Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

Cheat Code Central (4.7 out of 5)

By the end of the day, well, you'll wish the day had not ended because this game is great! The beautifully rendered graphics are amazing and keep you in awe. The voiceovers match their counterparts and make you feel like your watching the TV series. The controls are tight and responses, except for the occasional platforming sections where things can get unnecessarily difficult due to some jumping issues. Yet, I can honestly say Ubisoft has done a remarkable job of bringing Naruto, a popular anime, to life and bringing a source unique gameplay that breaks the mold for this particular genre. I honestly believe that even someone who isn't a fan of the series will take joy in this game. So do yourself a favor and get your Naruto Rise of a Ninja copy today!

Jive Magazine (4.5 out of 5)

Naruto has a great fighting game that could have stood on it's own, but instead the game has a very large story mode that takes the player through the first 80 episodes of the anime. Exploration, races, hide-and-seek, quests (story-line), and using various ninjutsu techniques to discover power-ups in a very Zelda fashion make Naruto an incredible game.

ZTGameDomain (9 out of 10)

The truly sad thing is that with November upon us and such triple A games like Call of Duty 4, Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, and Rock Band all on the way to your local game stores. Is that Naruto: RoaN is likely to go the way of Beyond Good and Evil. (If you have never played BG&E I suggest you go out and buy it now, as it is an excellent game) This as I said before is truly a shame because this is a very good game. Even if you are not a fan of the series like myself, you will have a lot of fun with Naruto: Rise of a Ninja.

GameSpy ( )

Whether or not you consider yourself a Naruto fan, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja will likely have something to attract you. Not only do you get a fairly rich role-playing experience, but you also get the jumping and exploring bonus of Crackdown and a thoroughly awesome fighting game as well. Blazing through the game in about eight hours (with 69% completion in popularity), we were still hungry for more after soundly trouncing the last boss. Ubisoft has hinted that there could indeed be more on the way through downloadable content, but as it stands, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is a seriously satisfying package all by itself.

Gamers.at (89 out of 100)

Chotto matte kudasai! Kirei desu. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja besticht durch einen distinktiven Anime-Look, brillianten Soundtrack sowie netten, wenn auch teilweise ein wenig monotonen Kampfeinlangen. Zusätzlich bietet es auch noch einen guten Mix aus Action, Adventure und Jump’n’Run. Zwar seid ihr kein traditioneller Ninja, in Schatten gehüllt und mit heimtückischen Motiven bzw. Vorgehensweisen, aber Rise of a Ninja kann sich wirklich sehen lassen. Es ist sicherlich eines der besten Anime-Spiele überhaupt – vielleicht sogar das Ende der hirnlosen 08/15 Umsetzungen. Ich bin ausgesprochen gespannt ob Ubisoft Montreal Ähnliches mit den übrigen Episoden fertig bringt. Ganbatte, dattebayo.

GameZone (8.5 out of 10)

Forget the other Naruto games; Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is the best one of the bunch … believe it. Staying true to the series, Rise of a Ninja is a deep, involving and surprisingly fun experience that will give fans plenty to see and do. Consider this a 'Must Have' for any Naruto fans or for anyone who is a wee bit interested in an RPG-styled fighter with a lot of personality.

MS Xbox World (8.5 out of 10)

I've thoroughly enjoyed playing Naruto: Rise of a Ninja. I find the character to be an excellent balance of oddball wacko, to someone you feel and care for. Whether this is actually conveyed as well as it could via the game is a tough call, as some cut scenes lifted from the show are rather vague if you've not followed the series. This brings me to the issue about who this game is going to appeal to. For fans of the series, I say this is a must have game, simply because it delivers a Naruto experience that is unmatched and so true to the source material. For gamers looking for an adventure/fighting game, but with no knowledge of Naruto (the TV series), then I still think the game has lots of appeal. I would say you'd still have some enjoyable times, but to be frank, not as enjoyable as if you had watched a few episodes first.

IGN (8.4 out of 10)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is surprisingly enjoyable. Once you get past the first hour, the single-player campaign becomes a real treat. And the combat system, while not deep, is a lot of fun. Fans of the Naruto anime will absolutely want to pick this one up. Those who've never watched Naruto can still get a lot of joy out of this game. It may even inspire you to check out the series on DVD. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja isn't the best adventure game or the best fighter on Xbox 360, but the two pieces fit together to make for one of the better games on the system.

