Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
When Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections was first revealed I, like every other Naruto fan, let out a long, exasperated sigh. After years of rumours and waiting for Ultimate Ninja Storm 5, the next big entry in the series looked like nothing more than a compilation of the first four games with some minor roster additions and slightly beefed-up graphics.
But Connections is much more than just a re-release. It makes several notable improvements to the fighting mechanics – this is the smoothest Ultimate Ninja Storm has ever felt to play – and adds a heartfelt Special Story mode that is one of the most memorable side stories that Naruto has ever had.
Ultimate Ninja Storm was already the best-playing anime 3D arena fighter by a country mile but, just like the other non-numbered Storm games before it, Connections makes some subtle improvements. There are a ton of smaller changes (items work on cooldown instead of limited-use), but the biggest improvement is that tilt attacks, once a pain to use, have now been turned into a second Jutsu for every character that replaces chakra shurikens.
Chakra shurikens were next to useless in the original games, so swapping them out for a second Jutsu attack is a fantastic change that makes characters feel more varied and easier to use. Combine that with chakra automatically recovering and encouraging special moves to be used more often and Connections feels much faster than Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and more mechanically satisfying than any game in the series.
Ultimate Ninja Storm 3’s Instant Awakening mechanic feels absent though, as there are a ton of fighters here whose most exciting moves can only be used if their health gets whittled down. That mechanic quickly got punted out of the series after UNS3, but I’d have loved to see it return since it seems like it would fit perfectly with the faster-paced fighting.
Along with freshening the fighting mechanics up, Connections also adds ten new fighters to Ninja Storm’s already massive roster, bringing it up to an eye-watering 130 characters. Most of the new fighters like Kawaki and new forms for Naruto, Boruto, and Sasuke are great, but I do wish there was less of a focus on Kara as, despite having varied movesets, none of the members are particularly interesting.
As great as the changes to the combat and roster are, the best thing that Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections has going for it is the Special Story mode. This side story focuses on Boruto and his friends, and gives us the long-awaited rematch between adult Naruto and Sasuke. It also tells a compelling story about Boruto and his friendship with newcomer Nanashi, whose mysterious past is a key part of the scenario.
I wasn’t expecting too much from the mode outside of seeing Naruto and Sasuke fight at their strongest, but I was surprised at how much there is to the six hour campaign and how much it tugged at my heartstrings seeing Boruto fight for his new friendship and his dad’s era. I’ve never been too fond of Boruto’s stories, but this mode’s focus on him as a character reminded me of what I love about the series so much.
The only thing holding back this side story is that there’s not much to it beyond battling and watching cutscenes, as there’s no adventuring portion like there was in previous Storm games. I’ve explored virtual versions of Konoha more than my own hometown, but including it here would have made for a nice break for the otherwise linear campaign
Outside of the new story mode, Connections’ other big bit of single-player content is the History mode, which lets you recount Naruto’s story and replay some of the biggest battles from the first Ultimate Ninja Storm to the fourth. Although it’s nice to go through the most iconic Storm fights, History mode is little more than retelling, and a bit of a strange one at that.
While most of the big battles are here like Naruto and Sasuke’s final fight and the legendary encounter with Pain, a lot of the best ones are strangely missing, like Ultimate Ninja Storm 3’s duel between Naruto and Sasuke and Team 7’s massive bout against Kaguya. If you’re a seasoned Storm vet then most of the fights here are great to see again, but History leaves out too many great fights that it’s hard to call it the definitive way to experience Naruto’s saga.
Even with the History mode being a bit of a letdown, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections still manages to be one of the best in the series thanks to its excellent Special Story mode and numerous improvements to the fighting mechanics. There’s no better way to celebrate Naruto’s 20th anniversary, and I can only hope that Ultimate Ninja Storm has more to show us in the future as Boruto begins telling its biggest story yet.