Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

"Wait a minute... this is only the first game?!"

In October 1999, Masashi Kishimoto's manga, Naruto, appeared for the first time in Weekly Shonen Jump. And, 3 years later, in 2002, it was adapted into a manga. The following year, Naruto video games were released, although most of them were mediocre. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, however, is the cream of the crop, and for the first game in a series, it's pretty darn good. Now, onto the review.

Story Mode: 6/10
Basically, if you've read Naruto through the Chunin Exam, then you know what to expect. The cutscenes in Scenario Mode are mediocre, as they really just consist of paper doll versions of the characters talking to each other. In fact, Scenario Mode only consists of six battles (4 for Zabuza and Haku)! However, as the game was released a little bit too early in North America, so there may be some spoilers (for example, Sasuke knows the Chidori, Jiraiya, Sakon and Kidomaru appear, and Orochimaru uses the Reanimation Jutsu).

Gameplay: 9/10
This is where the game gets good. You start out with six characters: Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, Lee and Shikamaru. The other characters are unlocked by completing Scenario Mode and accomplishing missions. The game is basic, yet still fun. O is for standard attacks, Square is used to use weapons, such as kunai and shuriken, X is the jump button, and the Triangle button is used to activate powerful secret techniques. The secret techniques are kind of like minigames. After executing them, you must press buttons in an order. If you do so correctly, the secret technique will continue. If you make too many mistakes, or don't press all of the buttons in time, the secret technique will be cancelled. Also, your opponent has the ability to reduce the technique's damage, to give them at least a fighting chance. You can also activate a "Substitution Fight" minigame by knocking your opponent away fast enough. To defend yourself from an extra hit, hold the D-Pad in the direction your opponent is (if they are above you, hold up) and mash the O button to dodge and attempt to get in a hit of your own. Some characters, such as Kakashi, Neji and Hinata, can activate power-ups, such as the Sharingan and the Byakugan, that have effects on the battle. For instance, the Sharingan will copy your opponent's fighting style, and the Byakugan will let you drain the enemy's chakra with every blow. Everybody has a support character that will drop items (Naruto has Iruka, Gaara has Temari, Orochimaru has Kabuto, etc.), but they are very weak and can be defeated in one hit. The main flaw about the game is that some missions can be quite frustrating (such as only using ninja weapons for the entire fight. If you even tap the O button, you fail). But other than that, the gameplay is pretty solid.

Graphics: 10/10
The characters are all cel-shaded to match their manga and anime counterparts. The moments in which the characters really shine are in the secret techniques, which have, arguably, the most appealing graphics in the whole game. Other than some characters looking a little bit blocky (coughcoughshinocoughcough), the graphics are perfect.

Sound: 7/10
The music in the game is average and easily forgettable, but my main gripe is how on the menus, in the pre-battle taunts, the victory taunts, and in the secret techniques, the character's voices are crystal clear. However, in battle, the sound quality suddenly becomes somewhat muffled. It grows on you after a while, but at first, it may be quite awkward. While some of the actors nailed their characters (namely Kakashi), others aren't so good (for example, in this game, Naruto literally says "Believe it!" after almost every sentence, such as "Do it, believe it." and "View scrolls, believe it!"). But, at least the voices are tolerable, and surprisingly, I heard Naruto say "Shut the hell up!" (something that would never happen on the TV version of Naruto).

Replay Value: 10/10
The game features tons of bonuses to keep you playing again and again (for example, there are over 2,000 collectables to purchase, and it's just plain fun), not to mention that the game is very addictive.

Overall: 8/10
This game has its shortcomings, but overall, it's a great game. If this one was great, I have high expectations for the others.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/08, Updated 03/24/08

Game Release: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (US, 06/26/06)