The latest in the excellent Naruto based Narutimate Hero (or Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, if you prefer) series of 3D action/fighting games has been confirmed as being due for a winter release on the PS3. The game is entitled NARUTO ‐ ナルト ‐ ナルティメットストーム / Narutimate Storm.
Interestingly enough, the game looks to be the first in the Narutimate series to target the international audience first and foremost, as the shots we see are in English, and, most notably, the game occurs pre-timeskip, likely for this reason.
The game itself follows the usual mould of the series and needs no introduction; the major update this time looks to be graphical.
Presumably, this is just the first instalment of the series on the PS3, with a view towards servicing the needs of the international market, and the Japanese Accel games will follow later?
Via Game Watch.
In my opinion, it’s worth keeping up with Naruto just for the Narutimate series (I’ve played all of them), as they really are everything an anime based game adaptation should be.
However, it looks as if the decision to place it in the first part of the series may limit the game’s appeal; just how many times are fans expected to play through this?
In case you are wondering about an Xbox 360 port, it seems this is off the cards, as Ubisoft snaffled up the exclusive rights some time ago, so games on that platform look set to be developed for the US/EU market first and foremost.
Trying to say why the f♥♥k don’t they release a PS4 version.
Realize it’s a 2008 news.
The gameplay still looks the same for me. Though the re-designed graphics are definitely better now.
Too much naruto is bad for brain cell
i’ve played one of the game…
being fun and all…but seeing new installment with nothing but improved graphic +story +ninjutsu…
this will just be another DBZ…
but it sell well…
so yeah…whatever…
I felt the premise was pretty good…. then ninjas started to have super powers, like mutants from X-Men. Thats when I felt it got out of hand. I only watched till Naruto beat Gaara. Then the emo-fest started and Naruto disappeared from his own manga for about a year.
Why Artefact, I had no idea you were a fan of the series. some would try to disregard the series as an attempt to look ‘elite’ but really its a good story, fun games. And I’ve been wondering about the popularity of Naruto in Japan as compared to the US. Anyone know?
I’ve actually read the whole manga three times (mainly when I was learning Japanese, but I certainly enjoyed it), so I know it very well. Lately, the main reason it holds my interest is the games though.
My personal interests and what goes on Sankaku Complex are two different things, so that’s why you never hear about most of my favourites (Tsutomu Nihei is the main example of this).
Naruto is of course hugely popular in Japan, but very unpopular amongst otaku. Generally it is seen as a straightforward children’s anime, and is not taken seriously.
Often I have seen Japanese otaku despair of the popularity it enjoys overseas, since they see it as entirely unworthy, and a poor example.
Of all the dozens, if not hundreds, of sites I monitor regularly to update from, I never see so much as a mention of Naruto, despite it being one of the most popular series in manga or anime.
A bizarre and paradoxical pariah status it enjoys, considering many of these otaku must be buying it…
Probably also because the main media is so flooded about it, that we bloggers try to cover something else OTHER than it.
But yeah, the game looks very interesting… I’m not a fan of the series, though I did watch 100+ episodes from the anime.
But the games look gorgeous.
Here’s another game that will be released in some months too:
http://xspblog.com/2008/08/01/naruto-the-broken-bond/
I’m hoping for Shippuden to be released on the consoles more often, I’ve only heard of it being made mostly for the Wii(I think there was one for PS2).
frankly i preferred the PS2 version. none of this rubbish of one character filling the screen with the other in the background. plus there are better game mechanics involved. but that’s just my taste.
the ps3 version looks and plays a lot like dbz budokai tenkaichi series. you ever thought about that? you have your character then the opponent is right in front of you.