Naruto: Ultimate Ninja

PlayStation exclusive

For the first time in the PS2, explore the incredible world of Naruto Uzumaki on the console. Players can select from 14 key characters taken straight from the anime, including Naruto Uzumaki, the young ninja-in-training, and his two ninja-school classmates Sakura and Sasuke. With its opulent visual style and broad range of gameplay modes Naruto: Ultimate Ninja is a game for arcade-fighter and Naruto fans alike.

Released: 23 October 2003
Platforms: PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable
Genres: Fighting Beat 'em up
Developers: CyberConnect2
Publishers: —
Modes: Local multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action

About

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, known in Japan as the Naruto: Narutimate Series (Japanese: NARUTO(ナルト) ナルティメットシリーズ, Hepburn: Naruto: Narutimetto Shirīzu), is a series of fighting video games, based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. It was developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai and later Bandai Namco Entertainment. The first game was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, and was followed by four more titles for the system, as well as five spinoffs for the PlayStation Portable. A follow-up for the PlayStation 3, titled Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, was the first to feature three-dimensional battles, and began the long-running Storm sub-series.

While starting out as a series exclusive to the PlayStation family of systems, the series has also been present on Xbox and PC platforms since the release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the Xbox 360 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst for Windows, respectively. Latest releases were also ported to the Nintendo Switch. The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series sold over 20 million copies worldwide as of December 2019 and in 2024 the Ultimate Ninja Storm series sold over 30 million copies and Bandai Namco posted a congratulatory art from the author, Masashi Kishimoto, as a celebration of 30 million units sold worldwide.

›Story

NARUTO - ULTIMATE NINJA follows the story of the manga from the Introduction Arc up to the Invasion Arc.

Keywords

anime
ninja
minigames
death
hand-to-hand combat
brawler
based on - tv show
wall jump
clan
based on - anime
licensed game
grapple

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Reception

1 million units sold. 8 million in Europe. In celebration CyberConnect2's CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama participated in the 2012 Paris International Marathon while cosplaying as Naruto Uzumaki, thanking fans. By 2016, more than 15 million units were sold.

As of 2019, 20 million units have sold. 5 billion ($66 million) in China. By 2024 more than 30 million Ninja Storm copies sold and Bandai Namco Entertainment posted a congratulatory art from the author, Masashi Kishimoto, as a celebration of 30 million units sold worldwide.