Naruto Shippuden : Ultimate Ninja 5

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 5 for PS2 is CyberConnect2's 3D fighting-game finale for the original Ultimate Ninja line on Sony's system. Published by Namco Bandai Games, it arrived in Japan as Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Accel 2 on December 20, 2007, then reached Europe on November 27, 2009 and Australia shortly afterward. Its Japanese title identifies it as the second Accel entry, following Ultimate Ninja 4/Narutimate Accel.

Built around the anime and manga, the game returns to the opening Shippuden-era material. Its story begins again with the Kazekage Rescue arc and progresses through the material around Sai and Sasuke that had reached the source comic at the time, corresponding roughly to the anime's first 53 episodes. That framing puts Naruto's return to the Hidden Leaf Village, his new Team 7 relationships, and the pursuit of Sasuke at the center of the adventure.

Fights use the fast, arena-style one-on-one format established by the PS2 Ultimate Ninja games. Each combatant brings ordinary attacks, ninja techniques, substitutions and a cinematic Ultimate Jutsu, inviting players to manage openings and chakra rather than simply trade blows. Many returning techniques were revised for this installment, while the earlier summon system was removed.

The major new wrinkle is the assist character. A partner is chosen alongside the main fighter and can be called during a match to extend pressure or add damage. Certain character pairings unlock distinctive team-based jutsu that draw on relationships from the Naruto story, making team selection part of the match plan as well as a celebration of the cast.

Its roster numbers 62 characters, spanning Shippuden fighters alongside familiar earlier-series characters. Free Battle is the direct route to local one- or two-player matches and to experimenting with the lineup, stages and support combinations. The game is designed as both a structured story experience and a flexible versus fighter, with no online multiplayer component.

Adventure Mode carries forward the role-playing side of Ultimate Ninja 4. Rather than limiting exploration to Naruto, it lets players take control of characters such as Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake while following Shippuden events. Character growth also matters here: players can improve statistics, equip items and upgrade jutsu as they advance. The older Hero's History retelling of the original Naruto series does not return, even though those characters remain available.

Ultimate Ninja 5 closes a particular chapter for the franchise. It is the fifth numbered Ultimate Ninja game, the second Accel game in Japan, and the final Ultimate Ninja release for PlayStation 2 under the series' original western name. It preserves the series' cel-shaded anime presentation while broadening the Shippuden cast and adventure structure, before CyberConnect2's Naruto fighting games moved into the later Ultimate Ninja Storm era on newer hardware.