Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 is the third installment of the fighting game series Naruto: Ultimate Ninja released for the Playstation 2. The game has roughly 42 Characters, giving it one of the biggest character rosters of any Naruto games. It features a new story mode, more maneuverability for characters, and a much larger variety of music.

Ultimate Ninja 3 also offers a different sort of story mode from Ultimate Ninja 2. This is called the Hero's History. It replays every major fight from the beginning of the series (Naruto vs. Kakashi-the training), to the end of Part 1 (Naruto vs. Sasuke-the final battle). Although it skips a lot of dialogue and transition scenes (scenes such as the Chūnin exam preliminaries and most of the cutscenes that one grew accustomed to in UN 2) are completely gone. It's a good way to get 'quick action' in the game for those who get bored easily of the endless tirade of cutscenes in UN 2, and it is a good way to get a lot of unlockable characters.

Another interesting feature is called the Ultimate Path (Ultimate Contest in English version). This is an RPG style part of the game, which allows you to go on missions and unlock several characters, as well as learn different jutsu. Before you can do this, however, you have to enter into a tournament in which you need to defeat many characters in order to get their crystals. After this is done, you can roam freely and level up different characters which you have unlocked.

Playable Characters
Parenthesis indicate character's Awakening Mode.

{{playable| Naruto Uzumaki~Nine-Tails Mode), also playable in a One-Tailed form (Gamabunta), also playable with a Taijutsu outfit (Ultimate Mode Sasuke Uchiha~Curse Mark Mode), also playable in a Level 2 Cursed form (Ultimate Mode Sakura Haruno~The Great Sakura Kakashi Hatake~Sharingan Mode), also playable with an ANBU outfit (Ultimate Mode First Hokage Second Hokage~Hokage Mode Third Hokage~Reaper Death Seal Mode Fourth Hokage~Flash Mode Tsunade~Katsuyu Orochimaru~Manda Jiraiya~Gamabunta Itachi Uchiha~Tsukuyomi Haku~Ice Blade Mode Zabuza Momochi Kisame Hoshigaki Konohamaru~Kiddy Mode Shizune Kabuto Yakushi Anko Mitarashi~Ultimate Mode), when battling Orochimaru (Curse Mark Mode Shino Aburame Hinata Hyūga~Byakugan Mode Kiba Inuzuka~Double Headed Wolf Kurenai Yūhi~Hazy Mode Shikamaru Nara~Strategy Mode Ino Yamanaka~Covered With Flowers Mode Chōji Akimichi~Super Chōji Mode) and (Butterfly form Asuma Sarutobi Rock Lee~Loopy Fist Mode} and (Drunken Fist form Tenten~Tool Mode Neji Hyūga~Byakugan Mode Might Guy~Eight Gates Kankurō Gaara~Shukaku form Temari Kidōmaru~Curse Mark Mode) and (Level 2 Cursed form Sakon~Curse Mark Mode) and (Level 2 Cursed form Tayuya~Curse Mark Mode) and (Level 2 Cursed form Jirōbō~Curse Mark Mode) and (Level 2 Cursed form Kimimaro~Curse Mark Mode) and (Level 2 Cursed form Hanabi Hyūga~Byakugan Mode }}

Trivia

 * There was an OVA special of this game's crystal competition mode used to help promote the game.
 * In a fight with you as Anko and Orochimaru as your opponent, Anko will go into Stage 1 of Cursed Seal of Heaven if the Ultimate Jutsu, Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique, is successful.