Much debate and zero agreement: that’s the everyday social media between fandoms, let alone amongst followers of the same show. Which ship, which anime, which protagonist is better, worse, stronger? No middle ground. The same goes for Naruto video game entries.
To no one’s surprise, there are two frontrunners in the Ninja Storm and Clash of Ninja series; they’re all shadow clones next to the real GOAT of titles: Naruto: Rise of a Ninja. Released on October 30, 2007, this entry was exclusive to the Xbox 360, marking the first Naruto game produced outside Japan and led by Ubisoft Montreal.
Rise of a Ninja follows the early storyline down to a tee, starting with the theft of the forbidden scroll all the way to the Chunin Exam showdowns and aftermath with Gaara and the tailed beasts, quick time events included.
This adventure would take the player through platforming challenges, wild goose chases, and iconic locations. An open world with unrestricted jutsu in a 2D/3D fighting game was the perfect direction for this installment.
The vibrant, colorful look of the environment captured the Shonen feel perfectly. Cell shading gets the job done in this fantastical world, which gets to enjoy the last moments of the mystical Xbox 360-era graphics.
Konoha felt alive. NPCs' quests to earn the village’s trust after Naruto’s alienation are an entertaining way to keep the first episode’s plot alive throughout filler gameplay. You could even skip town and leave through one of the village’s main doors anytime you felt like it, with a traversal tree jumping mini game and forest areas where you could get jumped by rogue ninjas, wild-Pokemon style.
Ubisoft also recreated the game’s mechanics around the anime’s power system and world-building. Hand seals were matched to both controller sticks. Jutsu required extra time to build up chakra. Wall and water running required the player’s full attention and intention, just as the universe was first depicted.
Jutsu animations also take the cake, with almost 1:1 choreographies from the manga and anime making their way to our screens. Mini games on offense and defense to deal or protect from maximum damage were in the sweet spot between too easy to care and painfully annoying to master.
After each battle, it was only natural for our blonde-haired hero to stop by to replenish, re-energize, and return to action. Needing to refill your health bar with a ramen bowl, managing your inventory, and filling up your backpack with ninja essentials creates the perfect level of strategy, immersion, and fun that anime titles have been begging for since they transitioned to video games.
Voiced by the original Japanese and American casts, cutscenes and dialogues come straight from the anime yet still feel natural and organic, especially when gameplay is accompanied by the official show soundtrack, which makes the experience all the more authentic. Trying to 100% this title is not only worth it, but it’s also an enjoyable experience through and through. One that guarantees a well-rounded playthrough in the big 2026.
All in all, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is a superb fighting game with an above-and-beyond knack for open-world activities, canon sidequesting, fan service animations, and overall attention to detail. An entry that shows what’s capable when the studio’s developers are also fans of the original material.
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is currently the second-highest rated Naruto game ever, only behind its own successor, Xbox 360’s Naruto: The Broken Bond. Ubisoft’s pioneering approach and calculated risks paved the way for two of the most beloved anime titles in recent memory.
If that isn’t the most Naruto way of making video games, I don’t know what is. Someone get the Montreal team back in the studio for a Shippuden version of Konoha. That is their ninja way. Believe it, eh!
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