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Description
Small thing before I start. I will be updating this review in July. I wrote the base review down and was going to do additional edits, but then I came down with a case of the dreaded Covid. I'm doing okay (over the worst of it), but by the time I was back to me old self it would be July and the moment would have passed.

So yeah. Updates are on the way. Enjoy this version for now.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER'S REVENGE.
Developed by: Tribute Games.
Published by: Dotemu.
Based on the TMNT franchise owned by: Nickelodeon
Genre: Side Scrolling Beat 'Em Up.
Rated: PG (Mild cartoony violence).

I don't really watch a lot of modern cartoons; I'm far too busy going to work and resisting the urge to kill that one busker outside the office who can't sing for shit (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, ASSHOLE!!!). While I'm sure things like Owl House or Demon Slayer are decent watches, I tend to stick with shows I grew up with as a nice gentle distraction from the fact life's going straight to Hell.

As a child of the very late 80s and early 90s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was THE show to watch that is still a major talking point in geek culture. I do enjoy the 2003 and 2012 renditions (and ignoring the cal-arts cringe Nickelodeon farted out), but the 1987 series is pretty much the version everyone thinks of when they hear the name "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

It's also the series starring the heroes in the half shell to recieve the best video games to this day; most of which developed by Konami (back when they had a clue). The love for the old school arcade Beat 'Em Up fills every minute of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge as it crams in all the best bits from Konami's classics, and throwing in a large amount of love for the original cartoon series.

I have a sneaking suspicion between this game and House of the Dead: Remake, people are trying to revive arcades to bring back the good old days... In that case, can I see X-Men Arcade, Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Dynamite Cop get similar revivals please?

So a game based on the 1987 Turtles cartoon.
The voice cast of the Turtles from said cartoon.
Music by Tee Lopes, the composer of Sonic Mania.
Featuring a rap song by members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
And a majority of the sprite work by one of my idols, Paul Robertson.

Yeah, don't be surprised if this wins my Game of the Year Award.

It was fun playing this game with Di'Aniss to see the different reactions; mine as a TMNT fan, and hers who only saw bits of the 2003 series back in the day. When the opening cinematic played, I was instantly transported back to the early 90s with a faithful revamp of the old TMNT cartoon intro. Di'Aniss even asked me "why are you breathing heavily?" THAT is the power of good nostalgia.

One attention to detail I liked is the fact they tried to make the footage blurry like an old VHS tape. Though if I had to nitpick something, the cover of the old theme song was seriously lacking compared to the iconic original.

Much like HOTD:R, the plot is basically non-existent. Shredder and his goons are up to no good, so the Turtles and company put a stop to him. The end. The campaign takes place over 16 episodes (or one sitting if you're playing Arcade Mode) with various challenges and collectables to find. Each Episode is bookended with a small sprite based cutscene that acts more as a scene transition between each stage, but is a step back from Dotemu's other release: Streets of Rage 4.

Right off the bat, the game has 6 playable characters to choose from: The four main turtles, April O'Neil, and Master Splinter himself. Each character has enough unique differences from moves and stats to justify a few playthroughs. Beating the game once will unlock Casey Jones for some replay value, but apart of me hopes some DLC characters or skins are added down the road. Maybe a black & white skin to give us the Mirage comic Turtles, or Yusagi Yojimbo.

If you've played any side scrolling beat 'em up from Konami or even Capcom, then you know what to expect from Shredder's Revenge. You have to clear out a level of a set number of shitbags before advancing to the next room, and you repeat this until you reach the end of the level to take on the boss. The only other variety of stage in this package are on rails hoverboarding where you navigate your character through "blink and you'll miss it" obstacles; all the while cheesy music plays in the background... Even if it's incredibly catchy as Hell.

The gameplay itself retains that level of catharsis the genre is known for. Every punch, kick, special, throw, and even random objects hit with a satisfying crunch and watching Foot Soldiers explode upon defeat brings me a weird sense of joy.

The boss battles all follow a simple strategy and method of taking them down, with the difficulty slowly climbing with each chapter. If I had to critique the boss battles slightly, it would be the fact you fight Bebop & Rocksteady 4 times throughout the campaign. I know they're not canon to the 1987 series, but Tatsu or Karai could have been added to break up the repetitiveness.

