Top 10 Best and Worst Naruto Games
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VOICE OVER: Ashley Bowman
WRITTEN BY: Mark Sammut
Naruto is one of the most popular animes ever created, so naturally, a plethora of video games where you can play as the iconic ninja have surfaced over the years. With so many games, it can be hard to weed out the really engaging titles, but fear not, because we've done it for you! Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best and Worst Naruto Games!
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To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Top 10 Best & Worst Naruto Games
Some games got rocks, others just don’t go the distance – Believe it. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best & Worst Naruto Games.
For this list, we will be alternating between five of the best and five of the worst Naruto games, taking into account things like presentation, gameplay, and whether the campaign captures the magic of Masashi Kishimoto's manga. Just to keep things fresh, only one game per series will be considered.
Due to the "Naruto's" English dub trailing behind the Japanese version, Bandai Namco edited the game's content to avoid spoiling the story, so the likes of Itachi and Tsunade were circumvented from the experience. While a somewhat considerate move, "Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles" suffers due to restrictive and janky combat, an underwhelming roster of playable characters, and a mainly inconsequential storyline. The sequel took quite a leap forward and is worth giving a try, but the original "Uzumaki Chronicles" has aged terribly and ranks among the franchise's worst 3D entries.
For the franchises' swan song on the PlayStation Portable, Bandai Namco decided to sprinkle a touch of "Dynasty Warriors" goodness over its shinobi IP. Boasting 24 playable characters and a solid selection of stages and bosses, "Ultimate Ninja Impact" starts from just after the anime's timeskip and covers up to the "Five Kage Summit." A must play for action fans, the gameplay makes up for a lack of depth with flashy animation and fast-paced combat. Besides the lengthy campaign, "Ultimate Ninja Impact" comes with an engaging customization system based around cards that can be used to enhance a warrior's capabilities.
With the exception of a handful of titles, most "Naruto" games tend to fall in the "meh" category, and there is no better phrase to describe this sidescroller. Despite its name, "Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era" is actually a 2.5D beat 'em up with outdated graphics and a suffocating combo system. Spread across nine levels, the campaign whisks by at a moment's notice, and presents little reason for a revisit. Hampered by some genuinely terrible quick time events and featuring only two playable characters, "Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era" fails as a platformer and a beat 'em up.
Building on the solid foundations set by "Rise of a Ninja," Ubisoft's sequel stands nearly unparalleled when it comes to immersion. Even though combat remains the core focus and is a ton of fun, "The Broken Bond" took a more action-adventure approach to proceedings, allowing players to explore the Hidden Leaf Village and experience what life would really be like in Naruto's shoes. Covering a variety of arcs from the original series, "The Broken Bond" boasts 30 playable characters and gorgeous cel-shaded graphics which will never go out of style.
After a slightly rocky start, the "Ninja Council" series proved its worth with the second and third entries. Unfortunately, 2009's sequel felt ancient the moment the sidescroller was published on the Nintendo DS. Unlike the previous entry's over 20 playable characters, most of "Ninja Council 4's" roster is limited to multiplayer, and the campaign features only five fighters. Unleashing Jutsu finishers is always exciting, but the levels are an absolute drag to work through and pale in comparison to other sidescrollers released on the system. Safe and boring, "Ninja Council 4" is the ideal cure for insomnia.
Prior to the "Ultimate Ninja Storm" series, PlayStation 2 owners could experience Masashi Kishimoto's epic in the form of a 2D fighter in the vein of "King of Fighters" or "Fatal Fury." Putting aside the admittedly shallow 3D fights, "Ultimate Ninja 5's" refined combat system shines due to the various little touches implemented by the developer, CyberConnect2. Every combo is authentic to the source material, and the special moves feel larger than life due to some fantastic animation. Besides a decent storyline that recreates multiple fights from "Shippūden," CyberConnect2 introduced an assist mode that allows a secondary character to intervene during a battle and a fun free-roaming RPG mode.
