Summary
Narutohas beenone of the most popular anime series in the worldever since it first started airing back in 2002, and this has inevitably led to a plethora of games being released that allow longtime fans to experience the world of the ninja for themselves. In keeping with the shonen style of the show, the majority of these titles are based around high-speed battles and encounters, but very often, they will also feature extra challenges, modes, and even open worlds to explore, to add some variety to the overall experience.
Not all of these games are easy to jump into though, with many of them presenting a pretty formidable challenge, most of the time due to the complex mechanics, but also sometimes because of some clunky controls or AI which can make the game a little harder than it was intended to be. Still, anyone who loves theNarutouniverse and wants to jump into a brand-new challenge should try out the following games.
WhileNaruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3was well received by fans and critics alike upon its release for expanding upon everything that made the previous game so great, it did also introduce a few new mechanics that made the combat just a little harder to get used to. By far the biggest addition wasInstant Awakening, which allowed players to enter their incredibly powerful Awakening form right at the beginning of a battle, creating a sort of risk and reward system that can be tricky to use effectively.
The boss battles, which were a massive highlight ofStorm 2’sstory mode, were even bigger and more challenging this time around, especially the likes of Kurama who would bombard the Third Hokage with slashes and fireballs, leaving very little time for players to return the favor. Pair this with the quick Chakra Dashes that made the combat much faster paced, and the pretty difficult mob battles that appear in the story, resulting in a challenging, but ultimately very satisfying experience overall.
6Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 2.94
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2largely follows the same template set out by the game before it, with players taking part inintense 2D battleswhere they must use all their Jutsu and special techniques to come out victorious, but there are a few very key changes that have also been made. Some of the most notable additions include an air throw, ninja tools that now travel much faster than before, and certain combos ending in a guard break. While this does freshen up the core gameplay, it also makes the AI opponents much harder to deal with.
The story provides a healthy challenge from beginning to end, but it becomes especially tricky towards the end when taking on the S-Rank missions, which provide the ultimate test of everything the player has learned up to that point.Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2is still manageable in its difficulty so long as players make use of all the abilities and tools at their disposal, especially since the AI won’t pull any of their punches when jumping into a fight.
5Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 2.95
Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3is without a doubt one of the best anime fighters ever released for the PSP, combining tight controls with a pretty lengthy story and some amazing visuals considering the system it’s on, but it’s far from a walk in the park. Substitutions have always been a core part ofNarutogames, but the enemies inUltimate Ninja Heroes 3seem to love using them to the point of absurdity, making it incredibly difficult torack up combosto achieve a high score.
Luckily, the game does offer the player some leeway in the form of the Tactics system, which allows them to buy certain abilities that can make the game a little easier, such as Chakra Regeneration for example, which is by far one of the most useful. These become more or less essential for dealing with some of the more trigger-happy enemies likeKankuro and Itachi, who aren’t shy about throwing out as many Fireballs as possible to secure a win.
4Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 2
Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.1
Clash Of Ninja Revolution 2follows the second half of the originalNarutostory, and as any fans of the show will know all too well, this is where Naruto faces some of his toughest opponents, and they are just as intimidating within the game itself. Many of the boss enemies will have their unique gimmicks which can force the player to strategize their plan of attack rather than rushing in, such as Kabuto for example, who is capable of refilling his health bar in a matter of seconds if players don’t keep up the pressure.
There are luckily a few moves and combos that the opponents struggle to deal with, such as the leg sweep and Naruto’s Rasengan, but spamming these over and over isn’t always the most reliable tactic considering how easily Naruto can be interrupted by enemy attacks. There are also quite a fewJutsu techniques that are severely overpowered, with Kakashi’s Sharingan being a particularly annoying example, and it’s these sorts of balancing issues that have unfortunately granted the game a pretty poor reception among fans over the years.
The most recent entry in the long-runningUltimate Ninja Stormseries has beenquite a divisive title among the core fanbase, with the many additions and alterations to the combat system being a big reason why. The truth is, with so many features and mechanics to keep track of during a fight, it makes the game very inaccessible to newcomers, and can even make the experience a little overwhelming for seasoned veterans too.
Rather than just having one Ninjutsu ability to throw out, usually as a projectile, every character is now given two, which feels like it makes things needlessly complicated. Then there’s the Parry, which has been made completely free of charge, meaning that the AI, and especially online players, will constantly use it to escape danger, which makes pulling off long string combos harder than ever. It feels like CyberConnect 2 crammed just a little too much into this game, which ends up making it a lot harder to play as a result.
A big reason whyClash of Revolution 3is often considered to be so challenging, even to longtime fans oftheNarutofighting games, is because of how it favors a defensive approach over offense. The game features a few small but very important alterations to its predecessors which make hanging back a much safer option, such as how the sidestep now has invisibility frames that can be used to completely negate certain attacks and Jutsu techniques.
Not only does this require an immense amount of patience and focus, but it also takes quite a while to master this sort of fighting style, since the enemy AI throughout the admittedly short story mode is so fast and aggressive.Clash of Revolution 3does at least provide a unique spin on the typical rush-in head-first attitude of most other anime fighters, but it also makes it much more difficult to master.
It’s clear from the minimal character roster and limited modes thatThe New Erawas likely given a short development time and was most probably put out to test thebrand-new 3D gimmick of Nintendo’s latest handheldat the time. What this also means is that the combat and platforming often feel very unbalanced, which can easily become very frustrating. When traveling between each village, Naruto must try to avoid large groups of spam-happy enemies, while also navigating through some downright brutal platforming sections that feel like they need to be just a tad easier.
While each stage features a certain amount of Scrolls to collect, a lot of the time, there will be a handful that are hidden away in a random spot on the map that can’t be seen without using specific techniques and abilities, so getting that 100% completion can be an absolute nightmare. The game also features some incredibly durable bosses who can easily wipe out Naruto with a single hit or two, with Gamakichi and the Susano being the most infamous examples, whose health bars seem comparable to a boss found in aFinal Fantasygame. The original characters and 3D visuals are highlights of the game, but it does feel like the core gameplay could have benefited from just a little more play-testing.
