Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden release date in America on March 17, 2009

21 January 2009

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Posted by:Josh

Namco has announced Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden for North American release on the PS2 on March 17th of this year.

Developed by CyberConnect2, the latest title in the Ultimate Ninja series is the first to be based off the Naruto Shippuden animated series from VIZ Media and will cover the first 17 episodes of the Shippuden series. The game is the fourth installment in the Ultimate Ninja series and the first in the Accel series. It will feature the trademark one-on-one ninja battles that the series is known for and also mark the debut of several new characters as well as new play modes.

Ultimate Ninja 4 is set two and a half years after Naruto left the Hidden Leaf Village to undergo a strict training regiment with his mentor Jiraiya, and lets players experience this new storyline for the first time. Returning to help recover his rival Sasuke from the evil Orochimaru, Naruto is reunited with all his old friends, only to find that a mysterious organization known as Akatsuki now poses an even more ominous threat to the Village.

The new Master Mode in the game will combine RPG and action-platforming elements while telling the story of Naruto and how he came to the Hidden Leaf Village after his training with Jiraiya. The story is an original narrative created specifically for the game. In this mode players can collect items that will unlock characters in the Free Battle fighting mode where one or two players can go at it.

New characters that make their debut in this game include: Deidara, Sasori and Chiyo as well as updated versions of fan favorites such as Gaara, Kakashi and Sakura. All in all the game will feature a massive roster of 52 playable characters total!

Changes from past games will include the introduction of fixed ultimate jutsu, which change as health decreases or as the player enters into secondary mode and a toned down look to the cel-shaded animation the series is known for. It will also feature a mode called “Hero’s History” which allows the player to relive the pre-time skip series but it must be unlocked by finding certain items hidden throughout the game. The mode features scenes from Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3 that have been remade and improved as well as redone CG scenes.