If you're into Naruto and still rocking a DS, Shinobi Retsuden III is a solid pick. You jump right into 2D battles with all the classic characters—Naruto’s Rasengan feels satisfying to pull off, and Sasuke’s Chidori actually looks decent for a DS game. The controls take a minute to get used to (why is block on the touchscreen?), but once it clicks, the fights get pretty intense.

Story mode follows Shippuden’s early arcs, so expect lots of running around Konoha between fights. The sprites are chunky but charming, and hearing those muffled DS voice clips when someone yells "Dattebayo!" never gets old. It’s not the deepest fighter, but nailing a combo into a secret jutsu never stops feeling cool. Just don’t expect a ton of depth—this is more about smashing buttons and seeing Naruto yell at things.

Bonus points for the weird card system that lets you tweak stats mid-fight. I still have no idea why Sakura’s healing cards exist when you could just load up on extra kunai.