You know what genre would be absolutely perfect for a fast-paced action anime? We are going to hazard a guess and say that "board games" is not it. Released only in Japan, this PlayStation One title deserves recognition for trying something different, but this strategy game falls short in nearly every department. Battles move at a glacial pace, while there is very little depth in the actual gameplay mechanics. Closer to "Monopoly" than an RTS, this "Naruto" title feels like something that would be free-to-play nowadays.
"Clash of Ninja" sits among the top-tier fighting series based on the popular anime license, but the best entry did not even make it to the West! Published exclusively on the Nintendo Wii, "Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special" was the final installment in the franchise and served as a culmination of its predecessors' greatest elements. Bolstered by an extensive roster and a wide-range of character specific move sets, "Clash of Ninja's" battle mechanics have always been a step above the rest, and that was never more apparent than in the series' eighth entry.
Repetition is an inescapable part of game design and is not necessarily a deterrent. Unless someone happens to be playing "Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles," then prepare to fight the same couple of enemies in a never-ending slog through nearly identical passageways in a filler arc that would be considered too bland for the anime. More of a hack and slash than a beat 'em up, "Dragon Blade Chronicles" blocks the use of chakra, gives Naruto a sword and prays that the shinobi transforms into "Devil May Cry's" Dante, but the combat is way too simplistic and monotonous to hold anyone's attention.
The perfect send-off for the anime and manga. CyberConnect2 dedicated more than a decade to the loudmouthed ninja, and "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" acts as a celebration of everything that has to do with "Naruto." Once a couple of launch issues were patched, fans could control over 100 characters and play through the story's final arcs, starting with the Fourth Shinobi World War and concluding with the "Road to Boruto" expansion. Visually, at points, CyberConnect2 even put the anime to shame, but "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4's" success lies in the intuitive free-roaming combat system that never fails to be satisfying.
Some games got rocks, others just don’t go the distance – Believe it. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best & Worst Naruto Games.
For this list, we will be alternating between five of the best and five of the worst Naruto games, taking into account things like presentation, gameplay, and whether the campaign captures the magic of Masashi Kishimoto's manga. Just to keep things fresh, only one game per series will be considered.
#5 WORST: “Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles” (2006)
Due to the "Naruto's" English dub trailing behind the Japanese version, Bandai Namco edited the game's content to avoid spoiling the story, so the likes of Itachi and Tsunade were circumvented from the experience. While a somewhat considerate move, "Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles" suffers due to restrictive and janky combat, an underwhelming roster of playable characters, and a mainly inconsequential storyline. The sequel took quite a leap forward and is worth giving a try, but the original "Uzumaki Chronicles" has aged terribly and ranks among the franchise's worst 3D entries.
#5 BEST: “Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Impact” (2011)
For the franchises' swan song on the PlayStation Portable, Bandai Namco decided to sprinkle a touch of "Dynasty Warriors" goodness over its shinobi IP. Boasting 24 playable characters and a solid selection of stages and bosses, "Ultimate Ninja Impact" starts from just after the anime's timeskip and covers up to the "Five Kage Summit." A must play for action fans, the gameplay makes up for a lack of depth with flashy animation and fast-paced combat. Besides the lengthy campaign, "Ultimate Ninja Impact" comes with an engaging customization system based around cards that can be used to enhance a warrior's capabilities.
#4 WORST: “Naruto Shippuden 3D: The New Era” (2011)
With the exception of a handful of titles, most "Naruto" games tend to fall in the "meh" category, and there is no better phrase to describe this sidescroller. Despite its name, "Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era" is actually a 2.5D beat 'em up with outdated graphics and a suffocating combo system. Spread across nine levels, the campaign whisks by at a moment's notice, and presents little reason for a revisit. Hampered by some genuinely terrible quick time events and featuring only two playable characters, "Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era" fails as a platformer and a beat 'em up.
