Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

is the sequel to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. It is slated to be released in Japan for October 21, 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be released in Europe on October 15, 2010, in the US on October 19, 2010 and the 14 October, 2010 in Australia.

Gameplay
The gameplay retains many of the elements from the previous game. The game will feature 23 interactive and destructible stages and more than 40 playable characters. Each character can also gain new combos and jutsus by activating the Awakening Mode. As the story progresses, players will unlock new Jutsu and Ultimate Jutsu for certain characters. Lars Alexandersson, a character designed by Masashi Kishimoto for Tekken 6, is also playable.

Support characters will be returning. There are 3 types of support characters: attack type, defense type and balance type. There is also a new feature, named "Drive Gauge", in the game. Depending on the Drive Gauge, players will be able to unleash devastating team jutsu with the support characters. When the drive gauge is full, the defensive support character will automatically protect the player. The jutsu clashes from the prequel also makes their return. Chakra Backwards Dashing is now included. Ultimate jutsus will now be real-time and shorter than the ones from the previous installment. This will help keeping the fast pace of the fights and will also prevent lagging in on-line battles. For some characters, there will be two usable jutsus in one match: one basic jutsu and an enhanced version. When using the jutsu for the character, if the attack button is held, the jutsu will be enhanced (Ex. Naruto using Rasengan as his normal jutsu, then turning into Great Ball Rasengan by holding the attack button). Also, health has been reduced, so now there are only two health bars, instead of the three like in the previous game. In the Itachi vs Sasuke boss battle are now included shuriken clashes.

Free roaming also makes a return. The game will feature a 1:1 recreation of the Konohagakure. In addition to the Konoha, players will be able to roam outside the village, ranging from forests to deserts, and also Sunagakure. Boss battles will be returning, with quick-time events and cutscenes. Boss battles are divided into 2 or more parts, depending on the boss fight. For example, the Naruto vs. Kakashi boss fight (which is held at the Training Field) contains 2 parts: one of them is normal fighting; in the other part, after Sakura smashes her fist into the ground, the scene is changed into a new stage with water and rocks; in this part of the battle, Kakashi attacks with long-range jutsu that the player must avoid. Boss battles include Naruto vs. Kakashi, Gaara vs. Deidara, Sakura vs. Sasori, Naruto vs Orochimaru, Four tailed Naruto vs. Orochimaru, Naruto vs. Sasuke, Sasuke vs. Orochimaru, Naruto vs. Kakuzu, Sasuke vs. Itachi, Jiraiya vs. Pain, and Sage mode Naruto vs. Pain.

New to the Ultimate Ninja series are also the aerial battles, where players will be able to fight in the air, such as Gaara vs. Deidara.

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

Development
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 was officially announced on December 21, 2009 by Namco Bandai Games at a Jump Festa event. V Jump magazine revealed the game a few days beforehand. As CyberConnect2's first multi-platform project, they worked closely with Microsoft. On July 16, the demo release date was announced in the official website. It was officially released July 29, 2010 on the Japanese PlayStation Network and Xbox Live (The Latter requires a gold membership). The European release date for the demo is August 25 2010. It contains the Naruto vs. Kakashi boss battle. It's North American release date is October 19, and its European release date is October 15.

Story
According to the CyberConnect 2 CEO, Hiroshi Matsuyama, the story will begin from the very first Naruto: Shippūden episode to episodes that will be broadcasting this summer in Japan, a content of 3 years of anime broadcasting. The game features a deep three-part story from the point of view of Naruto, Sasuke and Jiraiya.

Confirmed Playable Characters
New Characters are indicated by the asterisks.


 * Naruto Uzumaki (Four-Tailed Mode; Sage Mode)
 * Kakashi Hatake (Sharingan Mode)
 * Sakura Haruno (Herculean Mode)
 * Sai *
 * Yamato *
 * Might Guy (Eight Gates Mode)
 * Tenten (Ninja Tool Summon Mode)
 * Rock Lee (Eight Gates Mode)
 * Neji Hyūga (Byakugan Mode)
 * Asuma Sarutobi (Flying Swallow Mode)
 * Ino Yamanaka (Covered with Flowers Mode)
 * Shikamaru Nara (Shadow Imitation Mode)
 * Chōji Akimichi
 * Hinata Hyūga (Twin Lion Fist Mode)
 * Shino Aburame (Beetle Mode)
 * Kiba Inuzuka (Fang Mode)
 * Tsunade
 * Jiraiya (Sage Mode)
 * Minato Namikaze*
 * Chiyo (With Mother and Father) *
 * Gaara (Kazekage Mode)
 * Temari
 * Kankurō (Sanshōuo Mode)
 * Itachi Uchiha (Mangekyō Sharingan; Susanoo)
 * Kisame Hoshigaki
 * Deidara *
 * Sasori (With Third Kazekage; True Form) *
 * Hidan (Jashin Ritual Mode) *
 * Kakuzu (Four Hearts Mode) *
 * Pain *
 * Konan (Angel Mode)*
 * Sasuke Uchiha (Curse Mark Stage 2; Mangekyō Sharingan)
 * Suigetsu Hōzuki *
 * Karin *
 * Jūgo (Curse Mark Mode) *
 * Orochimaru
 * Kabuto Yakushi
 * Lars Alexandersson *
 * Killer Bee (Full Eight-Tails Mode) *