Console Monster (84 out of 100)

It is remarkable how much hard work has been put into a game that will generally only appeal to fans of the original subject matter. Anyone that is not a fan of the series but is interested in the style of gameplay should rest assured, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is fantastic. Whilst the game is short and the style of gameplay can become repetitive, you will easily find hours of enjoyment to make it easily worthwhile.

GameTrailers (8.4 out of 10)

Naruto: Rise of the Ninja is not one of the best ninja games to hit the market, but it is one of the best anime-based games ever released. Those with even a remote interest in the series should pick it up. For everyone else, take this ninja for a test mission to find out if it belongs in your dojo.

Gamesmania.de (83 out of 100)

Weder der Jump n' Run- noch der Beat'em Up-Part haben die Klasse oder den Umfang der jeweiligen Genregrößen. Allerdings bietet Naruto jedem etwas, der bei Street Fighter schon immer eine motivierende Einzelspielerkampagne vermisst hat. Die vielen Nebenaufgaben, Minispiele und versteckten Münzen sorgen dafür, dass man auch spät im Spiel noch wunderbar unterhalten wird. Der innovative Multiplayermodus bietet Motivation sowohl für Viel- als auch Gelegenheitsspieler. Dazu sieht der Titel auch noch fantastisch aus, und verströmt den gleichen Charme, der auch die Serie so liebenswert macht. Obwohl die japanische Sprachausgabe und der zusätzliche Charakter Shikamaru zum Zeitpunkt unseres Tests noch nicht via Xbox Live nachgeliefert wurden, können bei Naruto – Rise Of A Ninja nicht nur Anime-Fans ohne Bedenken zugreifen.

Xbox World Australia (XWA) (82 out of 100)

Naruto: Rise of Ninja is not the kind of title many gamers would pick up from the shelf and give it a look, because let's face it – those anime titles tend to be a bit rubbish unless you love the show. Thing is, this is a game that stands on its own as a worthy action-adventure or fighting game. You don't have to like Naruto or even know what it is to get a kick (or punch or 64-finger strike) out of this game. Give it a rent or take a gamble, and prepare for one of the surprise hits of the year in Naruto: Rise of a Ninja.

TeamXbox (8.1 out of 10)

We’re pretty sure that more mature gamers are going to pass on Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, especially when games such as CoD 4 and Mass Effect are just around the corner. This is a shame, as Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is a solid title that is an interesting departure from the standard platformer and fighter. The story and subject is a bit more mature than the “T” rating suggests, too, which means it has the potential to relate to the standard 18–34-year-old demographic better than some may think.

Totally Gaming Network (8 out of 10)

Summing up Naruto takes one word – “fun”… I have enjoyed the time spent playing, and while I had to get over my initial anger moment at the beginning and fight the urge to not turn the disk into a frisbee… Since that point, I have pretty much not been able to put the game down. The look and feel of Naruto is spot on and coupled with gaming moments such as being able to leap from branch to branch with timed button presses and looking sexy as hell in the process, then moments like in the heat of battle pulling off an amazing jutsu, make this game what it is. It looks good… it plays well and makes a change from the normal run of the mill Xbox 360 titles currently on offer. Naruto is one, not to be ignored and should appeal to any age group too, there is a lot of fun to be had with the game, and at the end of the day that is what gaming is supposed to be – FUN!

PAL Gaming Network (PALGN) (8 out of 10)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja as a package is easily one of the best efforts to bring an anime to home consoles and one of the best franchise efforts in general. Sure, it doesn’t reach Goldeneye status, but at the same time, it just gets so many gameplay aspects right and at the same time, is immensely faithful to the source material. It’s a little fetch quest heavy, the roster is small and the fighting isn’t that well explained or as balanced as it could be, but as far as franchise representations go, you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s better. Then there is the promise of some enticing downloadable content that actually looks to address some of the minor issues. So if you’re a fan of the series, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is pretty much the game that you’ve been looking for and that your friends can enjoy. Believe it!

TotalVideoGames (TVG) (8 out of 10)

We loved it from start to finish and, when we finished, we just carried on fighting online and against our mates to keep the fun alive. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is the incredibly well balanced and varied game that the Naruto universe has been crying out for.

Game Informer Magazine (8 out of 10)

If you only play one anime ninja open world action fighting game with RPG overtones this year, play Rise of a Ninja. It’s just that good. Kidding aside, it has to be said that this game tries its hand at a number of game mechanics – a formula that can often be disastrous, as no one thing ends up being any good. Throw in the fact that this is one of those anime properties that people almost expect to be sub-par in the gameplay category, and it’d be easy to write this off for any but the most hardcore fans. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Rise of a Ninja bucks all of these expectations and emerges as a quality game in its own right, worth a look even for those born without the anime fetish gene.

