Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3, known in Japan as Naruto: Narutimate Hero 3 (ナルト- ナルティメットヒーロー3, Naruto: Narutimetto Hīrō 3), is the third instalment of the fighting game series Naruto: Ultimate Ninja released for the Playstation 2.

Gameplay

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 manoeuvrability for characters, and a much larger variety of music.

Naruto: 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 Exams preliminaries and most of the cut-scenes 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 cut-scenes 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 or Summoning Mode.

• Naruto Uzumaki (Nine-Tails Mode), also playable in a One-Tailed form, also playable with a Taijutsu outfit (Ultimate Mode)
• Sasuke Uchiha (Curse Mark Mode also playable in a Sharingan Mode, and Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• Sakura Haruno (The Great Sakura Mode)
• Kakashi Hatake (Sharingan Mode), also playable with an ANBU outfit (Ultimate Mode)
• Hashirama Senju (Hokage Mode)
• Tobirama Senju (Hokage Mode)
• Hiruzen Sarutobi (Reaper Death Seal Mode)
• Minato Namikaze (Yellow Flash Mode)
• Tsunade (Mitotic Regeneration Mode, Katsuyu Summoning)
• Orochimaru (Manda Summoning)
• Jiraiya (Gamabunta Summoning)
• Itachi Uchiha (Tsukuyomi Mode)
• Haku (Ice Blade Mode)
• Zabuza Momochi (Demon Mode)
• Kisame Hoshigaki (Shark Skin Mode)
• Konohamaru (Kiddy Mode)
• Shizune (Medical Mode)
• Kabuto Yakushi (Super Recovery Mode)
• Anko Mitarashi (Ultimate Mode), when battling Orochimaru (Curse Mark Mode)
• Shino Aburame (Beetle Mode)
• Hinata Hyūga (Byakugan Mode)
• Kiba Inuzuka (Double Headed Wolf Mode)
• Kurenai Yūhi (Haze Mode)
• Shikamaru Nara (Strategy Mode)
• Ino Yamanaka (Covered With Flowers Mode)
• Chōji Akimichi (Super Chōji Mode, Expansion Mode)
• Asuma Sarutobi (Fist Strike Mode)
• Rock Lee (Loopy Fist Mode, Eight Gates Mode)
• Tenten (Ninja Tool Mode)
• Neji Hyūga (Byakugan Mode)
• Might Guy (Eight Gates Mode)
• Kankurō (Armoured Mode)
• Gaara (Possession Mode)
• Temari (Heavenly Dance Mode)
• Kidōmaru (Curse Mark Mode) and (Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• Sakon (Curse Mark Mode) and (Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• Tayuya (Curse Mark Mode) and (Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• Jirōbō (Curse Mark Mode) and (Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• Kimimaro (Curse Mark Mode) and (Curse Mark Mode Stage 2)
• 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, if the player plays as Anko with Orochimaru as the opponent, she will go into Stage 1 of Cursed Seal of Heaven if using her Ultimate Jutsu, Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique, is successful.
• Have a saved game from Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 on the player memory card to when starting a new game, a confirmation message will appear on the blank screen just before the loading screen and main menu appears, stating that the player have earned 607 Ninja Info Cards and 50,000 ryō.