Dust off your scrolls and tie on your shinobi headband as we take you through the 6 best Naruto games on PSP.
With hundreds of episodes of the Naruto anime to pull inspiration from, there’s no wonder the PSP saw 6 ninja-focused titles within its lifespan.
The PSP catered to fans of the Hero of the Hidden Leaf and his over-the-top ninjutsu action with numerous brawlers across several years.
Our list covers every Naruto game that appeared on Sony’s PlayStation Portable. Starting with 2007’s Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes all the way through to Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive.
If you decide to try the PSP Naruto games for yourself, then why not treat yourself to one of the many PSP Special Edition handhelds out there.
With charged chakra, it’s time to lean forward, stretch your arms back and Naruto-run into our list of the 6 Best titles on the PSP.
Table of Contents
1. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Impact (2011)
The best Naruto game on PSP is Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact.
The final Naruto game released for Sony’s original portable console, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact replaces the one-on-one fighting gameplay of the Ultimate Ninja with grand battles with dozens of enemies on screen at once.
The switch to Musou-style gameplay is a welcome change of pace for the series. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact allows players to experience key moments from the anime and features more boss battles than any other Naruto game on the PSP.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact further cements its place as the best Naruto game on PSP by offering a staggering number of playable characters. Each character enters the fray with their own unique techniques and awakenings.
Players can also unleash their most powerful Jutsu skills in multiplayer, either working through missions together in Tag Battle mode or head-to-head in Versus Battle to determine the Ultimate Ninja!
With a wealth of content, exciting combos, and heaps of enemies to face, it’s easy to see why Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact is the best Naruto game on PSP.
For more Naruto goodness, be sure to check out our full list ranking the best Naruto titles, which casts its net wider than the PlayStation Portable to include games across every platform.
2. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (2007)
Wall running into second place on our best Naruto games on PSP list is Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes was the first Naruto game to grace the PSP back in 2007. Naruto’s debut on the PSP is light on story but compensates with its electric set pieces.
The foundation for the Ultimate Ninja Heroes series focuses on pure 2.5D brawler gameplay. Characters can be customised with special abilities and techniques to make each hero feel unique and powerful.
Players will battle through a string of familiar characters as they demonstrate their might and their understanding of advanced ninja skills.
It’s not all mindless button-bashing and combo-breaking though as three-on-three team battles add a level of strategy to the mayhem.
The emphasis on insane action over lore-heavy anime storytelling means that casual fans of Naruto, or even anime in general, can find a lot to love from the original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes.
3. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress (2008)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress preserves the 2.5D action of the original and slaps a non-canon plot on it. The original story sees players raiding the 100 floors of Castle Dusk, deploying brutal jutsu arts and secret techniques as they climb the titular fortress after it descends upon the Hidden Leaf Village.
Players can activate special scrolls during their quest to build minigame areas within the Phantom Fortress. While plenty of games have minigames to break up levels and offer variety to the player, how many of them allow you to dash up the sides of giant trees like a true shinobi?
4. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (2010)
Fans of the series will be pleased to see the return of the solid 2.5D side-scrolling brawling action. Levels are nicely balanced between beat ‘em up arenas and platforming sections and the new multiplayer modes add some longevity to proceedings.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 expands the roster of playable characters to a ludicrous 40 ninjas, with each hero being loveably recreated from their anime origins.
The actual brawling action is competent with every character able to demonstrate their skills in round after round of ninja showdowns.
In theory, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 should appear higher up our list of the best Naruto games on PSP. What keeps Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 from breaking the top 3 is that it doesn’t do enough to improve upon its predecessors.
5. Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akutsuki Rising (2009)
Preceeding Naruto Shippiden: Kizuna Drive in the Uzumaki Chronicles series, Legends: Akutsuki Rising brings the Uzumaki Chronicles series to the PSP for the first time.
Legends: Akutsuki Rising takes place near the start of Naruto Shippuden with Konoha Village under attack, causing Naruto to step in and bust out some jutsu.
The game succeeds in introducing RPG elements to proceedings, allowing players to develop their characters and learn new abilities. While the English voicework is consistently excellent throughout, some of the dialogue can feel drawn out and long winded.
Thankfully the core gameplay is still fun for fans of the series, with a variety of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu attacks to unleash while exploring the world.
6. Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive (2011)
Kizuna Drive is the fourth game in the Uzumaki Chronicles series of games that started with Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles on the PS2.
The Kizuna Drive Battle System sees players joined by 3 allies while on missions. New team attacks can be activated during combat and see our protagonists using their techniques to volley enemies before dealing massive damage with devastating explosions.
Kizuna Drive features 16 playable characters including fan favourites Shikamaru, Kakashi and Itachi. Local 4 player co-op provides extra replay value for players although the repetitive gameplay and brutal difficulty leaves Kizuna Drive at the bottom of our list.
