Naruto is one of the most popular anime of all time, and it has spawned a handful of video games across a variety of genres. From 3D fighters to online multiplayer experiences, these are 7 of the best Naruto games of all time.
The mainstream success of anime and manga has undoubtedly peaked in recent years, due to the success of stylish new Shonen shows like Demon Slayer, and surprise hits like the recent Cyberpunk Edgerunners. Despite Shippendun ending five years ago, the Naruto franchise is still going strong and gaining new fans all the time, thanks to its engaging story and beloved cast of characters.
With the original Naruto anime celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, we’ve put together a list of 7 of the best Naruto games of all time.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Impact was the franchise’s final outing on the PlayStation Portable. The core gameplay loop is unique to this title as it takes a lot of inspiration from the Dynasty Warriors series. In this action-packed game, players get to experience a handful of arcs from the Naruto Shippendun series, completing fast-paced missions where hoards of enemies need to be defeated.
Outside of combat, the game also contains an interesting card-based character customization system.
With an impressive roster of 24 playable characters and a unique take on the franchise, Ultimate Ninja Impact more than deserves a place on this list.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Generations was the third installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, and it was particularly praised for overhauling and improving upon the battle system from the previous installments. There were a lot of additional mechanics added to combat that made the experience much smoother such as the ability to air-dash and cancel combos.
The refined combat system did come at the cost of other gameplay elements, however, a lack of cutscenes and unique boss encounters during the story mode has a tendency to make the game feel extremely repetitive.
Overall, Generations isn’t the best Naruto fighting game out there but the future Storm games would benefit a lot thanks to the changes that were introduced in this game.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3
Ultimate Ninja was the 2D predecessor that came before the Storm games. The third installment in the UN series featured the biggest character roster yet with over 40 playable characters from the original anime series.
The story mode, dubbed the Hero’s History, gives players the option to experience every major combat situation from the series, from Squad 7’s initial training with Kakashi, all the way up to the intense final confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke. It’s a fun and fast-paced way to experience the story, though does lack a number of important cutscenes.
Another additional mode that was introduced with Ultimate Ninja 3 was Ultimate Contest – a tournament and free-roam hybrid that tasked players with completing a variety of missions to level up their characters.
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
Boruto to Naruto: Shinobi Striker is the latest Naruto game and it features a fresh multiplayer experience. In the world of Shinobi Striker players start by creating their own custom ninja – a first for the franchise. The amount of cosmetic customization options alone is great, but the real draw is being able to combine different Jutsu techniques in combat – so if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to have both Sasuke and Gaara’s best abilities, then Shinobi Striker is the perfect opportunity to give it a spin.
The core gameplay loop revolves around online eight-player versus battles in which players are split into two teams and can compete in a variety of matches, including capture the flag and classic deathmatch.
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Between the continuous DLCs and community support for the game, and its unique multiplayer experience, Shinobi Striker is definitely one of the best Naruto games that every fan needs to try.
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Rise of a Ninja was an Xbox exclusive game that was released in 2007 and was developed by Ubisoft. The story mode takes place between the start of the anime and the Invasion of Konoha arc and covers approximately 80 episodes of the show.
Rise of a Ninja sets itself apart from the other Naruto titles of the time thanks to the RPG elements that Ubisoft chose to include. The main loop alternates between a one-on-one fighting mode and more RPG-led gameplay, which includes a platforming mode where players traverse around Konoha Village, often jumping over the rooftops to complete various side quests.
The RPG gameplay that Ubisoft implemented, as well as the solid combat and vibrant cell-shaded graphics, make Rise of a Ninja a fantastic Naruto experience.
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 took the enhanced combat system from Generations and brought back the intense, large-scale boss battles that fans of the series had come to love. Alongside the combat improvements, it also contained a few quality of life changes including full 3D models in the character select menu – a first for the series – and time of day and weather-changing effects in the battle stages.
The animation quality of the cutscenes was also a huge step up from the previous titles, which could often leave you feeling as if you were watching full-directed scenes taken right from the anime.
All of these improvements and 80 playable characters make Storm 3 one of the most engaging Naruto games out there.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
The definitive Naruto experience undoubtedly came with the highly anticipated release of Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 in 2016. The combat in Storm 4 is the smoothest yet and more enhancements were made to ensure that this was the best battle experience for players. Switching between your allies can be done seamlessly in Storm 4, which creates the opportunity to pull off impressive combos mid-battle.
The story mode picks up where Storm 3 ends, and covers the Fourth Shinobi World War arc. The mode contains a number of huge-scale fights that – when coupled with brilliant cutscene presentation – effectively convey some of the biggest moments in the entire series. Adventure Mode also made a return in 4 and allows players to free-roam around Konoha taking on side-missions and engaging in interesting battle matchups.
The game’s Road to Boruto DLC, lets players step into Boruto, Naruto’s son’s, shoes and experience the events of the Boruto movie. It introduced a handful of new playable characters from the film – as well as the adult versions of beloved ninja from the original series.
In terms of overall quality and quantity, Storm 4 is hands down the best Naruto game available right now. Whether you’re a diehard fan or are just discovering the franchise for the first time thanks to its 20th anniversary, this is a must-play.
That’s our list of the best Naruto games of all time! While you’re here, check out some more video game rankings below:
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