Confirmed Playable Stages

 * Training Field
 * Hidden Leaf Village (Normal, Destroyed)
 * Hidden Leaf Ruined Land
 * Hidden Leaf Forest (Day, Evening)
 * Forest Of Death
 * Hidden Sand Gate
 * Hidden Sand Village
 * Akatsuki Hideout
 * 5 Seal Barrier Cliff
 * Forest Of Dead Trees
 * Forest Of Quiet Movement (Day, Evening, Night)
 * Hidden Rain Village (Upper, Lower)
 * The Uchiha Hideout
 * Site Of Planetary Devastion
 * Valley of the End
 * Grassy Waves Prairie
 * Orochimaru's Hideout
 * Mount Myōboku

Trophies
You got all the trophies
 * A Perfect Storm Master

You've completed the prologue
 * Prologue Complete

You have completed Chapter 1
 * Chapter 1 Complete

You have completed Chapter 2
 * Chapter 2 Complete

You have completed Chapter 3
 * Chapter 3 Complete

You have completed Chapter 4
 * Chapter 4 Complete

You have completed Chapter 5
 * Chapter 5 Complete

You have completed Chapter 6
 * Chapter 6 Complete

You have completed the final chapter
 * Final chapter Complete

You can now use peers from Naruto's generation
 * Naruto's Friends

You can now use Kakashi, Yamato, Gai, and Asuma
 * Naruto's teachers

You can now use Gaara, Kankurō, Temari and Chiyo
 * Friends from Sunagakure

You can now use Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru
 * The Legendary Sannin

You can now use all members of the Akatsuki
 * Furtive Akatsuki

You can now use Sasuke, Suigetsu, Karin and Jūgo
 * Hebi is on the way

You can now use Lars
 * Assassin from Tekken 6

You have the S-Rank in the 'Steal Bell-lesson'
 * Steal Bell Expert

You got the S-Rank on 'Sand and Art Explosion'
 * Village Guards

You got the S-Rank on 'Sakura'
 * Spared the Puppet Jutsu

You get the S-Rank in 'Forbidden Rage'
 * Unstoppable Rampage

You get the S ranking on 'Final Battle between Friends'
 * Difference in growing up

You get the S ranking in 'Storm and Stress'
 * Return of the Fourth Hokage

You get the S-Rank on 'The Two Uchiha'
 * Overflowing Hatred

You get the S ranking in 'Fight of the Hermit of God'
 * Overwhelming Hermit

You get the S ranking on 'Tremor'
 * Vision of a new wind

You've brought back all the cursed dolls
 * Cursed doll wipe out!

You got back all Pearl Tontons.
 * Squeak!

You have completed all 10 tests
 * Test passed!

You have completed all jobs
 * Master of the Orders

You have completed all Correspondence Events
 * Post-Ninja

You have seen friendship events for each
 * All friends are here!

You have collected 500 items
 * Nothing escapes you

999 999 Ryo saved.
 * Money makes the world

You have accumulated 999 999 Forward points
 * Points Tycoon

You get all the battle-Items
 * I love ninja tools!

You have collected all the collection items
 * Roaring business in the country store!

A ninja info card processed
 * First processing

You have collected all Messengers.
 * News Ninja shocked!

You have collected all the memories
 * Review completed!

100% of the stories found
 * Story Collector

Your entire season played over 30 hours
 * Thanks for all your time!

You have won 10 times in network battles
 * On the way to the Ninja!

You have won 50 times in network battles
 * Clever Ninja

You have completed the fragment
 * Fragment completion

You can now use all the characters
 * All Ninjas assemble!

You've seen all Secret factors
 * The Inconspicuous Detail

You got 50 tracks
 * Also known as ...

You have completed all events
 * All events managed

You have collected all the ninja info cards
 * Card Collector

You have received all titles.
 * What should I call myself?