#4 BEST: “Naruto: The Broken Bond” (2008)
Building on the solid foundations set by "Rise of a Ninja," Ubisoft's sequel stands nearly unparalleled when it comes to immersion. Even though combat remains the core focus and is a ton of fun, "The Broken Bond" took a more action-adventure approach to proceedings, allowing players to explore the Hidden Leaf Village and experience what life would really be like in Naruto's shoes. Covering a variety of arcs from the original series, "The Broken Bond" boasts 30 playable characters and gorgeous cel-shaded graphics which will never go out of style.
#3 WORST: “Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4” (2009)
After a slightly rocky start, the "Ninja Council" series proved its worth with the second and third entries. Unfortunately, 2009's sequel felt ancient the moment the sidescroller was published on the Nintendo DS. Unlike the previous entry's over 20 playable characters, most of "Ninja Council 4's" roster is limited to multiplayer, and the campaign features only five fighters. Unleashing Jutsu finishers is always exciting, but the levels are an absolute drag to work through and pale in comparison to other sidescrollers released on the system. Safe and boring, "Ninja Council 4" is the ideal cure for insomnia.
#3 BEST: “Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 5” (2007)
Prior to the "Ultimate Ninja Storm" series, PlayStation 2 owners could experience Masashi Kishimoto's epic in the form of a 2D fighter in the vein of "King of Fighters" or "Fatal Fury." Putting aside the admittedly shallow 3D fights, "Ultimate Ninja 5's" refined combat system shines due to the various little touches implemented by the developer, CyberConnect2. Every combo is authentic to the source material, and the special moves feel larger than life due to some fantastic animation. Besides a decent storyline that recreates multiple fights from "Shippūden," CyberConnect2 introduced an assist mode that allows a secondary character to intervene during a battle and a fun free-roaming RPG mode.
#2 WORST: “Naruto Shinobi No Sato No Jintori Kassen” (2003)
You know what genre would be absolutely perfect for a fast-paced action anime? We are going to hazard a guess and say that "board games" is not it. Released only in Japan, this PlayStation One title deserves recognition for trying something different, but this strategy game falls short in nearly every department. Battles move at a glacial pace, while there is very little depth in the actual gameplay mechanics. Closer to "Monopoly" than an RTS, this "Naruto" title feels like something that would be free-to-play nowadays.
#2 BEST: “Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special” (2010)
"Clash of Ninja" sits among the top-tier fighting series based on the popular anime license, but the best entry did not even make it to the West! Published exclusively on the Nintendo Wii, "Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special" was the final installment in the franchise and served as a culmination of its predecessors' greatest elements. Bolstered by an extensive roster and a wide-range of character specific move sets, "Clash of Ninja's" battle mechanics have always been a step above the rest, and that was never more apparent than in the series' eighth entry.
#1 WORST: “Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles” (2010)
Repetition is an inescapable part of game design and is not necessarily a deterrent. Unless someone happens to be playing "Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles," then prepare to fight the same couple of enemies in a never-ending slog through nearly identical passageways in a filler arc that would be considered too bland for the anime. More of a hack and slash than a beat 'em up, "Dragon Blade Chronicles" blocks the use of chakra, gives Naruto a sword and prays that the shinobi transforms into "Devil May Cry's" Dante, but the combat is way too simplistic and monotonous to hold anyone's attention.
#1 BEST: “Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4” (2016)
The perfect send-off for the anime and manga. CyberConnect2 dedicated more than a decade to the loudmouthed ninja, and "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" acts as a celebration of everything that has to do with "Naruto." Once a couple of launch issues were patched, fans could control over 100 characters and play through the story's final arcs, starting with the Fourth Shinobi World War and concluding with the "Road to Boruto" expansion. Visually, at points, CyberConnect2 even put the anime to shame, but "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4's" success lies in the intuitive free-roaming combat system that never fails to be satisfying.
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