Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

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Sometimes it’s nice to head down to the ol’ nostalgia spigot and take a deep drink. Video games are a big fan of that concept, naturally, and we’ve seen plenty of titles in that vein in recent years. If you’re up for a classic turn-based RPG, we can do that! Want some platforming? That’s readily available as well. What about co-op arcade brawlers? We’ve got those too, and you don’t even need any quarters this time around.

Straight from the sewer comes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge! Leo and the bandana boys are back from their recent excursion into the DC Universe – we last saw them in Injustice 2, of course – and they’re ready to beat up some ninjas, scarf pizza, and look bodacious doing it. Cowabunga!

via YouTube

When the Shredder and his Foot Clan take over primetime news and get to work conquering New York as they tend to, it’s up to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to kick shell and keep the city safe once again. This time, they’re teaming up with their ninja master Splinter and their reporter pal April O’Neil. Along the way, they’ll battle classic Turtles foes like Bebop, Rocksteady and more. Think of it like an old coin-op brawler that you’d have loved way back when and you’re on the right track.

If you’ve ever played Konami’s classic Turtles in Time, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Shredder’s Revenge. It’s a colorful, action-packed brawler with all the Turtles flavor you’ve known and loved since childhood. Kudos to the developers for retaining sprites and wild animations from the best of the series, which look and feel great – even the action gets chaotic onscreen.

That’s not to say it’s just the same ol’ song (literally, as Faith No More’s Mike Patton sings the remixed theme song). Our shelled heroes have come up with some new tricks to spice up combat. In particular, you’ve got a charging super bar that can be spent on special attacks, allowing you to combo Foot soldiers into oblivion. This brings to mind recent neo-brawlers like Streets of Rage 4, and it’s fantastic.

The combo of a solid, classic arcade feel, enough novelty to keep things fresh and, of course, the ever-important presence of coop play, make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge a half-shelled adventure that you’re going to love. It’s a great example of taking what’s old and making it feel new again. Pick your favorite turtle (or rat…or reporter…) and get to work showing the Shred-Head who’s boss. It’s even on Game Pass, and you’ve got that…right? Either way, check it out.