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Gaara of the Sand
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
Character Guide
by c4stigator
v 1.0
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Table of Contents
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1) Introduction [GG01]
2) Gaara [GG02]
3) Gaara in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes [GG03]
3a) Leaf Destruction [GG04]
3b) Pros and Cons [GG05]
3c) Move Index [GG06]
3d) Combos [GG07]
3e) Parameter Power-Up and Using Gaara to his full potential [GG08]
3f) Using Items with Gaara [GG09]
3g) Gaara in Teams [GG10]
3h) Gaara in Missions [GG11]
4) Conclusion [GG12]
5) Contact Information [GG13]
6) Version History [GG14]
7) Copyright and Legality [GG15]
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Introduction [GG01]
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Kudos! I am c4stigator, of GameSpot and GameFAQ’s. I am writing a guide to
using Gaara, in the Sony PSP game: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes. Why? Maybe
because Gaara is the single most destructive character in the game! However,
he takes a lot of skill to use correctly. I hope this guide will enlighten
people on how to better use him.
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Gaara [GG02]
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Gaara is a predominant character in the Naruto universe. He is young ninja
from the Village Hidden in the Sand, and is teamed with Temari and Kankuro.
He is maniacal and bloodthirsty, and does not hesitate to kill others. His
jutsu’s revolve around the manipulation of sand, which he carries around in a
gourd on his back. With a wave of his hand he can send a wall of sand at his
enemies, literally engulfing them.
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Gaara in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes [GG03]
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Leaf Destruction [GG04]
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Leaf Destruction is the ‘Normal’ difficulty setting on Heroes Mode and the
reward for completing it is unlocking Gaara. Gaara is fought in the sixth and
last battle. He is fought on his own, so he is relatively easy to defeat if
you have your whole team healed above 50% health.
Gaara uses sand combos, which have huge range, and will be able to reach you
in the same way as a shuriken or kunai. Try and get close to Gaara and land
as many hits as you can. When fighting Gaara, he seems to block more often
than other bosses, and can prove frustrating to land a hit on. Make sure you
use throws (Back + Circle) to disarm him, then attack him on the ground (Down
+ Circle, Circle or Square). You can easily win the battle this way, and
unlock the greatest character in the game.
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Pros and Cons [GG05]
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Pros - Gaara has the longest attack range of any character in the game. His
longest ranged attack can damage an opponent roughly one quarter of the map
away. This means the enemy will have a hard time getting close to Gaara, and
gives him a bit more breathing space. Not only are his moves long range, they
will knock opponents back along way too, increasing the distance between you,
and allowing you to safely gather chakra (Down).
Cons - Gaara is slow. And when I say slow, I mean slow. He’s the slowest
character in the game by far, and will struggle to outrun an enemy who is
preparing a special move for instance.
However, Gaara’s range makes up for his lack of speed. Since he can reach
opponents who are far away, he doesn’t need to move as much as a close combat
ninja, like Naruto.
Despite Gaara’s lack of speed, his dash (Cross + Cross) still covers the same
distance.
One thing of note, never forget about substitution. When an enemy
substitutes, they will still substitute right behind you, regardless of the
range of your attack. Never fall into this trap of thinking that just because
the opponent is half a map away, he’s stuck there.
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Move Index [GG06]
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Gaara, like the other characters has a huge repertoire of moves available.
The majority of these are long-range sand combos.
Soaring Sand Formation
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Circle, Circle, Up + Circle
This move will knock your opponent into the air, giving you chance to follow
up with an aerial combo. It has a large area of effect, and can be exploited
to hit opponents who are slightly further away.
Sand Wave Pursuit
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Circle, Circle, Forward + Circle
A basic whip-like sand attack. Will knock an enemy back a short way, but
don’t rely on it too much.
Flowing Wall of Sand
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Circle, Circle, Down + Circle
A basic attack. Knocks an enemy back with a succession of quick hits. Again,
not Gaara’s best move.
Falling Sand Paralysis
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Circle, Circle, Back + Circle
As far as I can fathom this is a basic attack with Sandfall Bind stuck on the
end. Doesn’t work too well as your opponent will always be out of range by
the time you use Bind.
Erupting Sandstorm
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Up + Circle, Circle
A nice and powerful attack which will send the enemy into the air. Lacks the
AoE of Soaring Sand Formation but is quicker and gets the job done.
Sand Clutch
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Down + Circle, Circle
Your standard attack against a downed enemy. Make sure you double tap Circle
for the extra hit!
Sandfall Flow
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Forward + Circle, Circle
A long range sand attack. A great attack which can keep enemies at a
distance. Hold Circle at the end for an extra hit. This is Gaara’s chief spam
attack, and you can literally keep this attack up through the entire match.
Sandfall Bind
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Back + Circle
Gaara’s ground throw. A standard throw that will break a guard. Can be
followed up with a Circle Tap for an extra hit.
Splashing Sand Paralysis
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(Cross) Back + Circle
Gaara’s aerial throw. Works like a mid-air Sandfall Bind, and is a nice
follow up for Soaring Sand Formation or Erupting Sandstorm.