4Players.de (80 out of 100)

Obwohl uns bereits die Vorschau-Version mit Kulisse und grundsätzlichen Spielmechaniken überzeugen konnte, blieben einige Fragen offen. Darunter auch, ob Missionsdesign und Grafikstil auch nach der faszinierenden Anfangsphase überzeugen können. Und genau hier offenbart der technisch herausragende Titel, der das bisher beste und kompletteste Abenteuer der Naruto-Franchise darstellt, seine Schwächen. Die Aufgaben variieren später kaum und auch die Kulisse kann später keine herausragenden Akzente mehr setzen, da ein Sättigungsprozess einsetzt. Selbst der als Teil des Action-Adventures wunderbar eingepasste Kampfmodus bietet auf lange Sicht nicht die erhoffte Motivation. Naruto – Rise of a Ninja ist trotz aller Meckerei ein richtig gutes Spiel: Hohe Produktionsstandards, eine richtig coole und extrem stimmige Kulisse, bei der nur die zur Hektik neigende Kamera aus dem Rahmen fällt sowie eine gute Einbindung in das bestehende Anime-Universum sorgen schnell für eine enorm hohe Atmosphäre.

Destructoid (8 out of 10)

Don’t let a few crappy voice overs and a few tedious coin quests get in the way of trying out Naruto: Rise of a Ninja. In the end, this game exceeded my expectations, and Ubisoft should be commended for doing something different and ambitious with this anime license. The story mode is worth the price of entry alone, and the fun fighting and excellent online matches are both wonderful bonuses. Of course, this is an absolute must for Naruto fans, but those looking for a solid adventure title for the Xbox 360 should take notice as well. 

Jeuxvideo.com (16 out of 20)

On attendait beaucoup de ce Naruto : Rise Of A Ninja et autant dire que nous ne sommes pas déçus. En plus d'être graphiquement superbe et très accessible, le jeu se pare d'une grande fidélité à l'oeuvre d'origine. Pourtant, sa difficulté mal réglée en mode combat, le rythme un peu lent du mode Scénario tout comme certains traits maladroits de gameplay ternissent un peu le tableau. A part ces écueils, Rise Of A Ninja n'a absolument pas à rougir face à ses nombreux homologues sortis avant lui. Il serait même plutôt enclin à montrer la voie vers un Naruto plus ouvert, plus complet, plus... animé.

Jolt (UK) (8 out of 10)

If anything, this is a great sign of things to come for Naruto games. Even though it’s not quite the epic, deciding game Naruto fans have been wishing for, it makes up for several years of also-rans and completely obliterates memories of Uzumaki Chronicles’ butchering of the franchise. With the original Japanese voices available to download for free as well, the die-hards who refuse to listen to the terrible American voice actors constantly mispronounce names and terms have no excuse not to check Rise of a Ninja out. Much like Naruto himself, it seems that the games are maturing slowly but surely, and hopefully they’ll build upon Rise of a Ninja to do justice to the series.

Computer Bild Spiele (2.1 out of 6)

Endlich ein „Naruto“-Spiel, in dem Sie nicht nur kämpfen, sondern auch eine weitläufige Spielwelt erkunden dürfen. Sie sprechen mit Bewohnern der Stadt, helfen ihnen in brenzligen Situationen und haben immer genügend Muße, die stimmungsvolle und farbenfrohe Grafik zu bewundern. An Narutos Spezialangriffen werden Sie viel Spaß haben, denn die sind mit Humor ausgetüftelt. Die vielen Kampfmanöver sind jedoch schwierig auszulösen. Die eingespielten Zwischenfilme entnahm man direkt der Anime-Serie. Sie erzählen Narutos Geschichte von den Anfängen bis zur 80. Folge. Das ist eine ganze Menge – nicht nur harte Fans werden es „gut“ finden.

UGO (UnderGroundOnline) (B)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja certainly isn't a perfect game---the platforming is harder to control than it should be, and it certainly isn't doing anything that hasn't been done before. But the whole package is genuinely fun and not a little addictive, and it's nice to see a developer put quality work into a licensed family title. Right now, when 360 gamers' wallets are being slammed with a constant flood of great games, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja probably isn't a must-buy at the full next-gen price. But when the mid-year slowdown comes and you can pick it up used, it'll definitely be worth checking out. And if you have kids, or are a kid, or are the kind of overgrown kid who still loves anime, it's one of the best games in the genre.

