Announced in celebration of the 20th anniversary ofNaruto’s anime,Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsis the next entry in the extremely popular arena fighter series, and it’s set to be the biggestUltimate Ninja Stormrelease yet. Confirmed to feature an even larger roster on top of the previous characters, the upcoming title has drawn criticism from fans due to its polarizing nature as more of a remaster and update than a sequel. Launching in fall of this year, the release ofNaruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionscoincides with a unsure period for theBorutofranchise as a whole.
WhileUltimate Ninja Storm Connectionshas been announced to contain new story content as the series fully transitions into the world ofBoruto, the game also functions as a remaster of the first fourStormgames. The updates to theNarutocontent of the past games is likely the main selling point for many fans, and the game is inevitably far from a dedicatedBorutoarena fighter release. The power scaling has reached an all-time high with the addition ofBoruto’s new characters, however, and the conflicted future direction and performance of the sequel series’ games is reflective ofBoruto’s current status.
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Boruto’s Anime and Manga are on a Controversial Hiatus
It is inherently challenging to forBorutoto compete with the massive lasting success of the originalNarutobrand over the years. Following the journey of the titular Boruto Uzumaki as he obtains a godlike power known as Karma while forming a complicated brotherly relationship with his rival Kawaki,Borutohas been an entirely different experience from its predecessor. While it may explore new themes and characters at a larger scale thanNaruto,the story ofBorutoand quality of its anime has not had the best reception across the longtime fanbase of the wider franchise.
Despite the conflict over the series, the sequel toNarutoits own supporters and potential to come into its own.Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsemerged at a turning point, since the actual coreBorutomedia has officially taken a break from production. The hiatus ofBorutois not due to lack of success financially despite what many fans of the original may assume, as both its manga and anime releases have performed similarly to the most popular franchises of each industry. The fact of the matter is thatNarutohad a timeskip leading into a second part after five years, but his son has had a far more slowly paced first part that started back in 2016 that could end whenBorutochapter 81 releases in August.
Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Legacy Characters
Power scaling is one of the major issuesBorutohas been criticized for, and the implementation of its new characters into the roster ofUltimate Ninja Stormseems to highlight how this problem presents a challenge forBorutogames. With the new versions ofNaruto (Baryon Mode) and Sasuke (Supporting Kage)making their way into the game alongside newcomers like Kawaki and Jigen, the style ofBorutocan struggle to convey the power of its legacy characters.Naruto’s classic taijutsu-heavy combat doesn’t always compare to the power-scaling ofBoruto’s ninjutsu, making the classic characters seem underwhelming.
The impact of the newBorutocontent inUltimate Ninja Storm Connectionsmay not be as powerful as that of previous entries in the series, but the future ofBoruto’s games could be brighter if rumored changes come into play. With the future foreshadowed at the beginning ofBorutorumored to finally be nearing,Narutomay finally be able to fully pass on the torch to its follow-up. Having relied heavily on ties to its predecessor throughout its lifetime,Borutoand its games could surpassNaruto’ssuccess one day if the bold vision of the timeskip comes to fruition and revitalizes the entire franchise. During its current hiatus, however, releases likeUltimate Ninja Storm Connectionsmay suffer from the uncertainty ofBoruto’s transitory period.
Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionswill be released in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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