Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

While the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' video game catalogue is filled with misses (especially in the days of Ubisoft and Activision), people know that the best games based on the mean, green teens are Konami's arcade beat-em-ups, which allowed four players to team up to fight through hordes of Foot Soldiers and bosses. Now, Tribute Games, with Dometsu, brings up Shredder's Revenge, a game that calls back to those arcade classics, while reinventing the system.

In this game, the Foot Clan hijacks Vernon's news show after the head of Krang's robot body is revealed. When Bebop takes over and reveals the Foot Clan's plot to give the Statue of Liberty a makeover, the Turtles, as well as sensei Splinter, and friend April O'Neal, go out to kick shell.

This game has a Story Mode, which is like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, where you get a world map to explore and replay levels, as well as the arcade mode, which is a classic arcade experience with limited continues. All four turtles are present (and voiced by original VAs Cam Clarke, Paul Robson, Barry Gordon, and Townsend Coleman returning to do new voices, but the game also adds Splinter, the Turtles' rat sensei, and April O'Neal, their news reporter friend and usually the damsel in distress in the 1987 cartoon, as playable characters, with Casey Jones also appearing as an unlockable character. Immediately, this gives seven different characters, each with his or her own stats.

For gameplay, the game plays like the Konami classics, but with new stuff. One of those is the Ninja Power Bar, which is filled up as you put the hurt on the baddies, and when full, will allow use of a Super Attack, which can damage a lot of enemies at once (and can be helpful when facing bosses). For the story mode, there is a lot of content, as you will find minor characters like Vernon, Irma, and even the Punk Frogs, who when found, will give side missions requiring the locating of collectibles, which when completed, grants exp that allows a character to level up, earning more health, Ninja Power, or even unlock new super attacks and Radical Mode, a move that temporarily increases the character's combat abilities. Also, co-op mode is greatly enhanced, as up to six players can play online or locally or online (although the PS4 version is limited to four players for local play), and co-op moves have been added, like high fiving to share health, and even reviving allies.

While the game can be short, it is a blast to the past, as it has a lot of enemies and bosses, from the classic henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady, to using characters never used like Wingnut and Tempestra, the cast of characters is amazing. Also, the music is top notch (who knew they brough Ghostface Killah in to do a song for a TMNT videogame?) and overall, this is a good return to classic times. If you have not played this game yet, then it's time to come out of your shell and do so, as this is poised to be one of the greatest games 2022 has to offer.

As an old saying goes, absence truly makes the heart grow fonder, this was a long time coming, there really hasn't been another Turtles game in a long time, let alone a true sequel to the arcade games. But now that wait has finally paid off.

This game is of course based on the 80s cartoon which makes sense as that's what the two arcade games were based on and also fitting as technically the 80's series is going on it's 35th anniversary, yeah, it's that old; but the fact that we're still making games and even currently have a comic miniseries from IDW comics based on this TV series shows how timeless it truly is.

Really like the story which feels like I'm watching a new episode arc for the 80's series. I wouldn't say it's anything surprising as it's pretty much the typical Turtles fare as Shredder is once again up to no good, as he sends out his cronies to find the parts for Krang's robot body and Krang himself to complete his dreams for conquest. That's it in a nutshell, why the hell Krang would have his robot body parts hidden all over is anyone's guess but it's really not important as by its nature that scavenger hunt is really just a McGuffin by its nature, like with the series and the game were all here for one thing, to kick some Shell.

The graphical presentation is just superb, here they really get the rendition of the 80's cartoon spot on with a touch or two of modern updates but accurate all the same. Everything just feels right to a tee, from those brief cut scenes after a few of the levels with brief dialogue. The intro which is great as it plays out and looks like it could have been an intro to another season of the 80's carton, in a way the whole game you could say is that new season.

