Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

"Cyber Connect2 you done it again!"

First off I would like to say that I haven't got into Naruto that much when it first began it's premiere on Toonami couple years ago until I saw the advertisement for this game on SpikeTV. I thought to myself, rent it first, if I like it, buy it. I have to say it is both great and funny due to some of the jutsus in it. Some say it's a Dragon Ball Z clone well, they are wrong. This is a completely different story. DBZ was the inspiration.

Story:
Story is simple in fighting games, but in Naruto you are on a mission to become the next Hokage by completing alot of tasks for The Third Hokage you are given about 4 to 5 choice of options: Story Mode, Mission Mode, Free Battle, Practice, Naruto's House & the Capsule Store (Which is run by Ebisu) every now and then, during the main menu there will be a different guide (ala Kakashi, Anko, Kurenai, Might Guy,etc.) when you exit out of other different modes. Each of the main characters will have their own Story Mode as well with their own endings. Mission Mode is a very difficult mode to complete if you want to unlock everything in the entire game and has to be one of my most favorites of the following modes, difficulty wise that is. there are alot of features such as: Hidden Characters, Useless Items, Guides for the Main Menu, Scrolls, Videos, Music, Voice data & Figures to unlock of every character in the game.

Gameplay:
The gameplay is wonderful to handle once you get into practice for a couple minutes and then you are ready for everything, believe it!

Sound/Music:
Some sound effects can be annoying for example when you choose an option they sure love to use the sound effect chant from Tenchi Muyo alot and don't follow up with the characters, moves and jutsus but who's to say you can't always have it perfectly done. The English Voice Actors from the series such as Crispin Freeman, Malie Flanigan, Steven Jay Blum, Steve Staley, Liam O' Brien, Kyle Hebert of FUNimation fame, Steve Kramer, Yuri Lowenthal, Kate Higgins, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Dave Wittenberg do an outstanding job with the characters they portray. Music in Ultimate Ninja I has that Hip Hop/Techno in the fights and the traditional japanese drumming flow but brings in the spirit of Naruto.

Graphics:
The graphics in Ultimate Ninja are done very nicely. Our friends at CyberConnect2, the geniuses behind their first masterpiece .Hack//series did an excellent job on bringing the characters to life as if they were popping out of a manga page to begin the fights and the cel-shading kind of matches Dragonball Z Budokai/Tenkaichi's a bit. The backgrounds and foregrounds are a work of art.

Rent It or Buy it:
If you like fighting games or anime related type of fighting games I'd say buy it! you will not be disappointed I consider it next to Budokai/Tenkaichi, Darkstalkers and Street Fighter as a great fighting game to play with humor, stylish moves and controls. This is my review I hope you enjoyed it.
10 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/07