Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 5

Naruto’s exciting ninja combat is back in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 5. The last game in the series, this title adapts the story of the manga up until the events at the end of the Sasuke arc. Featuring an impressive cast of over 60 characters, Ultimate Ninja 5 is a game that every fan of the popular Naruto series is going to love.

Just like its predecessors, Ultimate Ninja 5 is a 2.5D fighter with a bit of single-player RPG thrown into the mix. Some minor tweaks have been made to refresh the combat a little, while the new story mode is a step up from some of the previous versions.

New combat mechanics

Even though Ultimate Ninja 5 is not a tag fighting game like Tekken Tag Tournament, this game introduces support characters to the series formula. Although the classic summons have been removed from the game, the inclusion of assist characters gives battles an extra layer of strategy. The support characters also introduce new powerful combination moves if they’re paired with certain characters. Fans of the anime will no doubt have fun recreating some of the most iconic scenes of the show in this game. Fights are fast-paced and flashy, just like those in the show, and the character models look great in their cel-shaded style.

Following the show’s plot

As we mentioned before, the game adapts some of the most iconic events from the Naruto Shippuden anime. However, it only spans a small part of the series, and some fans might even consider the game to be too short. The exclusion of the classic Hero Mode only makes the game even shorter. Thankfully, Ultimate Ninja 5 still includes a healthy amount of single-player content to enjoy. This includes some big, Dynasty Warriors-like battles and free-roaming. For the first time in the series, players will be able to control characters like Sakura or Kakashi in the single-player mode. There are also some boss battles that feature impressive monsters that give the game an unparalleled sense of scale.

Capturing the essence of the anime

Much like Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi, the success of an anime brawler lies in how similar it looks to its animated counterpart. Fans will be glad to hear that Ultimate Ninja 5 captures the spirit of the Naruto Shippuden anime to perfection.

The game’s impressive roster features some of the show’s most recognizable characters, each of them with their trademark techniques. While there are many recognizable scenes from the show, the game relies a little too much on sidequests later on, becoming a bit tedious. Thankfully, the overall visual design looks just like the anime, and the character animations are solid. While this might sound like a given, it’s good to see that the Ultimate Ninja series still retains such a high level of quality, even after 5 entries.

The single-player story fights are also very climactic and epic, feeling just like the anime. All in all, this game can be seen as the culmination of every Naruto game for sixth-gen consoles.

Pros:

• Impressive character models
• Huge roster
• Good adaptation of the anime plot
• Immensely fun multiplayer
• Tons of unique animations

Cons:

• Some sidequests can get repetitive
• Assist characters can’t be turned off
• No summons or Hero mode