Since this isn't the days of coin stealing arcade machines, Shredder's Revenge gives you more combat options and a means to prevent the challenge becoming unfair or impossible. You can execute a variety of super moves, dodge mechanics, and even revive fallen team mates if you take this in local or online co-op. The game also has 3 difficulty settings to choose from which can help ease you into this genre if you're playing a beat 'em up for the first time, or want to get a feel for things before getting too crazy.

It's not a really long game; clocking in at around the 2 hour mark. However, given how games like Elden Ring and Persona 5 never seemed to end, I'd rather have a game that lasts 2 hours over 90+ hours any day of the week. Out of the two arcade throwback games I've played this year, Shredder's Revenge is the more stable of the two. We experienced numerous technical issues with HOTD:R, while Shredder's Revenge has been a nice gentle ride in the Turtle Van.

I guess on a final note, let's talk about the nostalgic callbacks. While the game contained numerous winks and nods to the Konami titles with familiar music and grapples, they also digged deep into Turtles Lore for some of the bossfights. Maybe it's because I haven't seen the cartoon in years, but I had to google who Groundchuck, Dirtbag, Tempestra, and Wingnut were. I honestly thought they were obscure characters from the toyline, but sure enough, they were all baddies from the cartoon series.

Shredder's Revenge is about on par with Sonic Mania on "this is how you do nostalgia without being cringey!" Many of the visual references, catch phrases, Episode names, locations, and victory poses will be instantly recognisable to Turtles fans, but entertaining enough for those who don't even know what a Technodrome is. It's the kind of Turtles game you can replay for hours and trying to spot as many easter eggs and references as possible. Though I am convinced there's a Simpsons Arcade reference during the carnival episode. Perhaps Dotemu's giving us a slight hint as to what's coming next?

(Conclusion).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a love letter to TMNT fans and those who are addicted to the beat 'em up genre. It captures the look and presentation of the classics perfectly and even out performs the legendary Turtles in Time in a few areas. If you're too young to have experienced Turtle Mania, then you may not get the hype surrounding this game. But this is a MUST for Turtles fans regardless.

While the Cowabunga Collection is coming out later this year, it's safe to say that Shredder's Revenge is THE Turtles game for this year. Recommended without reservation.

Description
Small thing before I start. I will be updating this review in July. I wrote the base review down and was going to do additional edits, but then I came down with a case of the dreaded Covid. I'm doing okay (over the worst of it), but by the time I was back to me old self it would be July and the moment would have passed.

So yeah. Updates are on the way. Enjoy this version for now.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER'S REVENGE.
Developed by: Tribute Games.
Published by: Dotemu.
Based on the TMNT franchise owned by: Nickelodeon
Genre: Side Scrolling Beat 'Em Up.
Rated: PG (Mild cartoony violence).

I don't really watch a lot of modern cartoons; I'm far too busy going to work and resisting the urge to kill that one busker outside the office who can't sing for shit (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, ASSHOLE!!!). While I'm sure things like Owl House or Demon Slayer are decent watches, I tend to stick with shows I grew up with as a nice gentle distraction from the fact life's going straight to Hell.

As a child of the very late 80s and early 90s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was THE show to watch that is still a major talking point in geek culture. I do enjoy the 2003 and 2012 renditions (and ignoring the cal-arts cringe Nickelodeon farted out), but the 1987 series is pretty much the version everyone thinks of when they hear the name "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

It's also the series starring the heroes in the half shell to recieve the best video games to this day; most of which developed by Konami (back when they had a clue). The love for the old school arcade Beat 'Em Up fills every minute of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge as it crams in all the best bits from Konami's classics, and throwing in a large amount of love for the original cartoon series.

I have a sneaking suspicion between this game and House of the Dead: Remake, people are trying to revive arcades to bring back the good old days... In that case, can I see X-Men Arcade, Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Dynamite Cop get similar revivals please?

So a game based on the 1987 Turtles cartoon.
The voice cast of the Turtles from said cartoon.
Music by Tee Lopes, the composer of Sonic Mania.
Featuring a rap song by members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
And a majority of the sprite work by one of my idols, Paul Robertson.

Yeah, don't be surprised if this wins my Game of the Year Award.

It was fun playing this game with Di'Aniss to see the different reactions; mine as a TMNT fan, and hers who only saw bits of the 2003 series back in the day. When the opening cinematic played, I was instantly transported back to the early 90s with a faithful revamp of the old TMNT cartoon intro. Di'Aniss even asked me "why are you breathing heavily?" THAT is the power of good nostalgia.

