NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM is the kind of game that makes you pause mid-battle just to admire the animation. The fights are gorgeous, the jutsu are explosive, and the entire thing feels like a playable episode of the anime. It’s a casual-friendly fighting game with just enough depth to keep things interesting, until the story mode gets in its own way.

The game splits into two modes: Ultimate Mission and Free Battle. The first is a story-driven hub where you roam the Hidden Leaf Village as Naruto, picking up missions, collecting items, and triggering classic fights from the anime. The second is more straightforward: 25 characters, fast-paced 3D battles, and a surprisingly decent AI that doesn’t go down without a fight.

Combat-wise, the controls are simple, mostly one-button combos and a few modifiers for chakra charging, shuriken throwing, and calling in support characters. It’s not technical, but there’s a balance here. Managing your chakra, timing your dodges, and choosing when to pop your Ultimate Jutsu adds just enough strategy. Button-mashers will have fun. So will players looking for a bit more control.

What really stands out are the visuals. Every ultimate attack plays out like a mini cutscene, complete with dramatic camera angles and high-energy flair. The world itself is vibrant, and exploring Konoha is fun, even if some areas feel more like set dressing than explorable spaces.

But while the combat shines, the story mode is clunky. Missions often require grinding side quests just to unlock the next main event. Worse, the XP system occasionally bugs out, making progress impossible without restarting your save file. There’s also a lack of proper tutorials, so unless you’re already familiar with the mechanics, you’ll hit a wall fast.

Narrative-wise, the game retells Naruto’s early arcs, but through diary-style narration that feels more fanfic than official. And despite the strong voice acting, full cutscenes are oddly sparse.

Still, Ultimate Ninja Storm has its charm. The free battle mode is a blast, the animations are top-tier, and there’s even remote play support for couch-style multiplayer. For Naruto fans, especially those who grew up on the early arcs, there’s enough here to justify a spin. Just don’t expect a smooth journey through story mode.