by theygamesDespite anime and gaming going hand in hand for decades, there have been relatively few successful anime games. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is one of the exceptions. Not only numbered among the best selling fighting games of all time, it’s a brilliant Naruto game too, bringing everyone’s favorite characters to life with stunning animated combat moves.
There are several reasons why Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is such a beloved game. Firstly it brings something new to the series by following in the footsteps of other brilliant fighting games like those in the Marvel vs. Capcom series by letting you swap between your team on the fly when you’re facing down opponents. In addition, it brought back the oft-missed wall-running ability to the series and increased the roster of fighters to an unimaginable 106. Combine all that with the over-the-top action you’d expect from a Naruto game and it’s no wonder it has managed to sell a truly stunning 11 million copies since its 2016 launch.
That said, in recent months the game has died down a little, at least on Steam. With regular numbers of players in the hundreds rather than thousands, it’s safe to say after eight years the fighting game world had moved on. That is, until now. The currently-running Steam sale has hit Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4’s price with a massive Rasengan to the chest, sending player numbers skyrocketing as a result.
To put it in context, recent player counts have been around the seven to eight hundred mark. Today, Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4’s player numbers peaked at 6,059, which isn’t far off the all-time peak of 7,185 from a few years ago. Those numbers have since died down but with the sale still going strong and the weekend approaching, there’s every chance that this anime game may see record-breaking numbers. Something very impressive considering that it’s eight years old, a lifetime for many fighting games.
If you’d like to save some money and get into one of the best Naruto games of all time, you can save 80% on Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 until Monday, May 27 which brings its price down from $19.99 / £16.99 to $3.99 / £3.39. Head over to Steam to check it out for yourself.
Should you want more animation in your life, our guide to the best anime games will see find something you love. Or you can take a glance at our best multiplayer games recommendations, for all the online action you can handle.
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