Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections shipped with the biggest character roster in the franchise (over 130 fighters) and CyberConnect2’s most polished visuals yet, but the new story content is thin, the Special Story Mode plays as a highlight reel rather than fresh narrative, and the online matchmaking outside Japan can take 10+ minutes for a balanced match. We spent weeks playing the current best anime fighters and brawlers on PC and put together this list of seven Naruto x Boruto Storm Connections alternatives for desktop in 2026.
This guide covers anime fighters and action games with active scenes, real character rosters, and the cinematic spectacle that Storm Connections excels at. Some are direct competitors. Others give you a different anime franchise to bond with. All of them run on Windows in 2026.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Where to buy | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO | Modern Budokai Tenkaichi successor | $69.99 | Steam | Budokai Tenkaichi 3 successor |
| Naruto Shippuden UNS4 Road to Boruto | Previous Storm with story DLC | $39.99 | Steam | Deepest Naruto-specific story |
| Dragon Ball FighterZ | Best anime 2D tag fighter | $59.99 | Steam | Tournament-grade tag fighting |
| My Hero One’s Justice 2 | MHA brawler | $59.99 | Steam | Hero Academia brawler |
| Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles | Demon Slayer arena fighter | $59.99 | Steam | Best CyberConnect2-style arena combat |
| Jump Force | Crossover anime fighter | $19.99 (delisted) | Steam | Largest crossover roster |
| One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 | Musou-style One Piece brawler | $59.99 | Steam | Massive battle Musou format |
Why people leave Storm Connections on PC
The complaints repeat across r/Naruto, the Bandai Namco forums, and Steam discussions:
Story mode is shallow
Special Story Mode is a highlight-reel retelling of the anime’s biggest moments without new content. Players hoping for original storylines (a follow-up to UNS4’s Boruto epilogue, for instance) found the campaign repeated arcs they’ve played multiple times across previous Storm entries.
Character balance issues persist
Awakening modes and certain Ninjutsu (Six Paths Madara, Kawaki) dominate online play. CyberConnect2 patched some of the imbalance but the perception of broken tier characters lingers.
Matchmaking is uneven outside Japan
Japanese servers fill matches quickly. Other regions can take 10+ minutes for a balanced match. Connection quality across regions varies and ping-based fairness isn’t always strict.
Visual presentation feels iterative
The visual upgrade over UNS4 is incremental rather than generational. Players hoping for the leap CyberConnect2 took with Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles found Storm Connections more conservative.
The alternatives
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO — Best Budokai Tenkaichi successor
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the modern successor to Budokai Tenkaichi 3, with arena combat, a roster pushing 180 characters, and the destructible-environment spectacle the franchise is known for. Single-player Episode Battle adapts the main DBZ storyline. Online ranked is active globally.
For Storm Connections players, Sparking! ZERO is the option when you want the same cinematic anime fighter format from a different franchise. Both use 3D arena combat with team or single character options.
Where it falls short: Sparking! ZERO had launch balance complaints. Online netcode took patches to stabilize. Roster favorites overlap (Vegeta, Goku, etc. appear in dozens of variants). DLC pricing follows the per-character model.
Pricing:
- $69.99 base game (sales to $35)
- Season Pass: $34.99
- vs Storm Connections: Pricier, larger roster.
Switching from Storm Connections: Same arena-combat format. Familiar anime spectacle. Larger but more overlapping roster.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Sparking! ZERO for the same anime arena format from the Dragon Ball franchise. Skip if Naruto-specific lore matters most.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto — Best previous Storm with story DLC
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto is the previous mainline entry. The story mode covers the end of Naruto Shippuden and the Boruto epilogue more thoroughly than any other Storm title. Online play is active enough for matchmaking but smaller than Storm Connections.
For Storm Connections players, UNS4 is the option when you want the deepest Naruto story content in the series. Storm Connections re-treads ground UNS4 covered better.
Where it falls short: Smaller roster than Storm Connections. Older visuals (2016 baseline). Smaller online pool. Some characters absent.
Pricing:
- $39.99 base game (sales to $7)
- DLC: $9.99 to $24.99
- vs Storm Connections: Cheaper, deeper Naruto story.
Switching from Storm Connections: Familiar Storm combat. More thorough Naruto-specific story. Older visuals.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick UNS4 for the deepest Naruto story in any Storm title. Skip if visual currency matters.
Dragon Ball FighterZ — Best anime 2D fighter
Dragon Ball FighterZ is the tournament-grade anime 2D fighter. 3v3 tag battles, Arc System Works combat depth, and a cinematic art style that captures the Dragon Ball aesthetic better than any 3D Dragon Ball game. Active competitive scene with regular tournament support.
For Storm Connections players, FighterZ is the option when you want tournament-level fighter depth from an anime franchise. The 2D plane is a significant change but the combat philosophy is sharper.
Where it falls short: 2D plane is a significant shift from Storm’s 3D arena format. Smaller roster (44 fighters) than modern Storm titles. DLC characters per-fighter pricing.
Pricing:
- $59.99 base game (sales to $10)
- Season Passes: $24.99
- vs Storm Connections: Cheaper, sharper competitive depth.
Switching from Storm Connections: 2D fighting. Tag team combat. Sharper execution requirements.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick FighterZ for tournament-grade anime combat. Skip if 3D arena fighting is what you specifically want.
