The last few years have been unusual for theNarutofranchise.Naruto’s original manga ended in November 2014 with its 700th chapter, bringing one of the big three Shonen Jump franchises that defined the modern battle shonen genre to a close. However, a sequel toNarutofocused on his son Boruto was already beginning production. Just a few short months later,Borutopicked up whereNarutoleft off, and eventually both the manga and anime had transitioned over toBoruto’s new story.
WithBorutohaving been around for about eight years,Naruto’s legacy fandom has not been left wanting. That said,Boruto’s anime just ended its “Part 1,” with the implication that apost-time skip Shippuden era is coming next, and Boruto still doesn’t have a console game exclusively in his name. Even if Shonen Jump properties are somewhat infamous for their game adaptations suffering from inconsistent quality, Boruto has the chance to one-up his father with the best game their franchise has seen yet.
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Naruto Never Managed To Nail Its Video Games
By this point, severalDragon Balltitles have been recognized outside their usual audiences, includingDragon Ball FighterZbeing a top-shelf tag fighting game andDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3representing the ultimate fan service package.Narutoalso has some standout titles, but the best haven’t reached the same heights. TheNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormseriesis one of its most successful, serving as an excellent adaptation of Naruto’s journey and cinematic fights. It was so good that the developer CyberConnect2 gaveDragon Ball Z: Kakarota similar treatment, though just as a singleplayer game. Their multiplayer core has been a sticking point forUNS, as despite having some fantastic story modes, their streamlined arena fighter gameplay only rewards the most dedicated players.
In comparison, theUbisoft-developedNaruto: Rise of a NinjaandNaruto: The Broken Bondprovide great adventures through the first few arcs ofNaruto’s story. Despite that, their fighting game-inspired combat proved underwhelming next toNaruto’s other offerings. Various other impressiveNarutogames have their fans, but whether they are fighting games likeNaruto Shippuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen! EX 3that couldn’t establish a wider audience or more experimental efforts likeNaruto: Path of the Ninjathat didn’t draw a crowd,Narutohasn’t had the video game success that one would expect.
Boruto Has An Opening To Create the Best Naruto Game
Borutohas suffered from its own share of problems, particularly being stuck in the shadow ofNaruto. It’s often seen as inferior to the original series, which had already lost fans as its own run dragged on.Boruto’s art and writing have both improved to the point where the currentCode arc is touted as itsBoruto’s bestyet, but that still leaves a lot of lesser arcs to get through before the best parts start. Even worse,Borutohasn’t had the plentiful game adaptations thatNarutohas, always being forced to share the spotlight in titles likeNaruto To Boruto: Shinobi StrikerandNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto.
At this point, it’s clear thatBorutoneeds a console game adaptation separate fromNaruto. This could clean up its rough patches and smoothly ease fans intoBoruto’s story. The new focus on Boruto also offers a clean slate in terms of game design, opening the door to titles with even more ambition than theUltimate Ninja Stormgames. AlthoughBoruto’s track record is less impressive thanNaruto’s, gaining the best game adaptation out of both could finally makeBorutoa name to be remembered.
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