Best Naruto Games That Aren't Fighting Games, Ranked

Naruto fighting games have been very popular ever since Naruto Ultimate Ninja. The IP had a lot of potential with its evolving battle formula, especially when taking inspiration from Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi. The Naruto IP grew more prosperous with its fighting genre, though it has room to grow in other genres.

Not everyone can play a fighting game. The amount of stress and memorization needed to play at a moment’s notice can become overbearing, like learning when to throw a combo extension or switch characters. That’s why it’s best for IPs to spread to other genres to provide unique perspectives like battle strategies or exploration. The ideal Naruto game makes the IP more compatible and memorable with genre, art, and gameplay. Naruto has a lot to provide in its world as players like to personally see more about the life of a ninja outside of complex combat.

7

Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles

Dragon Hunter

Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles

Systems

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Released

November 26, 2009

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Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles is an ambitious game that takes Naruto into a unique hack-n’-slash adventure. When an original villain threatens to use the ancient dragons’ power to cause havoc, Naruto takes up the ancient Dragon Blade on Mount Koryū. This particular location forces every character to wear unique clothing to avoid its weakening effects. It also gives Naruto access to multiple elemental jutsus that aren’t akin to his chakra nature.

As Naruto travels with his ancient Dragon Blade, a familiar story plays for Sasuke Uchiha. Both shinobis fight similarly with their blades, though use different jutsus and assist to gain momentum. Sasuke searches to kill Itachi, which involves chasing the Akatsuki targeting the ancient dragons’ power. He has to cooperate with his own team to find his brother preoccupied with his group’s mission.

6

Naruto Powerful Shippuden

The Powerful Chibi Ninjas

Naruto Powerful Shippuden is a side-scrolling adventure for two well-favored characters from the Hidden Leaf village, Naruto and Rock Lee. They’ll take different missions to complete different goals that involve defeating enemies or finding required items. The combat is straightforward, making combos easy with normal attacks and jutsus. They can even use different ally assists to help clear a crowded room.

The story is different between the two shinobis, though offer humorous, expressive interactions with their amusing designs. Naruto follows the anime as he faces canonical enemies like before taking up training with Bee. Rock Lee doesn’t follow the anime but instead has a unique journey that leads to multiple situations like doing business and facing the Akatsuki.

5

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online

MMO Shinobi Lifestyle

• Released: July 20, 2016
• System: Windows
• Developer: Namco Bandai Games, Cyberconnect2

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online brings players into the Naruto universe with its MMO structure. They can create their custom shinobi to interact with other players and Naruto characters. As they socialize, they can complete the campaign missions to challenge different adversaries through turn-based combat.

The player can design their shinobi with preferred elemental classes, equipment, and teams. They can rally other Naruto characters to form a perfect squad to defeat stronger enemies or other players through PvP arenas. They can even team up with other players to face different PvE quests and strong raid bosses.

4

Naruto: Ninja Council 2

Team 7 Forever

Naruto: Ninja Council closely follows Naruto’s early experiences as a Genin in a sidescrolling format. Instead of working alone like in the predecessor, he gains help from his Team 7 members who can switch active roles in mid-combat.

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The levels are bigger and varied with Team 7 challenging hostile ninjas like Orochimaru and Gaara up to the Chunin Exam arc. They can use scrolls to summon characters to perform jutsus like Kakashi’s lightning blade and Shikamaru’s shadow possession. Each character can even use their iconic jutsus, making them more separate characters than copies like the original game.

3

Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2

Way Of The Ninja RPG

• Released: October 14, 2008
• System: Nintendo DS
• Developer: TOSE

Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 takes Naruto’s squad back into its artistic RPG adventure through a unique situation. It plays similarly to its predecessor, letting the ninjas customize their equipment and items for strategic play. It does force players to plan out different formations and jutsus for better advantages during combat.

The major difference is its storytelling, which veers off from the canonical anime. It makes Naruto face the Three Ryūdōin Brothers who have a grudge against Might Guy and plan to reanimate a Spirit Beast to destroy the world. The only solution to stop them is to acquire the five Hope Mirrors to thwart the brothers’ dangerous plans.

2

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Shinobi Squad Battle

Fighting

Shooter

Platformer

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Systems

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Released

February 23, 2018

Developer(s)

Soleil

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Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is one of the few games that gives Naruto’s son his own spotlight in a team-based arena game. Its combat isn’t as advanced as Tekken, though its customization and movement have wide depth for everchanging playstyles. Quick reaction and precision are required to move around the sizeable arenas to gain advantages like the high ground. The most significant goal during a match is playing the right role for the team.

Each ninja like Boruto is categorized into a determined class. It does offer the chance to create a ninja with different stats and jutsus, including Jinchūriki and Kāma techniques. The player’s shinobi fits into one of four categories:

• Attack type for stronger aggression and all-around stats though must be close-range (Naruto; Boruto)
• Defense type for more ally protection and close-range attacks, but have slower speed (Gaara; Mitsuki)
• Ranged type for excelling zoning tools and pushing enemies away, but with weaker physical stats (Sasuke; Sai)
• Heal type for buffs and debuffs, though have weaker physical stats (Hinata; Sarada)

1

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles

An Uzumaki Adventure

Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles is an action-adventure game focusing on Naruto’s Genin lifestyle. Naruto is very customizable with his skill plate to strengthen his stats and classic jutsus like power strike and harem jutsu. They can even change their properties for different attacks like Naruto’s Uzumaki Barrage with his Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Naruto would travel to different areas on the map like the hidden mist village and hidden sand village. Many missions involve protecting delivery carriages from quick and large bandits. Naruto is the main star for the missions, though allies like Shikamaru and Neji can assist him for a limited time. Many adversaries will challenge Naruto as he’s forced to take higher-ranked missions, including his own comrades and unique enemies.

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5 Naruto Games With The Best Combat, Ranked

It’s hard to beat the following Naruto games when it comes to engaging combat systems.

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