Cowabunga Dudes! The turtles are back in beautiful, brawler fashion with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge from developer Tribute Games. Tribute Games are no strangers to beat ’em up games; Justin Cyr, one of the founders having worked on Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Therefore, for many, this was a dream game, and ever since the reveal, fans have been hungry to dive in.
Tribute games are tremendously talented, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is without a doubt their best game. Not only is it their best game, but it’s one of the best games to launch in 2022. If you enjoy beat ’em up games, including some of the original turtle titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, I absolutely cannot recommend this game enough. It’s fun, it’s chaotic, and it’s never felt better to kick some shell!
Evolving a Genre
The gameplay in Shredder’s Revenge takes everything you love about beat ’em up games and evolves it for the modern age. Each turtle has their strengths and weaknesses, Michelangelo, my favorite of all the turtles, has tremendous speed coupled with his outlandish personality. Donatello has outstanding range attacks, which makes attacking enemies from a safe distance viable.
I think Tribute Games did a stellar job with making each character feel fun and different to use, and they did so by paying attention to the little things. Whether it’s Donatello whipping out a Game Boy during his taunt, Raphael’s always serious scowl, or Leonardo being the only turtle with a flipping sword attack coming out of a double jump. They each feel distinct, down to their individual quirks, which is how the Turtles and their supporting cast should be.
It’s not just the characters, but the world that also got the same attention to detail. This game has some phenomenal enemy variety. I never got tired of fighting, partly because the combat in this game is just that good, but also because I felt like something new was always being thrown at me. Whether it was a multitude of ninjas, each with a different fighting style, or more wackier enemies like big dinosaurs that wield rocket launchers or pizza monsters that come out of the ground.
Audio and Visual
The visuals and sound design in Shredder’s Revenge are top notch. The pixel art is superb, and it’s combined with an equally great 90’s fueled score. The animations are slick, nothing feels out of place, and you feel the punch with every encounter.
Cooperative play
If you ‘ve thought about jumping into Shredder’s Revenge solo, I implore you to get a few of your buddies and play CO-OP. I’m sure the game is still fun by yourself, but I think you would be doing yourself a disservice. I played with my best friends Skylar and Alex, and it was a pizza-fueled joy ride from beginning to end.
Shredder’s revenge CO-OP is the most fun YOU’LL HAVE GAMING WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN 2022.
Closing Remarks
For many of us, the Turtles have a special place in our hearts. Some found them in movies; some found them on TV, or maybe even in the arcade all those years ago. Whatever the case, I think we can all agree that this IP is special, and it’s a shame they don’t have as strong a presence in pop culture as they once did.
All they needed was a talented team to come along, and utilize all of their best strengths in one package, showcasing what makes this universe so remarkable. Tribute Games were that team, and they succeeded. This game isn’t a big budget AAA title, that is trying to be something it’s not; it is what it is, and it excels at that.
Tribute Games have made what I now consider to be the gold standard for Beat ’em up games, and anyone who attempts to follow them up must aspire beyond the high bar that is Shredder’s Revenge. So, what are you waiting for? Get some buddies together, and go clean up the streets of New York City, as the unparalleled Heroes in a Half-Shell!
