Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 Review
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: CyberConnect2
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Genre: 3-D Fighting
ESRB Rating: Teen

With games based on licences, a reviewer is often left wondering whether their words will have any impact on those reading. If you’re a fan of the licence, you’re probably going to buy or at least rent the game regardless, as the familiar story and setting can probably make up for any glaring errors in game-play. If you know next to nothing about the license, you’ll probably pass, feeling that you need advance knowledge of the scenario and characters to get the most out of it, which is often the case.

The nice thing with a fighting game is that with story not playing a big role, the game can be enjoyed by just about anyone solely for its game-play, though devoted Naruto fans will surely get the most enjoyment out of it. And there’s plenty of game-play and depth to go around.

Naruto is a fast and furious cel-shaded fighter with a massive selection of characters and moves. Combat is deep and challenging, while still being accessible to those unused to fighters by focusing the majority of special moves into a single method of use. By tapping random directions on the control pad followed by the circle button, you’re all but certain to pull out some sort of zany move that will have Japanese symbols flashing across the scene, and a flurry of hits assailing your opponent.

The other buttons are not put to waste though and allow your character to jump and throw weapons among other things. You can also counter your opponent’s moves if your timing is right for added damage and insult. The battles feature many other elements such as power struggles when conflicting moves collide, ultimate moves, and transformations.

Battles take place in 3-D environments, with the combatants aligned on a 2-D plane. You can freely move to different ‘planes’ in the environment, and some battlefields also feature tiered levels. Objects are scattered around the arenas as well, and can be used to assault your opponent, or smashed apart to reveal health restoring goodies or weapons.

You can only choose a couple moves, called Jutsu, to bring into each battle with you, and additional moves can be unlocked for characters as you progress through the single-player campaign. You can also unlock numerous other goodies through the game’s Tanzaku Market, including videos, music tracks, cards and more. If you’re a fan of the cel-shading style, you’ll love UN 3. The cel-shaded graphics are outstanding, with vibrant colors and fluid motions filling the screen.

I found the soundtrack to be a mixed bag. I enjoyed some songs, but found others wince inducing. You have the option of Japanese or English voices for battle shouts and other dialogue, and the sound effects give a great sense of the impact of thunderous strikes and explosive blasts.

Naruto UN 3 is a great fighter, without a doubt designed with the fans in mind, but one that could be enjoyed by anyone looking for a solid and accessible fighting engine with a lot of depth.

News: The ever expanding Naruto universe will see two more releases in the near future. Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 will launch in late June for the PSP, with Ultimate Ninja Storm tentatively scheduled for a 4th quarter 2008 release on PS3.