Ninja Turtle Fever
The turtles have taken over the summer.
For many of us born in the late 1900s, co-op arcades were an after school staple. From Streets of Rage to The Simpsons Arcade Game, we spent many an afternoon and quite a stack of “earmarked for something else” quarters on racking up high scores while knocking out bad guys. Competitive games like Street Fighter may have been more popular, but there was nothing like button mashing your way through level after level of increasingly difficult combat.
Enter the ninja turtles. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo are perfectly suited for exactly this type of game. The foursome have variety in their fighting styles and personalities. The lore and culture of the property is full of humor and lightheartedness. They have a cast of sidekicks that adds to the overall vibe without making the whole thing seem stupid. And, they have Casey Jones.
TMNT has been a staple in this genre for ages. It is no wonder that the two Turtle themed games released this summer have made such an instant impression. Shredder’s Revenge, Tribute Games’, well, tribute to the games of yesteryear, took the world by storm and even spent some time in some GOTY conversations. The Cowabunga Collection, Digital Eclipse’s contribution, was released this week and compiles a baker’s dozen of previously released games. They have all aged incredibly well, and feed into the nostalgia factor here.
Shredder’s Couch Co-op
I have to admit I didn’t expect much from Shredder’s Revenge. It’s not that I thought it was going to be bad. Modern TMNT just has a different art style than the one I grew up with. I was half expecting a side scrolling beat ‘em up with the aesthetics of the turtles in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. What I got instead was a love letter to the arcade games of old, complete with excellent controls, smooth animations, and a scoring/leveling system that makes you want to go back and play as every single character.
The story is as non-sensical and fun as I remember from older games. I don’t really want to get into the weeds about the details, but it has something to do with Krang, the Statue of Liberty, and Super Shredder — all doing something rotten in the city — while our heroes in a half shell give chase, accompanied by Splinter, April O’Neil, and Casey Jones (after you beat the story mode once).
I’ve played online co-op with coworkers. I’ve played online in random lobbies. I’ve played a bit of true couch co-op. No matter how the group formed, I get the same feeling I had when I was wasting quarters in my early years. Online, I had more fun playing with people I know because it’s easier to set up voice communications without fear of running into whatever roams the dredges of the interwebz nowadays. Regardless, playing with a group is where this game shines.
The performance between my Switch and PS4 (played on PS5) versions is almost indistinguishable. The combos (oh the combos) and juggles are insanely satisfying. The 16 levels of gameplay are all unique. And the game makes you wait to fight classics like Baxter Stockman and Leatherhead. All in all, a masterful work of art.
Cowabunga, Dude
I haven’t spent quite as much time with The Cowabunga Collection, but what I’ve seen so far brings a smile to my face. This compilation has the same features as other compilations I’ve seen. There are gameplay modifiers, save states, and a rewind feature, to name a few. In addition, each game can be played in one of three aspect ratios.
The games in the collection speak for themselves. There isn’t much that needs to be said for these. If you loved the originals, this delivers. It’s cool to see multiple versions of Tournament Fighters and Turtles in Time. The Game Boy games look great (and I never got to play them, so I consider it a treat). And the various other games all perform as expected.
I purchased this on PS5, and my only critique with the offline versions of these games is that the DualSense doesn’t really translate to the two button old school gameplay of this collection. I look forward to trying the Switch version and playing this on a horizontal JoyCon. The other weak spot so far is the online play, which seems to rely on the weakest link in a group, and completely pauses play whenever someone joins the fray. Hopefully this will be improved in the future.
The game also features gallery with clips from previous shows, comic book covers, etc. The gallery is located in the backdrop of the Turtles’ sewer lair, which is styled after the ‘90s cartoon. DE didn’t skimp on content here either. Two days in, and I already feel like I’m going to get my money’s worth.
I hope some more classic TMNT projects come to fruition. The releases this year have proven that, when handled correctly, the sewer vigilantes from NYC can really deliver some great experiences. I’d be happy with a sequel to Shredder. If Tribute Games and Dotemu are listening, I’d like to throw my hat in the ring for some Usagi Yojimbo DLC. In the meantime, I think I’ll enjoy swinging a nunchaku at some foot soldiers.
Who is your favorite ninja turtle? I’ve telegraphed mine, now tell us yours. Respond in the comments.
