To say that theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchiseis no stranger to the video game medium would be an understatement. Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo were staples at the arcade and home consoles throughout the 90s, thanks to classicTMNTgames such asTurtles in TimeandThe ManhattanProject. Many fans still consider both titles as some of the era’s best brawlers.
Developed by Tribute Games,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeis a delightful return to the days ofTurtles in Timethat wouldn’t feel out of place in an arcade cabinet in 1992 or on modern consoles. By taking the best parts of old-schoolTMNTgames and making some quality of life improvements,Shredder’sRevengestands as one of the bestTMNTgames in a long time and is a great brawler in its own right.
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The game opens like anyTMNTgame should, with the Turtles feasting on pizza while crowding around a blocky television set as Vernon reports that Krang and Shredder are up to no good once again. The villainous duo has stolen the Statue of Liberty in another grand attempt to bring New York City to its knees in classicSaturday morning cartoonfashion. In no time, the Turtles are springing into action, kicking and slashing into a story mode presented episodically throughout aTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesseason. Each episode takes the Turtles through NYC locations that will be familiar to long-time fans ofTMNTgames, including the Central Park Zoo, Coney Island, and a return to Dimension X.
Shredder’s Revengeis full of fan service and is delightfully retro, featuring a cartoon aesthetic that is an homage to the 1987 cartoon that brought aboutTMNT-mania. The team at Tribute Games arehuge fans of the Ninja Turtles,and their dedication to the Turtles translates beautifully into all corners ofShredder’s Revenge. From its sprite animations referencing the cartoon to the original voice actors reprising their roles, all the way down to Don, Mikey, Raph, and Leo hitting their signature poses at each level’s closing, Tribute Games certainly lives up to the studio’s namesake.
Each level oozes personality in the spirit of theTMNT’s lighthearted and goofy tone. Foot Clan soldiers can be found typing away at keyboards, ringing up other ninjas at the registers, or even playing Game Boy before being beaten to a pulp by the heroes in a half shell. The attention to detail is striking inShredder’s Revenge, as each stage presents a story that gradually unravels as players make their way to the boss fight.
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Shredder’s Revengealso pops with color at every turn, unafraid to diversify its color palette throughout the 16-mission-long campaign. Levels keep players on their toes as new environmental obstacles present themselves throughout each stage while splicing in fast-paced hoverboard chases to keep things fresh, secrets and collectibles to keep players busy, and power-up pizzas to break up the flow of combat. The game is a tight knit experience with enough diversity throughout its short run time to keep fans engaged.
Rounding out theShredder’s Revengepackage is a pitch-perfect soundtrack inspired by early 90ship hop and arcade soundtracks. One of the best moments in the game was reaching a climactic boss fight and hearing the Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and Rae Kwon the Chef deliverTMNT-inspired rhymes over a rap beat that reverberated through the level as if it were being played through a boombox on a city street. The presentation ofShredder’s Revengeis retro-inspired and nostalgic while looking and sounding crisp and modern.
Gameplay-wise,Shredder’s Revengesticks close to the classicTMNTbeat ‘em up playbook, never pushing the genre forward in a big way, but still has all the makings of an excellent brawler. Players can start with the basic four-button combo and begin chaining pop-up attacks, single and double jump attacks, wall bounces, and finish with a Super move that wipes the Foot Clan from the screen. There are also the grab attacks that feature options to pile drive enemies from side to side, toss them across the screen, or even throw them directly at the screen, which is a nice throwback toTurtles in Timeand still as satisfying as ever.
Compared topreviousTMNTgames,Shredder’s Revengeflows more naturally and never feels stiff despite sticking closely to its old-school brawler roots. This is due in part to the new dodging system, which lets players get into a nice combat groove even at the most frantic moments in combat. Dodging adds another layer to combat as players zip and slide past Foot Clan soldiers and then chain into even more attacks, adding to the ninja flair ofTMNT. When it all comes together,Shredder’s Revengeis a satisfying and fun experience.
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Wall-bouncing a gang of enemies and then air-juggling and combo-chaining them for new high scores is the bread and butter of beat ‘em ups, andShredder’sRevengenails that perfectly. When factoring in team attacks with friends and even more Super attacks as players level up their character of choice, there are plenty of options for combat throughout the game.Shredder’s Revengesucceeds in being both approachable for a broad audience and containing enough depth in its mechanics for players that would like to challenge themselves for high scores and combo chains.
At about two and a half hours in length,Shredder’s Revengeisn’t a long game to get through but has enough extra content to keep players in their seats after completing the campaign.Shredder’s Revengemarks the first timeCasey Jones, April O’Neil, and Master Splinter are featured as playable members of the crew, a big win for fans that have long-awaited these characters. Every character has its own strengths and weaknesses in range, power, and speed with unique Super attacks, which players will likely want to go back and experience.
While every character is mechanically similar in combo chaining, players must consider the pace and approach of their attacks over strict button-mashing for whomever they choose to play as. Additionally, players can level up each character as they accrue points throughout the story missions—unlocking more moves, health, and Supercharges in the process. All of which is to say that there are plenty of opportunities for fans to replay the Story Mode to see everything thatShredder’s Revengehas to offer. Not to mention being able to witness the uniquely animated fighting styles for the whole cast of characters.
Outside the Story Mode is the Arcade Mode, where lives are persistent, and character progression is nonexistent. Arcade Mode is a big challenge, ringing true to the classic arcade experience that Tribute Games set out to craft withShredder’s Revenge. While the Story Mode is where most players will likely find themselves, this challenge mode is a welcome addition for the experiencedTMNTfan. Arcade Mode only adds to the game’s replayability after discovering all the collectibles and cameo characters in the Story Mode. That said,Shredder’s Revengecould have benefited from adding a Boss Rush mode or more competitive modes to play with friends because, as it stands,Shredder’s Revengecan feel a bit bare-bones with only two primary game modes.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeis a fantastic homage to the classicTMNTgames that players loved thirty years ago. It doesn’t do anything new with the beat ‘em genre and could use an extra game more or two, but that’s ok; the game’s core is still incredibly entertaining and is sure to satisfy fans of the Ninja Turtles.Shredder’s Revengeoffers deep, fast-paced combat while being widely approachable to new players, and it’s all packaged inside a loving tribute to the 1987 cartoon, teeming with personality and admiration for everyone’s favorite heroes in a half-shell.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengelaunches June 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Game Rant was provided with a PC code for the purposes of this review.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
WHERE TO PLAY
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge features groundbreaking gameplay rooted in timeless classic brawling mechanics, brought to you by the beat ’em up experts at Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4) and Tribute Games. Bash your way through gorgeous pixel art environments and slay tons of hellacious enemies with your favorite Turtle, each with his own skills and moves - making each run unique! Choose a fighter, use radical combos to defeat your opponents and experience intense combats loaded with breathtaking action and outrageous ninja abilities. Stay sharp as you face off against Shredder and his faithful Foot Clan alone, or grab your best buds and play with up to 6 players simultaneously!With Bebop and Rocksteady assaulting Channel 6 and stealing super gnarly devices to support Krang and Shredder’s latest twisted plan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge sees the Turtles battling across a righteous range of timeless TMNT locations. From Manhattan and Coney Island, to city rooftops and dank sewers, help the fearsome foursome trounce Foot Soldiers, Triceraton Warriors, and Rock Troops all the way to Dimension X!Enjoy stunning full-color pixel art graphics and a vintage TMNT vibe that will rock you straight back to the awesome 80s. Every character, vehicle, weapon, item, and background is directly inspired by the 1987 TV show, making you feel like you hopped into the television – with a dope mix of killer humor and action-packed adventures!
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