But just the character designs, liveliness, humor, and each of the levels and just the great amount of detail is just beautiful, that just scream out 80's turtle goodness. For the rookie fans it's a nice glimpse into one of the versions of the Turtles. But for us the veteran fans, it's a love letter to anyone that ever grew up in the 80's and 90's era and were part of "Turtlemania". Best of all for me it really transports me back to a time when I played both Turtles arcade games in the arcade.

The gameplay is spot on, it's the same as with the first two turtles arcade games where you can pick to play any of the characters depending on your preference. Your constantly moving and button mashing to beat the crap out any baddies that come your way. However, this game adds some features that make this game unique like some different move sets like back or forward flipping and then executing a sidekick. Power weapon swinging while in midair.

But also, for each of the characters there is a power bar, this bar is the energy level for you power ability, this power ability by it's nature is more of an equalizer as it does clear all the opposition from the screen or drain the life bar of the bosses. You can refill it but it takes time to refill which is why you should still use it for emergencies only.

You can also level up in the game, as you fight more, get further, or set a bigger record your gain things like your life bar growing a notch, another power bar, and even some new moves for your character.

Each of the levels are colorful and different as they showcase different parts of New York from the show but most importantly are all a different kind of challenge. Really like the variety of enemies in the foot soldiers as usual as you see different kinds with different abilities even in different battle vehicles like the Spider Tank from the toy line. I even like how there are bits of humor as they enter the pictures like seeing foot soldiers in one level seeing a couple of foot soldiers come down with a mall food tray; never thought the robot foot soldiers had to eat but I guess they do.

Even like the boss battles that aren't too hard but not too easy, you have some of the usual ones from previous games like Bebop, Rocksteady, the Rat King, no surprises there. But also, some new ones we haven't seen in either of the games like Tempistra and others rogues from episodes of the 80's show; that I thought was awesome and a nice change of pace. Makes me wonder when a sequel comes out who's going to me next that is destined for an appearance.

There are even two more character in the roster from Splinter who is armed with a cane. And April whom despite having a rather daft weapon a video camera, I know in the 80's cartoon she's a reporter but still you couldn't give her a ninja weapon. Despite this we see her kick some ass for one and use some martial arts skills which makes sense from the amount of time she spends with the guys but in the old and current comic book series April does learn martial arts. You can also play other characters from the cartoon depending on if you can find them in the levels, like one of my favorite supporting characters Casey Jones.

Of course, one of the highlights are the voice acting, there are verbal cues from Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Turtles themselves who are voiced by the actual cast from the 80's series. It was just a dream come true just hearing those voices of the characters once more just that sense of completion. And of course, that music which is another of the best video game tracks I've ever heard. It's almost hard to decide favorites as each of them are memorable and each of them just sing out Turtle action; and once again I can add tracks to my workout music collection.

The turtles are back in fine form and a new classic that's timeless fun.

Rating: 4 stars.

Played through the story mode with my brother and we loved every minute of it. Nothing in shredders revenge is revolutionary in terms of gameplay/design, but it is a great throwback to why Turtles in Time was such a beloved game. Even the the story can be beat in a little over an hour. There are multiple modes and characters to play as/level for replay ability. On top of that you can play the game with six players coop online. A great game that any TMNT fan will enjoy.

We just got the game on Nintendo Switch and my siblings and I enjoyed playing the game. This is definitely a complete throwback to the original style. I'm glad that they got the original 1987 voices for the turtles. I liked the style and animation of the entire game. It's just like playing the 1987 TV series. My brother and sister kept laughing by doing some of the taunting in the game. I liked the music and Tee Lopes did an excellent job composing it. When we first played, it took a while to know how to use muscle memory for the controllers. Overall, this is an awesome game to play and my siblings and I want to play it again and again. COWABUNGA! TURTLE POWER!

This is beat em up game, is e10+ is just no gore or blood, is just pixel violence, is a good game, but the story is very short, audio quality is a lot problem, I really don't care about it, so is a good game, get this a 9 out of 10, I originally at 8 or maybe 7,so that you have it,