<![CDATA[Kotaku: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/naruto: ultimate ninja storm http://kotaku.com/tag/naruto: ultimate ninja storm <![CDATA[ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Screens Appear Out Of *Nowhere* ]]> Naruto? Not really our "thing." Chalk it up to ignorance, the daunting back story and the unwillingness to do the work involved to become interested. But the games tend to look spectacular, with Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PlayStation 3 no exception. We can only imagine how intensely 10-year old version of us would have been blown away by seeing a cartoon so accurately portrayed in video game form.

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Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 MDT Michael McWhertor http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5059875&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Naruto: Ultmate Ninja Storm Getting Day One DLC ]]> CyberConnect2 president Hiroshi Matsuyama is now the number one reason I want to learn to speak Japanese. He has this quick-talking, sly sort of accent that reminds me a bit of a stereotypical used car salesman that is completely compelling to listen to. I almost wish that his translator would stop interrupting at the Atari press conference at the Games Convention today, though that would have meant me missing him announcing that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm will be hitting the PlayStation 3 with downloadable content available from day one. What kind of downloadable content? Unfortunately he couldn't say, but either way, it's good to see an anime fighting game - traditionally fire and forget deals - with post-release support already in the works.

And yes, Matsuyama, who considers himself the ultimate Naruto fan, ended his presentation with a joyful shout - "Believe it!" Sounds so much better coming from a Japanese used car salesman.

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Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:30:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5039765&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Namco Bandai Roundup - Digimon, Naruto, And The Game That Never Ends ]]> My very last E3 appointment was at Namco Bandai on Thursday afternoon, and while the majority of my time was spent getting my ass kicked at Soul Calibur IV, which I will handle in a separate post, they did have several interesting offerings on hand, from the girl-friendly We Cheer to the anime-friendly Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm to the most authentic Digimon experience for the Nintendo DS. Here's some of the titles that Namco Bandai has coming your way.

Digimon World: Championship: As mentioned above, this is the ultimate Digimon experience for the DS, bringing the game back to its handheld electronic pet roots. Use the stylus to capture Digimon in the wild, bring them back to your base to train, feed, and care for them, and then place then in the arena to battle. Includes cleaning up Digi-droppings - it doesn't get any better than that.

We Cheer: God help me, We Cheer didn't look all that bad. Using two Wii controllers you follow the motions depicted on-screen in a style reminiscent of Elite Beat Agents as your tiny cheerleader avatar does her thing. I had one of the reps on hand demo the game for me, and when he asked if I wanted to try I was sorely tempted. This scares me.

PowerUp Forever: PowerUp Forever is a game coming to Xbox Live and PSN that combines the frantic shooter gameplay of Geometry Wars with the growth mechanic of flOw to create a game that could literally have you powering up forever. You pilot a small ship that must destroy certain enemies to unleash a boss. Defeating the boss makes your ship grow, enemies scaling as you progress. Large structures eventually become smaller enemies for you to take on, and this continues forever until you lose all of your life. It's a throwback to the games of yesteryear that wouldn't actually end until the machine exploded. Definitely a purchase for me.

Afro Samurai: We posted impressions of Afro Samurai back in April, which is good because some jerk was completely dominating the display kiosk at Namco Bandai's booth. I did get to watch for a bit, and found the game a bit reminiscent of the Samurai Champloo game for the PS2, which was released by Bandai before the whole Namco deal. There's good reason for this too - developer Grasshopper worked on both titles. I was one of the few folks to really love the Samurai Champloo game, and with this knowledge in hand, Afro Samurai is now situated firmly in my radar.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm: I saw characters I can't tell you about, and with my newfound understanding of the series I even know who they are! The game is going to have 25 characters total, a few of which are sure to surprise and delight fans of the series. The game play is extremely solid and entertaining, though I cheated a bit and downloaded the Qore demo on PSN before I played it at the booth, so I knew what to expect. Despite all of the new characters I saw, I will still play as Hinata, because she is so freaking adorable.

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Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:20:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027296&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ New Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trailer ]]>
It just looks better and better every time I see it. GameTrailers just posted their exclusive trailer for Namco Bandai's Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PlayStation 3, and I have to say that this is hands-down the best looking cell-shaded game I have ever seen. The visuals that I've seen so far have even inspired me to borrow the entire anime series from a friend, so hopefully by the time the game hits in October I will understand what the hell is going on.

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Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:00:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5021924&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ So Many Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Screens ]]> This latest batch of screenshots from Namco Bandai do absolutely nothing to ease my excitement over Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PlayStation 3, despite cell-shaded screenshots always looking a bit rough compared to the game in motion. I'm going to have to sit down with my nephew one day and get a crash course in exactly who all these people are, though that could lead to me finally putting aside my pride and buying one of those damn headbands and start calling myself the next hokage.

For the record, that will never, ever happen.

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Tue, 06 May 2008 09:40:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=387599&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Naruto: Ultima Ninja Storm Website Is Tricky ]]> The official website for Namco Bandai's Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PlayStation 3 is now live! Inside you'll find a spot to sign up for a newsletter, the trailer we posted yesterday, and the screenshots we posted the day before, along with a few choice new additions. Ah, but wait! You cannot simply enter the website...that is not the way of the ninja. You must first discover the correct combination on the puzzle wheel before you can get to the goodies inside. If only there were some sort of giant hint, staring you right in the face. Until that appears, you'll just have to blindly fumble for the solution.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Website [Namco Bandai - Thanks LDjosh!]

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Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:00:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=380683&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm In Action - Believe It ]]> Many of you called yesterday's screenshots of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PlayStation 3 bullshots, but after seeing this video I am not so sure. Hell, bullshots or not, this is one damn fine looking Naruto game. Gave me chills just looking at it, and I'm not even that big a fan of the series. The end of the video teases with, "For the first time, the line between the Naruto TV animation and gaming will truly disappear", along with the official website for the game, which is now just another damn countdown clock, reading just 16 hours to go before...what? God I hate countdown clocks. At least this might explain why the screens were pulled from PlayStation.com. Just a bit too early.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Website [Namco Bandai]

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Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:00:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=380195&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storms PS3 ]]> While I wasn't looking, PlayStation.com updated their site with a listing for Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the first entry in the series for the PlayStation 3. Sneaky ninja. The game boasts cinema-quality cell-shaded graphics of a likes when have never seen, and if the screenshots are any indication the might be right. Ultimate Ninja Storm also features an all-new mission-based adventure mode, featuring over 100 missions to complete, along with 25 fully transformable fighters at your fingertips. Personally I wish Namco Bandai had let Ubisoft take the amazing work they did on the Xbox 360 a bit further, but I suppose it's better than not getting any Naruto at all.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja® Storm
[PlayStation.com via Magic Box - Thanks Lokno!]

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Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:30:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=379430&view=rss&microfeed=true