Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Hints and Tips

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 isn't your traditional fighting game, but that fact in itself means that there are plenty of nuances to discover and master on your way to becoming an unstoppable shinobi. With this hopefully handy hints and tips guide, we're aiming to give anyone new to the series a head start, while perhaps refreshing the memories of veteran ninja. As is often the case in the source material, knowledge can prove to be your greatest ally when facing the most dangerous of foes.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Guide

Check your chakra

That blue bar below your health is absolutely crucial to success no matter which character you decide to play as. Your chakra gauge is essentially the source of your power, and keeping it topped up usually makes proceedings a heck of a lot easier.

Chakra is needed for jutsu techniques – both standard and ultimate – and jutsus are, in most cases, the best way to do good damage to your opponent. Needless to say, saving an ample supply of chakra for when you need to pull off one of these attacks can really save your bacon. Likewise, you can expend chakra to close in on your opponent with dashes, or use it to power up your projectiles; the latter isn't all that useful, but the former is a necessity when it comes to opening up your opposition.

The only way to gain chakra is by holding down the triangle button – but the subsequent motionless stance leaves you wide open as you gather the precious resource. With this in mind, always be aware of when it's safe to go ahead and build up your gauge. For example, if there's a comfortable distance between you and your foe, it may be best to stay put and build up your chakra reserves instead of charging back into the fray.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Walkthrough

Don't spam substitutions

Tapping L2 as an incoming attack connects allows you to teleport away from the blow and avoid damage – but this substitution technique shouldn't be overused, as doing so can land you in even bigger trouble.

While it's certainly tempting to dart away from every punch, kick, or stab that your enemy throws at you, you need to remember that substitutions are limited. You can only afford to teleport away from danger four times, as indicated by the four yellow bars beneath your chakra gauge. Unsurprisingly, exhausting your supply means that your enemy can batter you with huge combos and you won't have any means of escaping such a beating.

You're not stuck with just four substitutions over an entire fight, however, as they'll slowly replenish over time. In other words, it's best to use them sparingly, saving them for when you're about to be on the receiving end of some real punishment.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Tips

Mix up your melee attacks

Performing melee combos in Storm 4 is simply a case of tapping the circle button multiple times, but you certainly shouldn't rely on these rather standard rushes. More often than not, your opponent won't let you complete a combo – they'll either substitute out of the onslaught before you get the final, most damaging hit in, or they'll call in a support character and force you out of it.

To get the most out of your melee attacks, it's best to mix things up. Keep your foe guessing by weaving jutsu techniques into your string, or cancel out of the combo with a dash or chakra dash. You could even try calling in your allies and seeing whether you can tie their specific actions into your own offensive.

It may also be worth switching to your second or third character if your current ninja isn't doing so hot. While you're bashing away with a melee combo, flick the right analog stick to call in your fresh combatant and they'll continue the attack as long as you keep hitting circle. This is a great way to rack up some decent damage, especially if your foe has used up all of their substitutions.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Guides 2

Gotta keep moving

You'll find a lot of success in Storm 4 if you master your mobility. Ninja movement, as the game calls it, occurs when you double tap the X button, and you can hold it down afterwards to continue moving at a faster pace.

Depending on the character that you're using, you'll leap, sprint, or even temporarily vanish in a direction of your choice. A well-timed ninja movement can be an effective way to turn the tide if your opponent is piling on the pressure. Dashing, for example, can be countered by a swift sidestep – time it perfectly, and you can even end up zipping around the back of your enemy, which potentially opens them up to a huge amount of punishment.

Ninja movement isn't just about evasion, though, as it also proves to be one of the safest ways to close the distance. If you're being barraged from afar by a mix of projectiles and long range jutsus, more advanced, reactive use of ninja movement lets you weave through the danger until you find an opportunity to strike back.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4 Guides 3

Don't hesitate to force openings

Duels in Storm 4 can quite easily become lengthy affairs as both players attempt to tease open an advantage, but given how much damage ultimate jutsus can do, fights can also end a lot quicker than you may be anticipating. As such, rushing down your opponent and forcing them to make mistakes can be a very viable route to victory.

Now, we're not saying that using up all of your chakra in the first ten seconds of combat is a good idea – it probably isn't – but if you're up against someone who's darting around the arena and whittling your health down bit by bit, you're going to need to break through that defensive playstyle sooner rather than later.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to keep your enemies on their toes. For starters, dashes and chakra dashes work wonders when it comes to getting in your opponent's face, while support techniques can easily catch your foe off guard if you time them alongside your own attacks. With that in mind, things can get particularly interesting if you bring two allies into battle, summoning them one after another to create a near constant offensive push.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 PlayStation 4

Make teamwork troublesome

With a gigantic roster of playable characters, picking a team of three shinobi that you feel comfortable with can be tricky, but a willingness to experiment with varied combinations is important if you want to build a trio that really click, and, more importantly, make life difficult for your opposition.

Even though every playable ninja adheres to the same control scheme, there's a lot of variation to be found when it comes to fighting styles. For example, bug user Shino Aburame is more inclined to sit at a distance and flood his foes with waves of hungry insects, while bombastic martial artist Might Guy is more at home being face to face with his enemy – his physical attacks being fast and fluid.

Combining different styles is definitely worth a shot, then, as it allows you to switch out to a different combatant if things aren't going your way. And, as always, keeping your opponent guessing is a crucial part of more competitive play. In short, more options on the battlefield can never be a bad thing.


Have you copied all of this down into your ninja notebook? Do you have any useful hints or tips of your own? Continue on the path to being Hokage in the comments section below.