GameSpot (7.5 out of 10)

Just about everything you do in Rise of a Ninja is pretty cool for a while, and the game's rendition of Konoha is downright impressive, but many of the secondary gameplay elements could've stood to be more fleshed-out. Still, Rise of a Ninja is a no-brainer for fans, and its relatively unique blend of open-world exploration, platforming, and fighting-game mechanics will lend it a certain appeal to Naruto first-timers as well.

Worth Playing (7.5 out of 10)

Despite its issues, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja pays plenty of attention to the license on which it's based. The no-frills adventure portion of the title offers a twist on the exciting fighting formula, although the unpolished reliance on platforming might turn off players who are looking simply to crack some skulls as the orange-clad Hokage hopeful. Multiplayer extends the short story mode, both on Live and with a friend on an extra controller; if you simply want to duke it out and ignore the quest altogether, extras throughout the game provide plenty of things to do. Fans will definitely get a lot more mileage out of the title than someone who doesn't know the difference between Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. People who are curious to know more about the series might want to rent the DVDs instead.

360 LIVE (7.3 out of 10)

(...) Ein bisschen Tiefe ist daher vorhanden. Weil auch die Höhlen, Wälder und Diebesnester rund ums Dorf ein paar Aufgaben bereithalten, vertreibt man sich als Naruto-Fan gern die Zeit. Woran's eben fehlt, sind Impulse und Überraschungen. Und eine Story, die ihren Namen verdient - kurz: der letzte Kick. Als kleines Trostpflaster mag der Multiplayer-Modus dienen, der zwei Spieler in eine Arena einlädt, wo sie sich feste die Fäuste auf die Nasen hauen können. Zehn Charaktere aus der Serie stellen sich dafür zur Verfügung. Die Duelle klappen an einer Konsole und per Xbox Live, und runden die insgesamt nicht weltbewegende, aber doch unterhaltsame Mischung aus Kämpfen, Rollenspiel und etwas Jump'n'Run-Action ab.

Game Positive (7.1 out of 10)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is a polished game that stays true to the source material. Naruto fans will really enjoy exploring the world that has been lovingly created within this game. However, as far as the Naruto universe is concerned, this game is shallow. It could have dozens of extra missions based on events that are much more current. To its credit, the fighting engine could stand alone as its own game, and that will extend the playtime considerably for some. Rise of a Ninja is decent for what it is, in that it's a solid first attempt at the Naruto franchise on a modern console. While it is unlikely to get the uninitiated to start viewing the show, it will likely please those who enjoy the anime.

Good Game (7 out of 10)

It is good though to see a very popular character like Naruto treated with some respect in a game. It’s solid if short, only about six hours in the main story but I did like the humour in the game. I’m gonna’ give this one a 7 – but up it to 8 if you’re a fan.

Good Game (7 out of 10)

Well – I think it certainly helps if you are [a fan], but they’ve done it in a way that non-fans can play and understand it too, but I’m not sure you’d really want to as it doesn’t really offer any thing new game play wise.

Thunderbolt Games (7 out of 10)

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is good enough that non-fans of the show would do themselves good by playing it. The gameplay is nothing fantastic, but it's fun all the same. As well as the single-player adventure, Rise of a Ninja features two-player modes online and off, which can be a fun distraction. The graphics are some of the best on the console, and really need to be seen to be believed. In the end, though, Rise of a Ninja is just a good time, nothing more, nothing less. Hardcore fans will get a bigger kick out of it, for sure, but for the rest of us, it's a worthwhile experience in the adventure genre. Just don't expect to understand it!

Eurogamer.net (UK) (7 out of 10)

Rise of a Ninja is by far the best Naruto game around, and its absolutely lovely cel-shaded graphics and gorgeous, authentic environments set it head and shoulders above the competition in terms of anime licensed games. However, the difficulty curve is nothing short of utterly random, and the Konoha missions lack the variety to make the game truly compelling - even if the series' wonderful drama shines through at all the key moments you'd expect. The lack of Japanese voice acting is a major negative point against the game, too, because the US dub is "controversial" to put it mildly; a huge number of Naruto's fans are familiar with the original Japanese audio, and the American voices on offer here will grate terribly as a result. Especially since most of the voice actors don't even seem to be able to pronounce the name of the series and its lead character consistently, let alone correctly.

