Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, known in Japan as is the first installment of the "Ultimate Ninja Storm" series, it is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Games. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) across North America, Europe and Australia in November 2008 and in Japan on January 15, 2009. It is based on the popular manga and anime series "Naruto" by Masashi Kishimoto, and the first installment of the on the PS3. A sequel titled "" was released in Japan, North America and Europe in October 2010 for the  PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Two more sequels, "" and "" were released in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Gameplay. "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm" retains many of the gameplay elements from earlier installments of the "Ultimate Ninja" series. However, "Ultimate Ninja Storm" allows players to fight in three-dimensional environments, as opposed to the two-dimensional planes in previous games. One of the new features introduced to the series in "Ultimate Ninja Storm" is "Awakening Mode", a transformation that can be activated when a player loses a certain amount of health during a match. The health requirement for each character differs based on  how powerful the transformation is. Once activated, the character gains new abilities, speed, and stronger attacks. A few of the characters in the game gain entirely new movesets after transforming. With the d-pad, players can use preset items during a match that either damage the opponent or provide various status effects like increasing attack power, or lowering the opponent's defense. Players are also able to customize their character's jutsu and select two support characters to use in a match. Returning to the game from previous installments is "jutsu clash" mode, which is initiated if both players activate  their special attack at the same time. During this mode, both players have to press the corresponding button as fast as possible in order to knock away their opponent. Each character has an "ultimate jutsu". If it hits, both players either input button commands, mash a certain button, or spin the analogue stick the fastest during the time limit. If the attacking player wins, the ultimate will hit, typically taking away around a third to a full bar of the opponent's health. If the defending player wins, they will escape without major damage. Each character also has an "ultimate  impact", where if the player holds down the melee button, the character controlled will charge up a very powerful strike. If it hits, it zooms in on the opponent's face taking a heavy blow in a short, cinematic close-up. The game includes 25 playable characters, each of which can also be used as a support character during battle. Ten additional support-only characters are available as free downloadable content released over the five-month period that followed the game's release. Additional downloadable content include alternative costumes, and new missions. The story mode loosely covers the events of  the anime up to episode 135. Players are able to explore the Hidden Leaf Village between missions, which acts as a central hub for the story mode, and access more missions. Development. The game was first unveiled in September 2007, under the code name "Naruto PS3 Project". Namco Bandai said the title would start with "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja" and asked fans for suggestions on a suffix consisting of one or two words. In April 2008 the game was officially named "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm", in addition, the developers allowed fans to choose the final front cover for the game out  of a possible six. The game features cel-shaded graphics that "will break the barrier between anime and video game". Hiroshi Matsuyama, one of the creators of the game, commented that the staff wanted to try to remove the borderline between the anime and actual gameplay. They wanted to reach an effect where people actually look at the scenes as anime rather than a game. The core concept of the game is that of a one on one battle. Though the storyline from the game is based on the first 135 episodes of the anime series, the producers picked out  key areas within the story, effectively forming a line from the first to the 135th episode. A playable demo of the game was released on Sony's PlayStation Network on July 17, 2008. Only Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake were playable and only one stage was included. The official North American release date of the game was confirmed in a trailer shown during the 2008 Tokyo Game Show. Releases. A limited edition version of "Ultimate Ninja Storm" was available to those who pre-order the game at select retailers. It includes a steel book case with an alternate art plastic  slip cover, two exclusive cards for the "Naruto" collectible card game, a CD of the game's soundtrack, and an individually numbered "Laser Cel" depicting Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. The game was first released in North America on November 4, 2008. In Europe, on November 7, 2008, and in Australia on November 20, 2008. The Japanese version of the game was released on January 15, 2009 under the name of . A remastered version of the game was released in "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy" alongside Ninja Storm 2 and 3 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows  on August 25, 2017, and was released for Nintendo Switch on April 26, 2018. Reception. "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm" received "generally positive" reception, according to review aggregator Metacritic. IGN gave the game an 8.4 out of 10, praising it for its "phenomenal visuals" and the variety of things that can be done between missions. It noted that the single-button combat might turn away hardcore gamers, but found the fast-paced action and chakra management system to be redeeming factors. GameSpot gave the game a score of 7.5 out of ten saying it wasn't a bad game but it  wasn't a great one either. 1UP.com gave it a B− and praised the game's graphics, but commented that some parts of the game system have issues. As of July 2009, 83,868 units have been sold in Japan. It was the only video game to win the Excellence Prize in the Entertainment Division of the 13th annual Japan Media Arts Festival. As of 2016, the game has sold over two million copies.