Rising Sandfall
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(Cross) Up + Circle, Circle
A devastating aerial move, which is similar to Flowing Wall of Sand. Can be
followed up with an extra hit (Circle) for massive damage.
Falling Sandfall
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(Cross) Down + Circle, Circle
An aerial version of Sand Wave Pursuit. Add an extra hit to the end for a
nice little combo. This is also one of Gaara’s rare slam moves, meaning that
it will cause an opponent to forfeit a number of chakra orbs.
Flying Sandfall
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(Cross) Circle, Circle
A basic aerial attack. Pretty worthless when you can execute Rising Sandfall
instead.
Cursed Sandstorm Destruction
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Up, Up, Circle
Gaara’s first Jutsu. Shukaku’s hand will knock an opponent up into the air.
Uses 1/3rd of your Chakra. Save your chakra and use Soaring Sand Formation or
Erupting Sandstorm, then go for a Sand Burial.
Cursed Sandstorm Severing
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Down, Down, Circle
Gaara’s other Jutsu. Shukaku’s fist knocks the enemy across the screen.
Again, a waste of chakra. Use Sandfall Bind and then Sand Burial.
Sand Burial
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Triangle, Circle
The mother of all secret techniques. Does mega damage to an opponent.
However, damage-wise, it’s on par with Rising Sandfall. However, it sends
Gaara into Ultimate Mode, so its worth the Chakra. Follow this up with Sand
Clutch for an easy victory. Don’t be fooled by the apparent AoE however, you
still have to be right beside your opponent to execute it.
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Combos [GG07]
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Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes is a difficult game to string together combos
in. However, there are a number of short attacks Gaara can string together to
inflict damage.
1) Cross, Cross + Up, Circle, Circle + Down, Circle, Circle - this is the
easiest way to unleash a Rising Sandfall. A dash at the beginning means that
your not vulnerable to ninja tools, as you would be by just jumping. You can
also cover ground quickly this way. Rising Sandfall ends in a slam, so your
opponent loses chakra, and will also hopefully be downed, leaving you free to
execute one or two Sand Clutches.
2) Up, Circle + Triangle, Circle - this is a simple way to unleash your
special moves. Use an Erupting Sandstorm to send the enemy into the air.
DON’T perform an extra hit! Wait for the enemy to fall, then use Sand Coffin
on them. This can be done whilst the enemy is still falling, so they cannot
block.
3) Circle, Circle + Down, Down, Circle - an easy way to make sure your Cursed
Sandstorm Severing jutsu connects. If performed correctly, your opponent will
be reeling from your last attack, and not able to block the thrusting jutsu.
This combo also allows you to execute a jutsu at close range, where most of
Gaara’s moves throw opponents long distances away. A quick double tap of
circle will pin the enemy in place, and won’t cast them away.
4) (Cross, Cross + Up, Circle, Circle) + (Up, Circle + Circle) + (Circle,
Circle, Up) + Circle [Extra Hit] - a never ending combo where you keep your
opponent constantly in the air, where they are not able to block (but can
substitute!). The above can be used in any combination.
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Parameter Power-Up and Using Gaara to his full potential [GG08]
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Like all characters, Gaara can benefit from 12000 points of upgrades. He can
raise Attack, Defence, Speed, Chakra, Stamina and Ninjutsu up to level 5
each.
Of course, the immediate power-ups you want to give him will be attack and
defence, to boost those add extra power to those insane combos of his. Go for
it! His attack and defence power-ups are cheap.
Speed is the other one you’ll want to power-up, as Gaara is possibly the
slowest character in the game. Here, power-ups are a lot more expensive, but
definitely worth it!
Chakra and Stamina are both cheap, but should take a back seat to the above
three.
Ninjutsu is pointless with Gaara. Who needs weapons when you have such insane
range!? This should be the last thing you power-up.
Here is a list of how many points each upgrade takes.
Attack = 200 > 400 > 600 > 800 > 1000
Defence = 100 > 200 > 400 > 600 > 800
Speed = 400 > 600 > 800 > 1000 > 1200
Chakra = 200 > 400 > 600 > 800 > 1000
Stamina = 200 > 400 > 600 > 800 > 1000
Ninjutsu = 200 > 400 > 600 > 800 > 1000
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Using Items with Gaara [GG09]
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Gaara benefits from every positive item in the game, but a number of items
affect him specifically.
Scroll of Instant Body is probably the best item you can come across when
playing Gaara. This allows Gaara to teleport directly behind an opponent,
which negates his lack of speed and allows you to quickly unleash Sand
Coffin.
Makibishi Spikes is also a great item. This stops an opponent getting close
to Gaara, and allows you to win back the advantage in a game. This means you
do not have to fall back on Gaara’s lack of speed to escape.
The Weight of Gut is another good item for Gaara to use. This will reduce
your opponents speed, and put him on par with your speed.
Shoes of Jonin is obviously the best item Gaara can use. This will increase
your movement speed to above that of the average level, and allows you to
traverse the map and collect more items of spam attacks quickly.
