Naruto stands as one of the big three anime ever made, both in our culture and that of Japan. It got its manga debut in a 1997 Shōnen issue. Quickly transitioning into anime in 2002, Naruto has skyrocketed in popularity and media appearances. Although the Shippuden series ended, a new series, Boruto, started soon after. Movies, books, shows, and even games have been released based on both the Naruto and Shippuden series.

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From the highly successful Ultimate Ninja series to the lesser-known Japan-only titles, Naruto has had a rocky road when it comes to games. With the rights shifting between developers, and publishers allowing other houses to develop games, the overall quality of games is constantly in flux. While they are mostly seen as fighting games, there has been an RPG here or a tabletop game there; Naruto games come in all forms. Here's a look at some of the best games in this regard.

Updated October 10, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Naruto is a popular franchise that needs no introduction. The adventures of the main character and his struggle to bring his friend back to the Leaf Village makes for a riveting arc where both Naruto and Sasuke gain immense levels of power before clashing against each other in one of the greatest anime battles of all time. The series has branched out from its manga and anime roots into other domains, including video games. The best ones of the lot are mentioned below and are worth checking out for any fan of Naruto.

18 Naruto X Boruto: Ninja Voltage

Naruto X Boruto Ninja Voltage

A freemium mobile Naruto game might not sound like the greatest thing in the world. However, it's testament to the quality of Naruto X Boruto: Ninja Voltage that this game is worth checking out regardless of whether people are fans of this series or not.

Naruto X Boruto combines both base management and action gameplay to great effect, making for a fun time since both facets of gameplay mesh together quite well. While its freemium aspects might be slightly irritating, Naruto X Boruto: Ninja Voltage is still a great game worthy of anyone's time and attention.

17 Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2

Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2

Uzumaki Chronicles is one of the more underrated Naruto action games around. Sure, the titles might not feature anything truly special, but their dedication to telling original plots should definitely be commended.

Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is considered by many to be the superior game, featuring a story revolving around Puppet Masters and a rebellious clan that wants to take over the shinobi world. Suffice to say, Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is a blast that fans will have a great time with indeed.

16 Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles

Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles

Most people would be surprised to see Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles on this list. After all, the game didn't really receive the warmest reception around, but it's the unique and innovative ideas present in this game that makes it worth checking out for fans of the series.

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It helps that each character gets a unique outfit in the game that looks pretty impressive. The game might diverge a bit too much from the core of Naruto, but players who appreciate creators trying to take risks with making a Naruto game might find something to appreciate here after all.

15 Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker

It might not be the most groundbreaking Naruto game around, but Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is a pretty decent fighting game that fans of the series should check out. The chaotic battles and a wide variety of characters present in this series make it well worth the price of admission.

The only drawback of this game is that it's mostly online-play, with little to no single-player content that will keep players invested for what could've been a great narrative for this title. However, that's a minor gripe in an otherwise brilliant title.

14 Naruto: Path Of The Ninja

Naruto: Path of the Ninja

The idea of a Naruto JRPG sounds like a pretty engaging concept. Fans who wanted to try out such a game can do the same with Naruto: Path of the Ninja.

The game chronicles the story from the very start of the game all the way to the assault on Konoha by Orochimaru and his forces, with Gaara being the final boss. It's a solid title that fans of the series should definitely check out, especially if they're into turn-based strategic combat.

13 Naruto: Path Of The Ninja 2

Naruto Path Of The Ninja 2

Unfortunately, the sequel to the first Path of the Ninja game never made it to Western shores. Instead, the third game in the series was rebranded as Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 and released instead.

For what it's worth, the game focuses on a completely original plot that is pretty riveting to uncover. It's a great way to add some additional flavor to the world of Naruto, with the turn-based gameplay being just as solid as ever.

12 Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles

Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles

An action-adventure title with pretty solid combat, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles was released on the PS2 on November 16, 2006. The game featured a ton of cut content in comparison to its Japanese release.

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Regardless, the game is still pretty fun in its own right, even though it feels like parts of the experience have been removed rather half-heartedly. Thankfully, its sequel didn't have to deal with any of these issues.

11 Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2

Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles 2

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is a pretty decent sequel to the original, even though it might be painfully short. However, most people won't mind a brief run through an original plot that is pretty serviceable in its own right.

The fact that it features several different modes and an alternate scenario starring Kakashi adds a few more hours to the runtime. Fans of Naruto will have a great time with this game, even though it might not be a really memorable experience.

10 Naruto: Clash Of Ninja 2

Ino vs Kakasi in Clash of Ninja 2

It might not be one of the greatest Naruto games around, but Clash of Ninja 2 is a pretty entertaining fighting game regardless. The fact that the cel-shaded art style has aged well is a huge bonus too.

While it might be hard to play this game given its exclusive GameCube release, fans of Naruto who find a way to play it will have a ball of a time. The fighting mechanics are solid and make for a great way to spend some time with a Naruto brawler.

9 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Impact

The Ultimate Ninja series for Naruto is one of the most popular fighting games that uses the character from this popular franchise. Most people are aware of Ultimate Ninja Storm, but the PSP was also graced with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact as well.

It's a great game that emulates the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors to great effect. The fact that it covers some of the best arcs in Naruto Shippuden is also a huge bonus!