My Hero One’s Justice 2 — Best MHA brawler
My Hero One’s Justice 2 translates the My Hero Academia universe to Storm-style 3D arena combat. Roster pulls from the main cast plus League of Villains characters. The Quirk system maps neatly to each character’s combat identity. Single-player story covers major MHA arcs.
For Storm Connections players, MHO2J2 is the option when you want the same fighting format applied to MHA characters. Bandai Namco’s One’s Justice line directly competes with the Storm line in design DNA.
Where it falls short: Smaller roster than Storm Connections. Combat depth is shallower compared to Storm at competitive levels. Online activity is smaller.
Pricing:
- $59.99 base game (sales to $15)
- Season Pass: $24.99
- vs Storm Connections: Comparable, different franchise.
Switching from Storm Connections: Same arena combat format. MHA characters and Quirks replace Naruto jutsu.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick MHO2J2 if you want Storm-style combat with MHA characters. Skip if you want sharper competitive depth.
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles — Best CyberConnect2 arena fighter
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles is CyberConnect2’s other modern arena fighter, with the visual upgrade fans hoped Storm Connections would bring. Story Mode adapts the Demon Slayer anime. Versus mode roster grew through DLC over the title’s life.
For Storm Connections players, Hinokami Chronicles is the option when you want the same studio’s combat with sharper visuals applied to a different franchise.
Where it falls short: Smaller roster than Storm Connections. Story is shorter. Online matchmaking is smaller. Less depth at competitive levels.
Pricing:
- $59.99 base game (sales to $15)
- Season Pass: $24.99
- vs Storm Connections: Comparable, sharper visuals.
Switching from Storm Connections: Same CyberConnect2 combat foundation. Demon Slayer characters and abilities. Better visual fidelity.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hinokami Chronicles for the same studio’s combat with sharper visuals. Skip if you want a bigger roster.
Jump Force — Best crossover roster
Jump Force is the Shonen Jump crossover anime fighter with characters from Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other franchises. Combat is arena-style with 3v3 tag battles. Online is reduced since the title was delisted from new sales, but copies on key resellers and existing libraries still play online with some scene activity.
For Storm Connections players, Jump Force is the option when you want to mix Naruto characters with rivals from across the Shonen Jump universe.
Where it falls short: Delisted from new Steam sales (existing owners still play). Combat depth is shallower than dedicated franchise titles. Lower active player count. Story mode received mixed reviews.
Pricing:
- $19.99 from existing key resellers (delisted from Steam direct sale)
- No active DLC support
- vs Storm Connections: Cheaper for existing owners, no fresh content.
Switching from Storm Connections: Crossover roster. Same 3v3 arena format. Reduced online pool.
Download: Steam (search by existing owners; delisted)
Bottom line: Pick Jump Force if you have access and want a Shonen Jump crossover roster. Skip otherwise.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 — Best Musou-style One Piece brawler
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 trades arena fighter format for Musou-style brawling — massive battles where you sweep through hundreds of mooks while occasionally fighting named bosses. Story Mode covers the main One Piece arcs. Co-op multiplayer adds replay value.
For Storm Connections players, Pirate Warriors 4 is the option when you want one-versus-many spectacle. Different rhythm from arena fighters, but the anime spectacle is closer than most genre changes.
Where it falls short: Musou format is repetitive over long sessions. Smaller character roster than Storm. Online competitive is minimal — co-op only.
Pricing:
- $59.99 base game (sales to $10)
- Character Pass: $34.99
- vs Storm Connections: Cheaper in sales, different genre.
Switching from Storm Connections: Brawler format replaces arena fighter. Co-op replaces competitive. Different combat pace.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Pirate Warriors 4 for One Piece spectacle in a different format. Skip if you specifically want arena fighting.
How to choose
Pick Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO for the same arena format from the Dragon Ball franchise.
Pick Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto for the deepest Naruto-specific story content.
Pick Dragon Ball FighterZ for tournament-grade anime fighting depth.
Pick My Hero One’s Justice 2 for Storm-style combat with My Hero Academia characters.
Pick Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles for the same studio’s combat with sharper visuals.
Pick Jump Force if you have access and want a Shonen Jump crossover roster.
Pick One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 for Musou-style One Piece brawler action.
Stay on Storm Connections if you specifically want the biggest Naruto roster in one game and the active online queue is fine in your region. No alternative replicates that exact combination.
FAQ
Is Storm Connections better than Storm 4 Road to Boruto?
For roster size and current online activity, Storm Connections wins. For Naruto-specific story content, Storm 4 Road to Boruto is considerably deeper. Most players who want both gameplay options own both titles.
Can I import Storm Connections progress to another Storm game?
No. CyberConnect2’s Naruto titles don’t share save data. Each release starts fresh.
What is the cheapest Storm Connections alternative?
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto goes under $10 in sales. Dragon Ball FighterZ is also frequently discounted. Jump Force is the cheapest if you can find a key from a reputable reseller.
Is there a free anime fighter on PC?
Most major anime fighters are paid. Free anime games (gacha-style mobile ports, browser titles) exist but no major arena-format anime fighter ships free on PC currently.
What do people use instead of Storm Connections for Naruto-specific content?
Storm 4 Road to Boruto remains the deepest Naruto-specific story title. Storm Connections wins for roster size. Most Naruto fans hold onto both.
Will there be another Storm title?
CyberConnect2 has not announced a follow-up to Storm Connections. The studio’s roadmap suggests continued investment in arena-fighter titles for other franchises (Demon Slayer follow-ups, for instance). A future Naruto Storm title is possible but unannounced.
