Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3, developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, is the third title in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja fighting game series. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 came out in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 and is based on the Japanese manga series: Naruto. In the series, you follow the main story of the series, Naruto Uzumaki, as he looks to be the head of the village (a Hokage). The different game modes in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 include Ultimate Contest, VS Duel, Hero’s History, and much more. This is definitely a must-have for Naruto fans and new fans to the series.

This is not to be confused with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 3 as that is part of a different Naruto series. Let’s take a look at a review for Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 for the PlayStation 2.

Standing Above Its Predecessors

The Ultimate Ninja series has always been lauded as the better game series under the Naruto name. It doesn’t make a lot of changes to the fighting system from the previous title, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, but it does come with a larger cast of playable characters. Not only are there more characters for you to play but you can make them gigantic as well. Ultimate Ninja 3 plays a major part in the story arc of the Naruto anime and lets you play some of your favorite scenes from the show.

Hours Of Entertainment

Naruto’s Ultimate Contest single-player mode is rather long and should provide hours of fun by itself. It includes a battle royale, where you battle other characters in the Naruto universe for the right to make a new law for Hidden Leaf Village. Unfortunately, Hidden Leaf Village is a little bland and it can be repetitive running around and challenging other characters from Naruto to battle you. You can also destroy the town a bit in a Zelda-type way by breaking pots to find money and scrolls while participating in various mini-games.

Trying New Things

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 is the first in the Ultimate Ninja game series to use computer-generated cutscenes. You are also able to summon other Naruto characters to fight alongside you by using your Ultimate Jutsu. You can also summon giant monsters to turn the tide of battle. The gameplay is nothing short of incredible as you play through different areas with upgraded graphics. You don’t have to be a big fan of Naruto to play the game either. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 does a good job of explaining the series as you go along. Also, the controls for the game are simple enough for anyone to pick up and play without being terribly confused. Unfortunately, the game does not feature online multiplayer. However, you can challenge a friend to multiplayer on the same console by plugging in a second controller.

Pros

• A large roster of playable characters
• New voice options
• New mini-games
• Simple controls

Cons

• No change to the fighting system
• Annoying camera angles
• Missions too repetitive
• No online multiplayer