Honestly, it’s been nearly a decade.
Since Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 dropped in 2016, the anime gaming world has seen dozens of contenders try to snatch the crown. We’ve had Jump Force, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and even the recent Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections. But if you hop onto Steam or look at active competitive communities, the 2016 veteran is still the one people actually care about. It’s weird, right? You’d think a game covering the end of a manga that finished years ago would be a ghost town by now.
It isn't. Not even close.
CyberConnect2 hit a rare "lightning in a bottle" moment with this title. They didn't just make a fighting game; they made a playable version of the Fourth Great Ninja War that, in many ways, looks and feels better than the actual Pierrot-animated episodes. The sheer scale of the Boss Battles—like the Kurama vs. Wood Golem fight—set a bar that most developers still can't clear without falling into a pit of repetitive quick-time events (QTEs).
The Combat Mechanics Everyone Gets Wrong
Most casual players think Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is just a button-masher. You hit Circle or B until someone explodes. Easy.
But if you’ve ever stepped into the online ranked pits, you know that’s a lie. The skill ceiling is surprisingly high, mostly because of the "Leader Swap" mechanic. In previous Storm games, your sub-characters were just glorified projectiles you called in for a quick hit. In Storm 4, you can switch your main character mid-combo. This changed everything. It means you can start a combo with Hashirama, swap to Madara to keep the pressure high, and finish with a tactical ultimate.
It creates this flow state where the screen is just a blur of substitutions and chakra dashes.
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Speaking of substitutions—that’s where the real chess match happens. You only get four bars. Use them too fast against a player who knows how to "hollow step" (canceling a dash to bait a sub), and you’re basically a sitting duck. It’s a game of resource management disguised as a flashy brawler. If you run out of logs, you’re done. Total game over.
Visuals That Refuse to Age
Let’s talk about the "Ultimate Jutsu" animations for a second.
CyberConnect2 used a proprietary engine that mimics hand-drawn 2D animation using 3D models, and the results are still staggering. When Sasuke and Naruto team up for the "Six Paths: Almighty Scream," the cinematic camera work is more dynamic than 90% of what’s on Netflix right now. It helps that the game runs at 60 FPS on modern consoles and PC. That jump from 30 to 60 was the single biggest upgrade the series ever received, making the timing for "Just Guards" actually viable instead of a lucky guess.
The Problem With Connections vs. Storm 4
A lot of fans were hyped for Connections, but it mostly served to highlight why Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is the superior experience. Connections messed with the control scheme—adding a "Simple" mode that feels like the game is playing itself—and removed the nuanced "Tilt" moves that veteran players loved. In Storm 4, every character has a Tilt (flicking the analog stick then attacking) that offers a unique utility, like Minato’s teleport or Itachi’s crow clone. Removing that in newer iterations felt like lobotomizing the combat.
Also, the story mode.
Storm 4’s story mode is a literal epic. It covers the climax of the series with a level of budget that feels irresponsible in the best way. The fight between Kakashi and Obito in the Kamui dimension is a masterpiece of storytelling. It transitions seamlessly from gameplay to cinematic, mirroring the emotional weight of the manga's most iconic panels.
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The Roster: Quality Over Quantity?
With over 100 characters (if you include the Road to Boruto expansion), the roster is massive. Sure, there are "clones." You have about six different versions of Naruto and Sasuke.
But the nuances matter.
Sage of Six Paths Naruto plays entirely differently than Nine Tails Chakra Mode Naruto. The community has spent years tier-listing these characters. While the competitive meta usually revolves around "broken" picks like Tayuya (her summons are a nightmare) or The Last Sasuke, the game is balanced enough that a skilled player can win with Kiba. Okay, maybe not Kiba, but you get the point.
The inclusion of the DLC characters like Momoshiki and Kinshiki added a fresh layer to the endgame, bridging the gap between the Shippuden era and the Boruto era without losing the core identity of the franchise.
Technical Performance and Netcode
If there’s one "elephant in the room," it’s the netcode.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 uses delay-based netcode. In 2026, where rollback netcode is the standard for games like Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8, playing Storm 4 online can sometimes feel like fighting underwater. If you or your opponent has a shaky Wi-Fi connection, the input lag is noticeable. It’s the one area where the game shows its age. However, the community has largely adapted, mostly playing in lobbies with "blue bar" connections to ensure the frame data remains consistent.
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Why You Should Still Play It Today
Is it worth picking up now? Absolutely.
You can usually find the Legacy collection or the Road to Boruto edition on sale for the price of a sandwich. For that, you’re getting a campaign that takes about 15-20 hours to fully "S-Rank," a massive free-roam adventure mode, and a local multiplayer experience that is unrivaled for couch gaming.
There’s a specific kind of joy in landing a Team Ultimate Jutsu that you just don't get from "serious" e-sports fighters. It’s the spectacle. It’s the "fan service" done right. It respects the source material.
To get the most out of it today, don't just jump into Ranked matches immediately. You will get destroyed by people who haven't stopped playing since the Obama administration.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players:
- Master the "Chakra Dash Cancel": Don't let your dash finish. Press the block button or jump mid-dash to stop yourself. This baits out your opponent's substitutions without committing you to an attack.
- Learn the Leader Swap Combo: Start a ground combo, and halfway through, flick the right analog stick. Your support will fly in and continue the hitstun, allowing for infinite-pressure strings.
- Manage the Sub Bar: Never, ever use your last substitution unless it's to avoid an Ultimate Jutsu. If you're at zero, your opponent will just "infinite" you until you're dead.
- Play the Story First: It’s the best tutorial. The boss fights force you to learn movement and timing in a way the practice mode can't replicate.
- Check the Modding Scene: If you're on PC, the community has created some incredible "texture packs" and character mods that keep the game looking like a current-gen release.
The reality is that we might never get another "Arena Fighter" this good. The industry has shifted toward live-service models and simplified mechanics. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 stands as a monument to a time when a studio decided to put every ounce of their soul into making the player feel like a god-tier shinobi. It isn't perfect, but it's the closest we've ever come to perfection in the genre.
Grab a controller, pick your favorite Uchiha, and go ruin some friendships on the couch. That's what the game was built for.
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