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Gaara in Teams [GG10]
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Thinking of taking Gaara along into Heroes mode? Well, you have to know which
teams he works best in.
Gaara is actually only in one team: Those Who Know Loneliness, alongside
Naruto and Sasuke. One team seems a little harsh on Gaara, as he is one of
the best characters. However, Those Who Know Loneliness is probably one of
the best teams you can use, perfect for defeating the Legendary Sannin and
the Akatsuki.
In a team, Gaara’s skill is ‘Sand Burial’. This is a fairly standard, yet
effective move, which reduces an opponent’s health by 33%. However, ‘Proof of
The Existence’, Those Who Know Loneliness’ team skill, is one of the ultimate
skills in the game, giving each character in your team increases attack,
defence, speed and jump.
Another team you can use Gaara in is in a team on his own! Ignore the Hidden
Spikes, but 4x points bonus!? Also, Gaara doesn’t really need a team. I’ve
run through many a Heroes mode with just Gaara, not dying at all. Learn to
use his ranged combos and they’ll never touch you.
The final combination is one where you use characters that will support Gaara
skill-wise. This involves another character providing Gaara with a buff
before a battle in Heroes mode. Here is a list of characters you can support
Gaara with:
-Sakura (33% Chakra Recovery)
-Tenten (33% Health Recovery)
-Hinata (33% Health Recovery for Team)
-Tsunade (100% Health Recovery for Team)
Hinata and Tsunade will be the most beneficial in this situation, but using
characters your best with also comes into it. If your really good with
Sakura, it would be best to use her in this team alongside Tsunade.
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Gaara in Missions [GG11]
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Gaara is a great character you can use in missions, as you can use his
customised form, which means his speed should not be a problem here. Gaara
can be used probably all missions, but excels at the following:
[D] Sparring with Hinata - Chakra reduction should not matter, as you can win
with your basic attacks easily.
[D] Sparring with Ino - You can win easily with basic attacks, and not using
your Chakra.
[D] Sparring with Choji - It is easy to win within Time Limits with Gaara, as
a special followed by a few Sandfall Binds should garuntee you victory, as
long as you have pooled enough points into ATK (I’ve personally won a game
like this within 10 counts).
[D] Sparring with Shikamaru - As I’ve been saying, with Gaara’s long range,
enemies shouldn’t be able to touch you when facing your extreme range.
[C] Sparring with Sakura - Again, you shouldn’t have to use Chakra to win.
[C] Sparring with Sasuke - Rising Sandfall anyone?
[C] Chuunin Exam 2 - Why would you use jutsu’s anyway?
[C] Chuunin Exam 3 - Your attack range means you should never get hit in
these early missions, and you should have no problem keeping above 50%
health.
[C] Chuunin Exam 4 - Sand Coffin + Sandfall Bind.
[B] Training with Kiba - You shouldn’t need to guard, since you shouldn’t be
getting hit.
[B] Training with Shino - You shouldn’t have to use jutsu’s and poison
shouldn’t matter as you shouldn’t be taking any extra damage.
[B] Training with Ino - see Sparring with Sasuke.
[B] Training with Choji - Your health should never get to 30%.
[B] Training with Tenten - Not getting hit is your speciality.
[B] Training with Saukra - Again, range = no damage taken.
[B] Training with Neji - You don’t need your jutsu’s to win.
[A] Showdown with Ino - Rising Sandfall.
[A] Showdown with Hinata - Keeping above 30% health is easy.
[A] Showdown with Tenten - You shouldn’t be getting hit.
[A] Showdown with Kiba - With your range you should be able to keep your
health at above 50%. You also don’t need to use your jutsu’s.
[A] Showdown with Shino - Winning quickly is your speciality.
[A] Training with Kakashi - Ouch, but if anyone can do this it’s Gaara
(though it is missions like this where you wish Gaara’s taunt gave him hp).
[A] Training with Jiraiya - You should constantly be keeping up the attack,
preferably with a Sandfall Flow spam, and a few Sandfall Binds.
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Conclusion [GG12]
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In conclusion, Gaara is one of the ultimate characters in the game. His
combos have huge range, and attacks like Sandfall Flow, Sand Wave Pursuit and
Flowing Wall of Sand will guarantee you never take damage. Keep them at a
distance, then go for a Sand Burial when an opponent gets too close. And
throw in a Rising Sandfall whenever you get the chance.
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Contact Information [GG13]
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If you’d like to correct any of the above, or contact me in general about the
guide, either email me at
[email protected]
OR
send me a PM on GameSpot (not GameFAQ’s), and I’ll reply as soon as I can.
I can also be found hanging around the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes forum on
GameSpot.
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Version history [GG14]
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Version 1.0
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12/07/08
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Copyright and Legality [GG15]
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This guide is my property, and I will not allow distribution or alteration to
this guide without my permission. Please contact me if you wish to host this
guide on your website.
All trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective trademark,
and copyright holders!
This document is Copyright 2008 Tom Spencer.
