As many other people, I grew up with Naruto. However, I didn’t discover the franchise through the anime or manga. It was thanks to my brother importing a GameCube Naruto fighting game back when I was a kid that I developed a passion for the series. Even though my interests have shifted ever since, I have an immense fondness for Naruto games, have played plenty of them over the years, and look forward to new releases often. During a pre-TGS special preview event at Bandai Namco Entertainment in Tokyo, Japan, I was able to spend some time playing the upcoming Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, and the series continues to be exactly what I loved about the franchise.

During my time with the game, I was able to play with any of the over 130 characters that the game will include, as well as try the first fight of the completely original Special Story Mode. While the overall Ultimate Ninja Storm formula remains unchanged, the many changes added to the latest entry in the series are patent. One of the most obvious was being able to use two Ninjutsu per character, for a total of 6 per team. Having this level of flexibility in a team is great, and fans have been asking for it for a long time. But mostly, being able to use all of these flashy iconic moves is what I look forward the most in an Ultimate Ninja Storm game.

The new simple control scheme is a fantastic addition, and great for beginners. The only downside to these controls in Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is that they don’t offer as much depth as the traditional control style. In fact, these controls can drain your chakra really fast, so players will want to eventually learn the classic controls to have a better grasp of their actions during battles. The latest entry in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series is algo aiming for a large international audience, and will include localization for 16 languages, and 6 different voiceovers, including French and German included.

Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will include a Special Story Mode and History Mode. The History Mode is a recap of the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden stories through various iconic fights, with animated photos and cut-ins front the anime. Whereas the Special Story Mode is a completely new campaign with Boruto as the protagonist. During a Q&A section, producers Hotaka Suto and Rokushi Suzuki said that the Special Story Mode aims to present the peaceful, post-war daily setting of Boruto in the same light as the original story of Naruto, by showcasing the same threats and risks as the era of the Ninja Wars.

In fact, it is the Special Story Mode that caught my attention the most. The antagonist being a former follower of Pain that glorifies his cause and aims to bring back the idea of a “better” past seems like an interesting conflict to explore, and it perfectly fits world of Naruto. While author Masashi Kishimoto didn’t write the story, it was handled by Shueisha and supervised by Kishimoto.

Pre-existing characters from the Boruto series that appeared in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto have received some tweaks and minor adjustments. These are Mitsuki, Sarada, and Momoshiki. Producers Suto and Suzuki confirmed that the two original characters from the Special Story Mode, Nanashi and Merz won’t be playable. This is a bit of a shame, as I can imagine some fans would be curious to be able to control them.

While Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is clearly aimed at fans of the original series, it is shaping up to be the definitive entry in the series, and a comprehensive review of the original anime. In addition, the Special Story Mode seems to be promising, and the many additions to its gameplay loop will please fans.

Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on November 17, 2023.

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