PS3 Fanboy

Namco Bandai's upcoming Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is such a surprising treat. The PS3 exclusive has earned a lot of attention due to its fantastic graphics, but Ninja Storm features far more than just a pretty face. We had a chance to play a more expansive build at Namco Bandai's E3 booth, where we took a sneak peak at the game's elusive single player mode and got some hands-on time with the multiplayer.

Naruto's adventure begins just like it does in the manga. A cool treat for fans will be the inclusion of both Japanese and English audio for the story. From the looks of things, all the dialogue in the game may be spoken. While the lip-syncing was very off, we're hoping it can be fixed before Naruto's upcoming holiday release. The adventure will have Naruto exploring the Hidden Leaf village, much like in the Xbox 360 Naruto game. He'll have to talk to various villagers to progress the story, unlock missions and goals. Surprisingly, the first PS3 Naruto game covers a lot of territory: we were told that the game's story will go all the way up to the Sasuke Retrieval arc.

One thing has been made abundantly clear in all the media we've seen of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm -- it is insanely pretty. Playing the recent demo (available now in Qore, public release in a few weeks) only reaffirmed this point. Ultimate Ninja Storm, more than any anime game before it, looks just as good, if not better, than its source material. Not only is the level of detail stunning, the fluidity of the animations and the strong use of motion blur give it a truly cinematic look.

The Ultimate Ninja games on PS2 and PSP were all rather solid, but fans will be shocked to see the series make the transition into full 3D battles. Expanding the battlefield adds a great deal of depth to the aging series, and makes fighting even more enjoyable.

Here are seven gameplay vids from Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the upcoming PS3-exclusive, anime-ramen-ninja title. The visuals in this game, as we've said for the longest time now, look spectacular and we can't wait to try it out. In fact, it won't be too long before we can -- remember, there's an exclusive demo included with this month's issue of Qore. So, while you wait for the issue (should be out this Thursday, July 3), enjoy these vids to get you pumped up for the demo. Six more after the break.

Doesn't Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm look absolutely stunning? Namco Bandai's PS3 exclusive anime fighter brings cel-shaded graphics to a whole new level. While the game isn't scheduled for release until the end of this year, subscribers to Qore will be able to get their hands on an exclusive playable demo next month. Even this early on, the game looks beautiful, with full 3D fights -- new to the Ultimate Ninja series.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear the game will ship with online multiplayer. But, that's what the inevitable sequels are for, right?

[Thanks, Noshino!]

Naruto has been the talk of the town -- well, at least the town comprised of the "video game community." Namco Bandai's PS3-exclusive fighter looks like no other anime game out there, but it wants to offer more than just pretty looks.

Fights will now take place on "multi-dimensional" battle grounds, each with unique characteristics. Like in the PSP Ultimate Ninja Heroes games, players can choose up to three characters for tag-team opportunities. The story mode will feature a total of one hundred missions, reliving the events up to the Sasuke Retrieval arc.

The game supports up to two players and is planned for a Q4 release later this year. With 25 "fully transformable warriors" featured in Storm, we're certain that this is the Naruto game fans have been dreaming about. Check out direct-feed high-def screenshots in our new gallery:

If you saw the trailer for Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, then you may have seen the link to the official website at the very bottom of the screen. Those of you who were eager enough for more Naruto may have followed the link and noticed that there was nothing but a countdown timer greeting you (seriously, countdown timers are all the rage now). However, if you're reading this right now, that timer has already ran out and you can now access the website.

When you arrive at the website, it'll ask you to input a password that comes in the form of a little puzzle. For those of you who are true Naruto fans, you should know the answer. Those who are not and just want to check it out, you can highlight this text if you're stumped: [Tiger Tiger Dragon]. At the site, there are some extra screenshots to gawk at and more information on the game to digest. Head on over there right now.

[Thanks Bernardo G.!]

When images of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm appeared a few days ago, many doubted the authenticity of the shots. The quality of cel-shading was so superb, that many called "bullshot" on the images. Well, looks like CyberConnect really is working miracles on the PS3. This Sony-exclusive fighter looks absolutely riveting, and the first trailer (watch it in HD!) certainly proves it has some powerful tech behind it. Doesn't this look more vivid than the animation found in the anime's first season?

The trailer promises that "the line between the Naruto TV animation and gaming will truly disappear." Would you agree?

For more Naruto, check out the mysterious official site. When it launches, you will need to know this: Tiger Tiger Dragon.

[Thanks, Jason!]

By now, you should be well aware that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is a PS3 exclusive. We need more of these things called exclusives. They sound rather enticing, don't you think? On another note, we've had our fair share of PS2 Naruto games in the past, but now is the time for the PS3 to find itself some anime ninja love. Are you also excited that this is the first Naruto game on the PS3? If so, then have a better look at the game in these new screenshots from The Magic Box.

The upcoming PS3 Naruto game has finally been given a name. The official fan site, Hokage's Room, revealed the name to eager fans: Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm continues the PS2 franchise, but gives it a new generation makeover.

Although the name has been chosen, fans are encouraged to take a survey, which will help decided the box art for the game. The six choices given are rather busy-looking, but we're glad to see that for once, fans can have direct say in a game's marketing.

[Thanks, Nabriel K.!]