Gameplanet ( )

Naruto feels like a game designed not just for fans of the show but as a way to introduce new people to the Franchise. It definitely does a good job of giving you the kind of feel the show must go for. After the first 2-3 hour slump it becomes incredibly fun to play through. It's got a fun fighting system, light RPG elements and good plat forming. All in all, while certainly not for everyone it is a really good game, which is better than the sum of all its different parts.

Game Informer Magazine (7 out of 10)

For all of the turgid dialogue and anime cliches that plague Rise of a Ninja courtesy of its source material, Ubisoft Montreal has managed to create a decent game here.

UOL Jogos ( )

"Naruto: Rise of a Ninja" é o jogo que melhor recria o universo do ninja laranja. O game aproveita muito bem a obra, mas não depende dela. Assim, mesmo quem não conhece o desenho pode ter boas experiências e, de quebra, se interessar pelo anime. Tanto a parte de ação e exploração como a de combate são "light", ideal para aqueles que buscam uma experiência não muito complexa (ainda assim, está um pouco acima do nível casual). Nem por isso, o jogo deixa de ser divertido.

Eurogamer.de (7 out of 10)

Solltet Ihr die etwas missglückte Anfangsphase aber überstehen, eröffnet sich Euch eine witzige Mischung aus Action, Adventure und RPG. Und falls Ihr Euch nicht trauen solltet, weil Ihr die Serie nicht kennt: Das ging mir bis zu dem Test auch so und trotzdem verbrachte ich viele angenehme Stunden im Leaf Village.

NZGamer (7 out of 10)

Still, some people - like me - will find it blissfully refreshing to revisit the earlier events in a series that has come quite far. There is an innocence to it all that is hard to describe, as if the game comes from a time more pure and simple. Given that the narrative is as strong as it ever was, that the charm and the humor is all still intact, and that the gameplay does a pretty good job of capturing the series more dramatic moments, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan. Everyone else, however, should probably try before they buy.

Xbox Gazette (6.5 out of 10)

Naruto : Rise of the Ninja est au final une bonne surprise, dommage que cet effet soit de courte durée. Certes, en livrant un jeu fidèle à l'oeuvre originelle de Masashi Kishimoto, Ubisoft prouve qu'il maîtrise son sujet. Cependant, le titre est principalement marqué par une monotonie fatigante lors des phases de plates-formes. Malgré ce défaut, et d'autres imperfections comme la durée de vie trop courte ou une caméra capricieuse, le jeu en vaut la chandelle ne serait-ce que pour le dynamisme des combats. Et puis l'éditeur a eu l'ingénieuse idée d'importer les voix japonaises via le Marketplace, ce que les fans attendaient avec impatience. Face à un catalogue de fin d'année très riche en hits, Naruto a du potentiel, et plaira beaucoup aux amateurs du manga.

Gamekult (6 out of 10)

L'idée du RPG-baston est bonne, tant il est vrai que le manga Naruto ne peut se résumer à une succession de combats sans âme. Néanmoins, retranscrire une saga comme celle-ci n'est pas chose facile. Graphiquement, Naruto a réussi son évolution Next Gen et l'apprenti ninja bénéficie d'un punch indéniable. Le problème, c'est qu'il manque de constance.

Game Tap (6 out of 10)

Even with all these hiccups, there’s still a solid combination of adventuring and fighting to be found here. And the sense of progression--going from a lowly no-skilled friendless ninja to a super awesome friendless ninja--is handled well in terms of what powers you get and when you get them. In fact, it’s hard not to just mess around with one of your new ninja powers in Leaf Town for a little while before even seeking out the next mission, because you can get to areas that were previously unreachable with your old skills. On top of all that, the game integrates the Naruto story (both in the form of cutscenes from the show and in-game dialogue between characters) very well, which should please Naruto fans of any sort.

1UP (C+)

Rise of a Ninja, if nothing else, is undoubtedly a good foundation for something better the next time around. The graphics are fantastic, and running and jumping around the Naruto world is as convincing as it is compelling. If only the activities of this world were made of sterner stuff than rote replication of the source material's events or mind-numbing coin-collecting chores. If this game was purely designed for children (that is, children who could afford an Xbox 360), surely even they must find "missions" like this a tedious pain. Hell, even the title "Rise of a Ninja" sounds uninspired. But if Ubisoft's Montreal studio makes a few tweaks here and there, the inevitable "Rise of the Ninja" will surely be worth investigation.