8 Naruto: Rise Of A Ninja

Naruto Rise Of A Ninja

Rise of a Ninja had you control the protagonist Naruto through the beginning parts of the anime. Packed full of 80 episodes, this release saw you learning hand seals, training your ninjutsu, and undertaking side missions galore. While it is rather arcade-like nowadays, when this game came out it felt exactly how you’d picture a ninja-in-training would play like.

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Rise of a Ninja was separated out into two modes, the one-on-one fighting we are accustomed to with the Storm series, and role-playing, where you could move around Konoha. Thankfully this game garnered enough attention to warrant a much better sequel.

7 Naruto: The Broken Bond

Naruto The Broken Bond

The sequel to Rise of the Ninja, The Broken Bond improved upon every single aspect of its predecessor. You could traverse faster, use wall/water running more often, the maps were bigger, the story lasted longer —though only containing episodes 81-135— and combat even saw an improvement. Being one of the last games to feature hand seals, moving the thumbsticks to perform them, The Broken Bond feels drastically different than its Storm sibling.

Receiving higher praise than its predecessor, this series of Ubisoft Naruto games came to an end (seeing the rise of the Storm series pick up afterward). For a more realistic, hands-on experience, this series was one of the best of its type. Including tag-team battles, as well as new voice recordings, this series died before it could reach its full potential.

6 Naruto Shippuden: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 3

Naruto Shippuden Clash Of Ninja Revolution 3

Set as the fifth installment in the Clash of Ninja series, Revolution 3 is seen by many fans as the pinnacle of the series. Featuring 40 characters and 40 stages, this release on the Wii still has gamers playing its online component even though it was released back in 2009. Running through the Kazekage Rescue Mission in story mode, you can fight some of the harder battles, including Gaara vs. Deidara.

With easy-to-learn combat, in-depth combos, and fun mechanics, Revolution 3 stands out in the Clash of Ninja series. Following a combat style more akin to Tekken you should be able to hop in and enjoy it regardless of previous engagement with the series. It does feature some plain graphics, along with some poor animation, but this could have been more a problem of the console than the game itself. Although, with the introduction of 4-way battles you can easily overlook a few errors.

5 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3

Naruto using shadow clones against Killer Bee

Innovating on all its past work, Ultimate Ninja 3 sports the tradition of customizing characters, from their items to their jutsu loadouts. Along with the customization, you could also initiate transformations and Jutsu clashes. Coupled with its gameplay improvements, Ultimate Ninja 3 also added CGI cutscenes in its story mode. To be fair, it did cut a lot of stories in the process, to create a more action-based story mode. Being the last game before the story shifted to Shippuden, UN3 is another fan favorite.

While it did streamline (or dumb down) some of its mechanics they never felt like a downgrade, more like changing into a faster way to play. The art style looks as if it’s picked right out from the Manga, though it might look a touch dated by today’s standard.

4 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations

Like many of the sequels to the Ultimate Ninja series, Generations saw even more improvements and additions to the combat system. A substitution gauge, awakening mode, and collectible cards gave players advantages during combat. Adding new mechanics to the superb graphical style, Generations stood out when it was first released. Keeping characters from Storm and Storm 2, Generations boasted a roster of 72 characters with several looks depending on the story.

Generations was also one of the few games that did away with exploration and “story,” featuring a battle royale type of approach. For the gamers who already knew the story and wanted a straight-up fighter set within the Naruto universe, Generations supplied them with one of the best ways to do just that.

3 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Best anime fighting games Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

The most recent Storm game release even features an expansion that follows Boruto during the beginning of his journey through the movie. Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is the pinnacle of the Storm series, featuring refined combat, graphics, and over 100 characters on offer. While the reception for this game was rocky at release, Storm 4 has improved through patches and its expansion. Following the story of the Fourth Shinobi World War up to the anime’s end.

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Meant as a send-off to the series, Storm 4 looks to be the last game developed by CyberConnect2, with their expansion being the final release in the Storm lineup. Bandai Namco has since confirmed the finality of the Ultimate Ninja series.

2 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst

Sasuke and Naruto connecting their hands in a mutual power punch

With an explosive start —with the Kages meeting in secret to have Sasuke attack them— Storm 3 introduced a series of mechanics and improvements. Awakening mode, support characters, new tag-team assist actions, mob mode, and Ultimate Decisions. Storm 3 was a refreshing direction for the series, becoming more climatic and flashy than its predecessors. Instead of just entering combat with principal enemies, you would now make your way through waves of ninja on your way, ramping up towards the final battles of the areas.

While Generations did away with story and epic boss battles, the developers heard the cries for their return. Storm 3 featured even greater end battles, with huge beast battles and explosions galore, with different endings based on your Ultimate decisions. Storm 4 did have some problems with AI and connection problems, there weren’t as many complaints with Storm 3.

1 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm

Naruto running in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm

This is where it all started. Storm revolutionized the Ultimate Ninja series’ combat and approach to Naruto games. Shifting from 2d combat planes to 3d ones, introducing the Awakening mode, Jutsu Clash, Konoha exploration, and more. Following the anime up to episode 135, with 25 playable characters to start off with, Storm saw the rise of the cel-shaded graphical style that has returned in all future games.

Instead of merely following the anime, Storm moved to make the anime look much better than it was. The graphics side of things was phenomenal, and the expansion of Konoha and combat meant that Naruto would stand out even more in the gaming scene. CyberConnect2 stumbled onto something great with Storm, and they rode that train till its final destination.

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