It's been over a decade since Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's underground comic heroes have been graced with a quality title. While their arcade classics such as "Turtles In Time" are still fondly remembered, several of their subsequent entries missed the mark entirely. Fortunately, developer Tribute Games managed to succeed where Konami, Ubisoft and even Platinum Games failed with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge."
They're the world's fiercest fighting team
The gameplay consists of the same beat 'em up formula that put the anthropomorphic amphibians on the arcade map with several smart modern touches.
Players have access to a wider variety of moves and abilities than in "Turtles in Time," as they can now dodge, charge their attacks and even juggle enemies in a manner akin to modern titles like "Devil May Cry." All four turtles, April O'Neil and Master Splinter, are playable with their own respective strengths and weaknesses. Once players beat the main campaign, they can unlock Casey Jones.
With 16 levels and some additional bonus challenges, there's no denying that the main campaign is a bit short. The game tries to remedy this by including hidden collectibles and optional challenges that unlock other mini-games and activities. Multiplayer is where gamers will definitely get their money's worth as "Shredder's Revenge" allows up to six players to join the fray via online or couch co-op.
The inclusion of other players has its own share of benefits and drawbacks, as players can revive one another, but the added sprites and animations make it hard to tell what's going on sometimes.
They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green
The visuals are nothing short of retro 16-bit goodness. The pixel art is both lively and highly expressive, benefiting from all the modern touches of the current hardware.
Each of the four turtles' distinct personalities is demonstrated perfectly just from their stances and running animations. Stages are suitably colorful and energetic, with many environmental hazards that the player can succumb to or even use to their advantage.
Audio-wise, the game holds up relatively well. The soundtrack by Tee Lopes of "Sonic Mania" fame boasts several energetic and melodic tunes that perfectly encapsulate the era of the arcade brawlers that "Shredder's Revenge" evokes.
In addition, there are some compositions from guest musicians such as Mike Patton, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah. All four turtles are voiced with gusto by the original cast of the 1987 cartoon. While their lines can get pretty repetitive, it's a nice touch that makes the game feel like an interactive episode.
Yay or Nay?
Reverence towards the original cartoon may not be necessary to enjoy the combat and presentation, but there are definitely several references and in-jokes that'll go over the heads of the uninitiated. For a "Ninja Turtles" fan, these homages will undoubtedly bolster the game's feeling of nostalgia, but for everyone else, they're thankfully un-intrusive.
"Shredder's Revenge" may not be the party of a lifetime, but it's undoubtedly a labor of love made by "Turtles" fans for "Turtles" fans. For them, it's a definite recommendation. For everyone else who has any sort of nostalgia for when arcades ruled: the combat, multiplayer, and presentation warrant the price of admission.
