A great newTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesgame has been a long time coming. The long-running multi-media franchise has been fundamental in the development of the beat-em-up genre thanks to titles such as Konami’s brutal NES and arcade games, ranging all the way to classics such asTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. After a decade of underwhelmingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlestie-in games, the newly announcedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengecould reignite the franchise’s place as one of the pillars of the beat-em-up genre.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeis an upcoming beat-em-up fromPanzer PaladinandMercenary Kingsdeveloper Tribute Games andStreets of Rage 4developer Dotemu. The game course corrects theTMNTvideo game series, returning to the 8-bit style of Konami’s classic arcade franchise and featuring designs from the 1980s animated series instead of more recent incarnations such asRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and there’s plenty of reasonswhyTMNTfans should be excited forShredder’s Revenge.
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Coming Out Of Their Shells
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesgames have had rocky reception as of late. Even beloved action game developer Platinum Games, developer behind games such asNieR: AutomataandBayonetta, stumbled entirely with 2016’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant in Manhattan. While the turtles have had a rocky few years with their own games, they have successfullycrossed over into other big games such asSMITEandInjustice 2, proving that fans are still eagerly anticipating their next chance to play as them.
Thankfully forTMNTfans,classic beat-em-ups have had a huge resurgencein recent years thanks to titles such asRiver City Girls,Streets of Rage 4, and the recent re-release ofScott Pilgrim vs. The Worldon current consoles.Shredder’s Revengeis coming fromStreets of Rage 4’s very own Dotemu, which is publishing the game for Tribute Games, meaning that the game’s design is likely to feature the same level of refinement and understanding of the genre as Dotemu’s most recent outing in Sega’s iconic series.
The game clearly takes inspiration fromKonami’s classic arcade and console titles; however, after years of criticism for failing to move past design tropes of the past,Shredder’s Revengecould end up offering the ultimateTMNTco-op experience. Especially if it takes everything that made those past titles great without any of the gatekeeping difficulty spikes of the original games.
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A Shell Of A Time
While recentTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesgames have focused on recreating the art styles of the 2012 animated Nickelodeon series, or theMichael Bay produced 2014 film series, or have even opted for a new style and cast altogether,Shredder’s Revengetakes the series all the way back to the visual style of the 1980s cartoon. This has the added benefit of appealing to fans of the 1980s NES and arcade titles, and while it’s unlikely that the original voice cast will return in any major capacity, those who grew up with the original series can look forward to seeing a nostalgic throwback that builds off the classic style.
While it would have been exciting to see the stylish, over-the-top animation ofRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesadapted by some of the team behindStreets of Rage 4, representing the 80s cartoon will ensure that the game appeals to the broadest demographic, including many players who havenever watched or read aTMNTshow or comic book. The game also promises to feature many of the franchise’s most iconic villains such as Baxter Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady, Kraang, and, of course, Shredder himself. The trailer also features April O’Neil and Shredder, but it’s not yet confirmed if they will be playable.
Overall,Shredder’s Revengeis looking like the perfect throwback beat-em-up to appeal to both classic and modern fans of both the genre and theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise as a whole. Tribute Games and Dotemu have proven themselves to be masters of the genre, makingShredder’s Revengea IO Interactive and007level match made in heaven.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeis in development for PC and unspecified consoles.
