/100

The similarities between Dragon Ball Z and Naruto continue their eternal quest for noob, and veteran alike, fan superiority on the Playstation 2. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is the second Naruto video game released in America (and eventually Europe), and it’s packing a punch; however, when it comes to story that punch could have been delivered a bit better. It seems the makers of this game merely copied the format of the Dragonball Z Budokai games and slapped Naruto right over.

Fan who played Dragonball Z Budokai will see immediate similarities in this game, especially when it comes to story; unfortunately, I would have to say that Dragon Ball Z wins in this department.

We all know the concept of fighting like this. We’ve seen it done in many fighting games based off anime series. Story Mode is usually the weakest mode of the games; usually just filled with battles that loosely tie into the original story of the anime. Completing Story Mode usually rewards you, the player, with a few extra characters that were hidden before. And while many games can do this and still feel like a decent investment of forty or fifty bucks, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja does not. Mainly for two basics reasons: story, or scenario mode as it is called in this game, is too short and there are too few characters to unlock.

When you go into Scenario Mode you are allowed to pick one character, and you will play through this character’s saga. Sounds exciting huh? Well it would fun if it wasn’t just six, or sometimes even five, battles. It goes by so quickly! The first time when I saw “Kakashi Saga: Completed” I was like, “Are you joking!” The scenario mode ends just when it starts to get good. Of you are allowed to go back and do the mode again, but there’s no point to by then. As you complete certain sagas you will unlock other hidden characters’ scenarios, completing those scenarios will unlock those characters. It’s all very simple and fun, but short.

If you are a fan of the series you’ll realize soon enough that the game only goes up to and around the 30+ episode or the 4-6 volume of the manga. For a series in the hundreds in terms of episodes, that’s kind of disappointing. However, players that have played Dragon Ball Z Budokai I, II, III or Tenkashi will remember that Dragon Ball Z Budokai (I) only went up to the Freiza Saga, it took the next three installments for the game series to catch up with the anime. Hopefully the developers will cut the time in half. For a series known for strong character personalities 12 characters is some what disappointing.

Gameplay 80/100
Naruto Ultimate Ninja - Screenshot 1
Gameplay in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is a cross between the Budokai games and Super Smash Brothers. You’ll be fighting on the traditional 2-Dimensional fighting screen with the ability to instantly move to another side to avoid attacks. Like Super Smash Brothers there will be random items that will randomly appear in during your battle. These items can either increase your speed, attack, or slow your opponent down. There are also other items that give you a new ninja tool (usually a Sharingan) to use or allow your support character to enter the game and do damage to your opponent for a few moments—weird thing is half of the support characters aren’t even in the game.

Any fan of the Naruto series now’s the bulk of anyone’s attack is their chakra and jutsu techniques. In this game each characters comes with special jitsu moves that they alone can master.

Yes, your button-smashing skills will come in hand in this game. There are a hand-full of combos you’ll want to master as they are easy to pull off like Zabuza’s Water Prison Jutsu. However, other than that it’s button smashing. You’ll have a basic attack button (square), which you’ll have to use to attack. With that said you’ll be using combos to take down your enemies. Once you’ve charged up enough chakra you’ll be able unleash your jutsu attacks. Which range from 1level techniques to 3 level techniques that can provide devastating damage to your opponent. You’ll have to keep an eye on your chakra as special techniques consume it and if you don’t have any you’ll be out of luck. Not to worry you can charge.

Special Techniques are unleashed by releasing your charka and then attack the opponent. You must land an attack or else your special technique will be voided. Now that you’ve started the process of your special jutsu technique you can take it to the next step. In the left corner of the screen during your jutsu technique scene you will see a command window if you press all the buttons listed (they won’t change, so once you will learn them it will become much easier) you will continue your technique or inflict more damage. It’s good if you’re in a tight spot as fully completing your jutsu can do massive damage.

One interesting that I like about the gameplay is the approach to items. Each stage comes with a bunch of items but you can also bring some into battle. After every stage you will be scored and you will receive ryo (currency) that you can exchange for items. Now these items varry from sharingans to an invisiblity talisman. Once you purchase them they are in your inventory and you are free to bring them out in any battle. This is cool and could help you when you most need. So thumbs up there Naruto!

Now like most fighting games it really comes down to preference with characters. Most attacks do the same amount of damage and the same can we said for some special techniques. It’s all about how you play. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, for example: Gaara is terribly slow but he has the ability to break an opponent’s block or shield himself from almost all attacks. So it all depends on how you play.

Overall the game play is decent, but the game doesn’t offer anything different from all the others. The game is pretty much like all the others. And for gamers that have been playing the same thing for so long it’s boring, well maybe that’s me. Still the game was pretty fun to play. What could have made this game better would be, of course the obvious, more characters and maybe the ability to learn more jetsu. Oh well it looks like we’ll just have to wait for Naruto II.

Graphics 85/100
Naruto Ultimate Ninja - Screenshot 2
The graphics borrow heavily on the manga version of Naruto, more so than the anime. Although there are screen shots of the anime shown throughout the game. The majority of the little bit of dialog that’s presented in the game is done in 2D with a dialog box below. Not that the characters are really saying much, but still it would have been nice to see some actual dialog and not just random lip moments that are supposed to relate to the dialog below.

The graphics during actual fighting uses a unique type of shading that makes it look as if the characters are drawn. The most obvious is the dark lines that resembles a shadow in the manga. And other than that it’s pretty standard, except your jutsu moves which can be unleashed which will result in a cutscene. The cutscenes are of the characters’ most famous moves in the series.

Controls N’ Camera 75/100

The controls are pretty standard. You have one button for attacking is defaulted as the “O” button. Combos are released by certain combinations of the directional buttons and the “O” button. It can become pretty complex depending on what combo you want to use. Mid-way through you’ll probaby master a couple of combos and won’t need to learn any others as smashing the “O” button usually does the trick.

To unleash your chakra you’ll press the Triangle-Button and for a couple of minutes your character will be glowing (different colors depending on the amount of chakra used), you’ll have to land an attack if you wish to do the secret technique.

A lot of the battle really requires a quick response, because many times you’ll be able to counter the opponents move or land a deadly attack. However as fast pace as the battle are there still isn’t anything refreshing about it. It all seems so done already. With hardly any difference to games like Tekken and Bodukai don’t expect to be blown away by anything. The same can be said for the camera. Pretty much the same old same old thing. *sigh*

Personal Thoughts

I was really excited to get this game; however, when I was finished playing it I was disappointed. The fact that I was able to finish it in so short a time is partly why I am so dissapointed. Don’t get me wrong the game was a fun game to play but it wasn’t any different from the other fighting games that I’ve played. It’s another game that just fans would like, and don’t get me wrong I’m a fan, I just force myself to think objectively.

Basically when you boil it down the only thing this game had good for was the fact that it was Naruto. If this was just another fighting game it would have bombed. Gameplay was standard, story mode was pathetic, there were too few characters and overall you finished it in a very short time with little to show for it.

But there is light at the end of this tunnel hopefully, if there will be another Naruto game for the Playstation or any other console for that matter, it will fix the mistakes of this one and surpass our wildest dreams.

Overall Score 75/100

By Cherubim

Get your shtuff here:

Naruto, Volume 32 (Naruto (Graphic Novels))