Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2. It is the second installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, and the sequel to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm published by Bandai Namco. It is based on the anime and manga series Naruto, and was released for the Nintendo Switch in April 2018.

Gameplay
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2's gameplay retains many of the elements of the first game and has 23 fighting stages. It has nine chapters including the prologue and an extra chapter. Each character can gain new combos and jutsu by activating the Awakening Mode. Lars Alexandersson, a guest character from Tekken, is also playable in the game. As the story progresses, players will unlock new Jutsu and Ultimate Jutsu for certain characters.

Support characters return with two new features. The first feature is Support Types — Defense, Attack, and Balanced. These can be unlocked for each support character and decide its actions during Support Drive level one. The second new feature is the Support Drive, which has two levels. Level one is activated once a player's support characters are summoned enough times. When Support Drive level one is activated, a player's support characters will summon themselves automatically depending on their support type, and on what actions the player is executing. When a support character automatically summons itself, it will not reset the support character charge gauge, and can even be summoned when the gauge is not full. A support character cannot be manually summoned by a player if it has already summoned itself automatically. If a support character is set to Defense, it will automatically summon itself when a player is charging chakra, and block the opponent from dashing into the player.

When a support character is set to Attack, they will help attack an opponent through combos, and knock the opponent back when a combo sends them flying. Set to Balanced, it will throw projectiles alongside the player when the player uses chakra projectiles and block incoming Ultimate Jutsus, at the expense of losing that support for a while. When Support Drive level two is activated, for a limited time a player will be capable of releasing a Team Ultimate Jutsu, activated by hitting the chakra button three times and then the attack button. A Team Ultimate Jutsu drains an enormous amount of a player's chakra, and does massive damage if it makes contact with an unguarded opponent.

The game does not have free roaming in the same sense as the original, instead being replaced by more traditional JRPG screens and movement. In addition to the Leaf Village, players are able to travel outside the village, through environments ranging from forests to deserts, and the Hidden Sand Village. Boss battles have returned, with quick time events and cutscenes.

Players can access multiple online features; quick matches have opponents chosen at random, ranked matches with leader boards, match customization, as well as the availability to host matches.

Roster

 * Naruto Uzumaki
 * Sage Naruto
 * Sakura Haruno
 * Sai
 * Sasuke Uchiha
 * Karin
 * Suigetsu Hōzuki
 * Jūgo
 * Shikamaru Nara
 * Ino Yamanaka
 * Chōji Akimichi
 * Kiba Inuzuka
 * Shino Aburame
 * Hinata Hyūga
 * Gaara
 * Temari
 * Kankurō
 * Rock Lee
 * Neji Hyūga
 * Tenten
 * Kakashi Hatake
 * Yamato
 * Might Guy
 * Asuma Sarutobi
 * Minato Namikaze
 * Jiraiya
 * Orochimaru
 * Tsunade
 * Chiyo
 * Killer B
 * Pain
 * Konan
 * Itachi Uchiha
 * Kisame Hoshigaki
 * Hidan
 * Kakuzu
 * Deidara
 * Sasori
 * Tobi
 * Kabuto Yakushi
 * Lars Alexandersson

Plot
The game's adventure mode covers the original manga and anime's beginning with the return of young ninja Naruto Uzumaki to his ninja village, Konohagakure, after three years of training with Jiraiya. Across the story mode, Naruto and his allies fight many enemies from a criminal organization known as Akatsuki. Starting with the first chapter, they capture Gaara, once leader of the Sunagakure village. The second chapter follows Naruto's team in their failed attempt to take former ally Sasuke Uchiha from the criminal Orochimaru. The following two chapters focus on Konohagakure member Shikamaru Nara as his team again battles new members from Akatsuki. The next chapter has Sasuke betraying and defeating Orochimaru while forming his own ninja team to track down his older brother, Itachi, who murdered his entire clan years ago. The last two chapters follow Pain, the acting leader of Akatsuki, as he kills his teacher, Jiraiya, and Naruto trains to avenge his death. Clearing the story mode unlocks an additional "fragment" chapter detailing Sasuke's team's failed capture of Killer Bee, following their alliance with Akatsuki.