Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 23
  2. Negative: 6 out of 23
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  1. It’s a slick little pick-up-and-play experience, though sadly, it is a short one. The varied Wi-Fi Party mode almost would've made up for NC3's brevity... if it only allowed game sharing.
  2. Sure some of the mechanics are weird, and the graphics aren't as good as they could be, but when you get to be your favorite ninja, that's the biggest plus factor for you, and everything else falls secondary.
  3. Gamers with an undeniable need for Naruto gaming action will be amused – if only on the first play-through – by the gameplay this sequel distributes. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a beat-‘em-up with something more substantial than license amusement, you may want to look elsewhere.
  4. Naruto may be a simple and confusing game, but one thing it’s sure to do is make fans of the license happy.
  5. 65
    The game is a definite step above the previous Ninja Council, but the series still has a long road ahead, as this one suffers from some odd button layout, wonky physics at times, and a few annoying fetch quests or “kill 30 enemies” challenges that just get in the way off good old fashioned ninja battling.
  6. I really wish the missions were more meaningful, because the roots of a great 2D brawler are here – it just needs more time to mature.
  7. A shallow fighting game with a lame single-player mode but an awesome multiplayer mode.
  8. Nintendo Power
    60
    Naruto-holics are better off sticking with the multiplayer Battle Royale if they want to toss the ol' shuriken around. [July 2007, p.97]
  9. 60
    Ultimately this is a game that only the hardcore are likely to enjoy. Even if it isn’t a successful design at heart, it’s a good-looking tribute to the characters they love, and that’s a step up from what anime-licensed games usually used to be.
  10. 60
    This is a bare-bones platform fighting game and will probably only appeal to Naruto fans.
  11. Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 didn´t improve anything and it has the same problems of the last games. It has a serious lack of the game modes, only story and multiplayer, with a repetitive action. Also we need to see the problems with the desperate control. A game only recommended for true Naruto´s fans.
  12. Where before there was too little, here there is not enough worth getting involved with. The home console installments are usually worth your time, but Namco-Bandai has yet to make a handheld Naruto worth it.
  13. Nintendo Gamer
    55
    Far too simple to satisfy as an anime fighter and too bitty to enjoy for any length of time. [Sept 2007, p.71]
  14. 55
    There simply isn't enough in Naruto: Ninja Council, but only a select few who enjoy the multiplayer might be able to forgive this.
  15. In short, Naruto: Ninja Council 3 shows little to no improvement over its predecessors, with equally brain-dead play and a genre switch that sets it in competition with far better games in its own series, to say nothing of other games on the system using the same characters.
  16. The game really holds no value for anybody outside of a Naruto fan, and even then, this game is simply not worth the money and frustration required for it.
  17. Longer levels, more involving gameplay, Game Sharing and more attention to the general presentation would have really sky-rocketed its appeal.
  18. Greater attention to gameplay mechanics might have resulted in a broader appeal, but with an off-putting control setup, poor hit detection and repetitive objectives, gamers who've never heard of Naruto probably won't want to take the plunge.
  19. 40
    Ninja Council 3 comes across as a game that was quickly slapped together just to get something Naruto-related on the DS.
  20. AceGamez
    40
    Any sense of ambience that the presentation brings to the screen is immediately destroyed by the game's indifferent turn towards the source material it is supposed to be proudly displaying; when the most enticing facet of your game is a foil promo card then you know you have a problem.
  21. 40
    Ninja Council 3 is a frustrating and bland affair that has little to recommend it besides the extensive character roster from a recognizable license. It's not technically broken in any way, but there is no reason to purchase a game like this when there are so many other options available that are more enjoyable.
  22. 35
    Even the most die-hard Naruto fan would be ill-served by this game, especially when the DS library is filled with dozens of far superior, less-contrived options.
  23. Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 3 European Version is a big disappointment in every way. The platforming doesn't work and the fighting system is shallow. The low production value, dull multiplayer and a short story mode result in a game that should be avoided.

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Most Discussed DS Game of 2007
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Negative: 4 out of 16
  1. Jun 2, 2011
    5
    Well , the big brother games from Council ( that are Clash of Ninja, Revolution) are very cool. But the handheld version really doesn'tWell , the big brother games from Council ( that are Clash of Ninja, Revolution) are very cool. But the handheld version really doesn't surprise me at all, for instance, when you finish the game , there aren't more features in it. Just a plain story with unmemorable moments, tho, maybe you get a nice use for the money. But in terms of entertainment, not to much ... just grab the home consoles version. Full Review »
  2. May 25, 2023
    4
    Multiplayer 2D platform beat 'em up in the mould of One Piece or Power Stone. Nicely presented, but with little interaction with theMultiplayer 2D platform beat 'em up in the mould of One Piece or Power Stone. Nicely presented, but with little interaction with the environments and simplistic button-bashing gameplay it's woefully inadequate - especially as a single player game. Full Review »
  3. Nov 7, 2022
    6
    Misiones sin ningún tipo de historia ni desarrollo. Bueno, no estaba del todo mal.