You might be wondering what the fuss is about over a yet-to-be-released title that already sounds like old news - Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 4 is a PS2 installment, Japan’s had the game for a couple of years now, and PS3’s Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm came out last year. We liken Ultimate Ninja 4 to an old friend come back —sure, it’s an old friend who wants you to turn him on and play with him, but never fear, it’s a PG-relationship and you won’t have to change your Facebook status to the questionable “It’s Complicated” — with some new tricks up his sleeves.
Meanwhile, fights of the 2D persuasion, a staple of the Ultimate Ninja series, will interject into the story and missions every now and then. Those well versed in the series will find the controls nearly the same — pulling off relatively simple but fun to execute combos and jutsu techniques — with some new additions to mix things up. The biggest change: the mid-battle minigames that occur if the two fighters dash into one another or they use their regular jutsu moves at the same time, which usually involve a combination of on-screen button prompts and accurate timing to decide the victor.
