Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

"An anime-based game that finally does justice to its series? Believe it!"

Three years ago, Japan was introduced to a game known as Narutimate Hero. Now, America is finally getting a chance to play the game, under the name Naruto: Ultimate Ninja. Many anime games have turned out bad, merely because people will buy the game whether it's good or not. Thankfully, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is a great fighting game, and does justice to the franchise.

Gameplay: 8/10
Compared to most fighters, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja has quite a bit of depth. With two different planes of combat and a Super Smash Bros. style movement system, the game is definitely a good change from the usual 2D fighting game. That being said, the combat system is a bit simplistic. There is only one attack button so the combos seem a bit out of your control. By this, I mean that there are only a hand full of real combo attacks, and they play out the same way every time. However, there is definitely fun to be had with this game, and the system still has much more depth than most other games. I would best describe it as a mix between Super Smash Bros. and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai.

Story: 5/10
Sadly, this is where the game falters. The story mode consists of a series of 6 fights with a small amount of dialogue in-between. In this Scenario Mode, you can choose from any of the 12 characters, although only 6 are available to begin with. Still, fans of the Naruto series will enjoy seeing their favorite characters converse, and the battles follow the story chronologically, although not much of the story itself is explained. With this game being a fighter it is unlikely that many people will care how deep the story is, and considering the time it takes to complete the Scenario Mode, it is still useful to kill some time.

Graphics: 7/10
Rating the graphics of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja feels a little unfair considering its original release date, but the character models still resemble the characters in the anime, and for the most part, they look pretty good. Some details aren't very well done, but you will rarely see these in the midst of a battle.

Sound: 6/10
The sound in the game isn't anything to brag about, but it in no way hinders the gameplay. The American voice actors lend their voices to the game, so fans of the American anime will feel right at home. The option to choose between American and Japanese voices would have been nice, but I don't see that as a very large fault. The background music is fitting, but nothing really stands out very much.

Replayability: 9/10
If you have a friend and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, you are sure to have a good time. There are 14 characters to play is, with 8 that must be unlocked, as well as 12 different stages. There is also a mission mode where you must complete certain tasks, and there are hundreds of unlockables, although most of them are gimmicky.

Overall:
If you're a fan of Naruto, or are just looking for a good fighting game to keep you occupied, I recommend you go out and buy this game. If you just want something to keep you and your friends busy for a weekend, you may want to rent it. However, with a single rental, it is unlikely that you will be able to fully appreciate the game and all it has to offer. The final decision is up to you, but I think that this game is worth a least a try.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/28/06, Updated 06/28/06