KAGE BUSHIN!! Bandai just keeps sneaking itself into our lives with its unique addition to its Naruto Shippuden Ninja Storm series. If you are a fan of ninjas, the Naruto anime series, or manga then this is definitely the game for you. With the tale of a gutsy ninja who does not know how to give up when it comes to the things that are important to him, it just seems to go hand in hand with video game consoles. Combos, ninja arts, and explosive character interactions are all you need to have a good time and believe me, it’s all here.
The game-play that’s thrown into your face from left and right is still the same fun game you remember with the classic Ninja Storm modes that you know and love. As it should this new addition is still up to date with the Shippuden series making it easy for players to relate to while looking forward to their favorite ninja clashes. The main mode in the Shippuden has always been the story mode. Even if you have never played before you could still guess what it is all about. Through game-play and videos, you follow the stories of all the main players throughout the series from start to finish. For the players that already know the story up and down, it is definitely still a blast. As promised, Bandai has also included clips from the show that have never been seen before. A lot of them will give a new perspective to your favorite or most hated characters.
Multiplayer is always a plus when it comes to fighters and this is no different. With 72 characters to choose from and 15 assist types, the team combinations are endless; especially because every one of them has a different assist move and play style, there’s a team for everyone. With the battle system the way it is, this game is one that button mashers will definitely enjoy, but for those who take their time to practice and learn how to play, it becomes a game of strategy. The Ninja Storm series has always been more about strategy than anything whether most players know it or not. With combos still able to be extended you have to play it safe when trying to move in or do damage because one small mistake can get you combo-ed to death, especially if you have no escape meter. Some of your assist characters have distance attacks or invincibility which helps out with that problem.
When it comes down to people who like to spam, this game still makes it pretty difficult to do because there’s always a way around it and a way to counter it so that they won’t try it again. Two changes were made to battle system which made a big difference to the end of the battle. Your escape bar has been shortened and “Awakening Mode” which is a sort of a last resort ability to help players turn the tide of the battle. A character becomes awakened when their health gets to a certain point in the orange and they fill up their chakra to the brim. A prime example is when you play as Naruto and obtain the requirements, he then transforms into the vicious Nine Tails possessed ninja.
The online play for the game isn’t too bad at all. They set you up with a match making system that’s very similar to every other fighter out there, making it easy for players of similar skill levels to battle it out. It felt really smooth and fluent, thank god since just a little bit of lag could change the whole battle in just a second.
Ninja Storm has always had a great deal of unlockable content but now even moreso than ever. Bandai has introduced a real world card system making it a little more interesting. On each new Naruto game card is a code that you enter to unlock different player tittles that you can’t get any other way. For players of the card game this little addition is definitely a welcoming addition.
The game controls are as usual quite difficult to get used to if you are a new player, but if you keep it up with practice it becomes second nature. This game has so many responses to every situation but because of the control setup you really have to be familiar with it to react correctly.
Bandai has done a great job in my opinion with their Naruto game series and this is no exception. The story mode helps you to become submerged even more into the story while the multiplayer is just all around entertaining. This series may take practice to become good at, but when you finally get everything down including the controls, it can become a very competitive game. The card mode is a cool concept and is enjoyable for the card game fans, but in the end I don’t believe it does too much for me. Overall, this is an amazing game that I know I will be playing with my friends for a very long time. Bandai has once again snuck into my heart with another great Ninja Storm. Thanks for the memories.
