• Posted November 7th, 2008 at 01:36 EDT by
• 13 Comments

Have you ever played a game based on a movie or TV show that didn’t fail on an epic level? We can discuss games like Full Metal Alchemist, CSI, Harry Potter or even Shrek and still come to the conclusion that each game adaptation is mediocre at best. It’s because of this expected assumption that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm ended up being such an enjoyable gaming experience. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, developed by CyberConnect2, is based off of the iconic television show Naruto. As many gamers are probably already aware, Naruto is a mischievous, ramen loving, yellow-haired Ninja who is possessed by the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Naruto: UNS spans across the first 100 episodes (give or take a few) of the anime’s storyline. This allows Naruto fanatics to partake in memorable moments from the TV show as well as enjoy mini-games and the ability to roam freely through the Hidden Leaf Village. All of this is possible through Ultimate Mission Mode, which is the most expansive game mode available.

Ultimate Mission Mode is a casual adventure mode in a title that would otherwise be a pure fighting game. Within this mode, gamers can freely run around the Hidden Leaf Village in order to find hidden scrolls, breakable barrels filled with money, and even scattered secrets. The coolest aspect of the Hidden Leaf Village, however, is the ability to scale the buildings with well timed jumps while creating your own “parkour-like” experience. The way you can maneuver atop of the city is kind of similar to Assassin’s Creed, but you won’t find Naruto doing too many pull-ups or ladder climbs to achieve it. This spunky ball of hyperactivity jumps his way to rooftops allowing you to run across large portions of the village in as little time as possible.

 

Of course, this isn’t all Ultimate Mission Mode has to offer. As expected with the title, missions are a huge portion of this game mode. There are 100 missions to complete within the main storyline. They’re broken down into specific levels of difficulty, and must be completed in order to progress the story, as well as earn rewards and items. These missions range from standard fights to mini-games to nostalgic boss battles. Unfortunately, the mini-game aspect of Naruto: UNS is very shallow. The bulk of the mini-games involve making your way through trees whilst dodging branches. This can lead to repetitive gameplay, but it doesn’t detract from the overall entertainment value that much.

Free Battle Mode is the other option that Naruto: UNS offers. This mode is used to finely tune your skills as well as beat up on your less skilled friends. As expected, this is a standard fighting mode. Two characters are pitted against one another with the aid of two support characters on each side. The support characters are triggered by your L1/R1 buttons. This causes them to jump into the field of play, deliver a special attack and then leave. For some, the combat mechanics may feel too simplified, while for others they may understand that there is indeed some underlying strategy to the way the game plays. The circle button is going to be your best friend throughout battle due to the fact it allows you to pull off the most devastating moves imaginable. This allows the game to be picked up and played by all comers, but it often leaves a bit to be desired because of the simplistic feel it can leave you with. As previously mentioned, this opinions will be split on whether the game is just a simple button masher or a title worth learning the ins and outs of.

It’s also worth noting that Naruto features incredibly impressive animations. The fluid movements combined with attacks make for a rather stunning performance. CyberConnect2 has done a great job in connecting each movement with the next in order to deliver a very fluid experience.

A word a lot of gamers like to throw around when discussing the visuals of a title is “realistic.” Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is obviously incapable of providing realistic visuals, however, UNS does provide a realistic representation to that of the actual anime. The character detail is crisp and precise, and the environments and effects look great. When I first ... (continued on next page)