Narutimate Ninja Storm 4

The manga ended its lengthy run, and the anime series will soon follow suit--though the next generation of stories featuring Narutimate son has already begun taking shape in comics and a feature-length film.

The characters and over-the-top battles look and feel great, and the story pays off in a satisfying way. On the other hand, even the best combat system in the world would be wasted if there are no worthy opponents to be found.

Game sticks to the core gameplay tenets of the series, offering a massive roster of characters from across the sprawling Narutimate saga and pitting you in one-on-one battles in a free-roaming arena against another ninja. Actually, it’s more like three-on-three this time around: while you could have partners to assist you in previous games in the series, now you can assemble a team of three characters and swap between them as you please in mid-battle. Unlike most other team-based fighters, however, all characters share the same lifebar.

As a free-roaming fighter, there’s a lot you can do. Movement utilizes the left analog stick and the jump button, allowing you to dance around the field with your speedy ninja moves and close in for the kill when necessary. You can even do ninja wall-runs this time around in some arenas. To damage your foe, you can make use of throwing weapons for low-damage ranged attacks, basic ground and air combos, throws, and special ninja techniques that utilize your chakra gauge. Managing your chakra is very important, since many of your special abilities depend on it: you can charge it manually--which leaves you vulnerable--build it through exchanging blows, or pick up some chakra balls that drop when your foe is down.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a beatdown, you can use a substitution jutsu to teleport out of the way and attempt a counterattack, or summon your partners with the shoulder buttons to aid you with their special skills. If the going gets really tough, you can even dig into your ninja item stash and use tools for recovery, power boosts, and other nifty effects like causing massive explosions. nd once combat’s dragged on past a certain point and your health is nearing critical levels, you can charge up a ninja Awakening for an even bigger--although temporary--boost to your abilities.