One attention to detail I liked is the fact they tried to make the footage blurry like an old VHS tape. Though if I had to nitpick something, the cover of the old theme song was seriously lacking compared to the iconic original.

Much like HOTD:R, the plot is basically non-existent. Shredder and his goons are up to no good, so the Turtles and company put a stop to him. The end. The campaign takes place over 16 episodes (or one sitting if you're playing Arcade Mode) with various challenges and collectables to find. Each Episode is bookended with a small sprite based cutscene that acts more as a scene transition between each stage, but is a step back from Dotemu's other release: Streets of Rage 4.

Right off the bat, the game has 6 playable characters to choose from: The four main turtles, April O'Neil, and Master Splinter himself. Each character has enough unique differences from moves and stats to justify a few playthroughs. Beating the game once will unlock Casey Jones for some replay value, but apart of me hopes some DLC characters or skins are added down the road. Maybe a black & white skin to give us the Mirage comic Turtles, or Yusagi Yojimbo.

If you've played any side scrolling beat 'em up from Konami or even Capcom, then you know what to expect from Shredder's Revenge. You have to clear out a level of a set number of shitbags before advancing to the next room, and you repeat this until you reach the end of the level to take on the boss. The only other variety of stage in this package are on rails hoverboarding where you navigate your character through "blink and you'll miss it" obstacles; all the while cheesy music plays in the background... Even if it's incredibly catchy as Hell.

The gameplay itself retains that level of catharsis the genre is known for. Every punch, kick, special, throw, and even random objects hit with a satisfying crunch and watching Foot Soldiers explode upon defeat brings me a weird sense of joy.

The boss battles all follow a simple strategy and method of taking them down, with the difficulty slowly climbing with each chapter. If I had to critique the boss battles slightly, it would be the fact you fight Bebop & Rocksteady 4 times throughout the campaign. I know they're not canon to the 1987 series, but Tatsu or Karai could have been added to break up the repetitiveness.

Since this isn't the days of coin stealing arcade machines, Shredder's Revenge gives you more combat options and a means to prevent the challenge becoming unfair or impossible. You can execute a variety of super moves, dodge mechanics, and even revive fallen team mates if you take this in local or online co-op. The game also has 3 difficulty settings to choose from which can help ease you into this genre if you're playing a beat 'em up for the first time, or want to get a feel for things before getting too crazy.

It's not a really long game; clocking in at around the 2 hour mark. However, given how games like Elden Ring and Persona 5 never seemed to end, I'd rather have a game that lasts 2 hours over 90+ hours any day of the week. Out of the two arcade throwback games I've played this year, Shredder's Revenge is the more stable of the two. We experienced numerous technical issues with HOTD:R, while Shredder's Revenge has been a nice gentle ride in the Turtle Van.

I guess on a final note, let's talk about the nostalgic callbacks. While the game contained numerous winks and nods to the Konami titles with familiar music and grapples, they also digged deep into Turtles Lore for some of the bossfights. Maybe it's because I haven't seen the cartoon in years, but I had to google who Groundchuck, Dirtbag, Tempestra, and Wingnut were. I honestly thought they were obscure characters from the toyline, but sure enough, they were all baddies from the cartoon series.

Shredder's Revenge is about on par with Sonic Mania on "this is how you do nostalgia without being cringey!" Many of the visual references, catch phrases, Episode names, locations, and victory poses will be instantly recognisable to Turtles fans, but entertaining enough for those who don't even know what a Technodrome is. It's the kind of Turtles game you can replay for hours and trying to spot as many easter eggs and references as possible. Though I am convinced there's a Simpsons Arcade reference during the carnival episode. Perhaps Dotemu's giving us a slight hint as to what's coming next?

(Conclusion).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a love letter to TMNT fans and those who are addicted to the beat 'em up genre. It captures the look and presentation of the classics perfectly and even out performs the legendary Turtles in Time in a few areas. If you're too young to have experienced Turtle Mania, then you may not get the hype surrounding this game. But this is a MUST for Turtles fans regardless.

While the Cowabunga Collection is coming out later this year, it's safe to say that Shredder's Revenge is THE Turtles game for this year. Recommended without reservation.