Developed by Tribute Games and distributed by Dotemu, who delivered the excellent Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has become one of the games on my radar in 2022. With the proposal to be a new homage to the classic beat em ups, the title showed extreme potential and really felt like satisfying content for fans of the genre.
Fortunately, I can start this review by saying that the wait was not a waste of time. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is an exquisite work, which achieves quality in the purest essence of the word, offering intense pleasure. Whether you are a fan of the Turtles or a simple beat em up lover, the title has something to seduce you, with extreme charisma as one of its many qualities.
In a quick but memorable journey to save New York, you’ll surely come to consider some moments from Shredde’s Revenge with some of your favorites in the genre, just as many of the bosses that appear here won’t be forgotten. TMNT: Shredde’s Revenge arrives to place itself among the big names of the year.
Fun and dynamic
When Kang and the Destroyer begin executing an evil plan involving the Statue of Liberty and invade Channel 6, spreading all their villainy, the thick-skinned brothers must spring into action to save Manhattan and defeat their enemies. In addition to Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, we also have April O’Neil and Master Splinter among the characters available in the title, as well as Cassey Jones who is unlocked after completing the game for the first time.
With a simple plot, told with beautiful art that pops up for a few seconds between each stage of the game, Shredder’s Revenge follows an extremely dynamic pace. Each stage lasts an average of 5-10 minutes, as various enemies stand in your way with mashed buttons and executed blows. It can be finished in about 2 hours, the title could have a longer duration, but it also sees this as one of its strengths. There is no time to get sick. There is no time to feel that the adventure becomes repetitive and boring. There is only the taste of “I want more”, and it is positive.
The fact is that in its short duration, TMNT: Shredde’rs Revenge is extremely effective at delivering a smooth and extremely fun journey, with a constant feeling of satisfaction offered to the player, whether for the quality of the gameplay, the visuals or the many reasons that make the game very charismatic.
Updated Classic
The new Turtles game knows exactly what it wants to be: A classic that is capable of captivating in a new era. While some beat em ups can suffer from the locks and shackles that come with the genre, Shredde’rs Revenge knows how to deliver the classic experience, but without becoming content lost in time.
With different attributes for each of the characters available, the game allows the player to choose with whom to face the adventure, not only according to their preferences, but also taking into account the hero that best suits their style of play. True, the difference isn’t that big, and the game could definitely offer a bigger change when it comes to controlling each character, but the idea is still interesting. By allowing to ignore the problem of the low difference between the characters, the title has a combat system that values the pleasure of the player, at the same level as in Streets of Rage 4. With the possibility of performing combos, from grabs, air and space launches, the combat is very varied and takes on even more importance with the excellent character animations. The turtles and other heroes have their own moves, including some of their own characteristics, which together with a good mood make everything even more special.
Also in combat, new features such as life sharing with a high five and the ability to lift a fallen friend, preventing them from losing a life, are much appreciated additions.
Excellent bosses
With a lot of quality, Shredder’s Revenge sees bosses as its greatest success. If the levels are quite varied, the fights against the bosses show nothing different from that. What I’ve seen here is definitely on top of any beat em ups I’ve played.
The success already starts in the design of the opponents, with large and colorful enemies appearing on the screen, while their attacks also provide a visual spectacle. To top it off, what we have in Shredder’s Revenge is the certainty that boss encounters are never the same. Making good use of its characters and their characteristics, the game knows how to create varied challenges for players, maintaining a constant level of satisfaction and enjoyment.
There is no broken boss. There is no extremely attractive boss. There isn’t even a boss that presents an unattractive challenge. In each of these battles, you’re caught up in what’s happening on screen, sucked into the extreme fun, as you come up against these enemies in different ways that have widely varying moves and attacks. It’s interesting how many different boss fights the game can offer, with many encounters featuring completely different characteristics and pacing, without there being a repeating pattern. The only motive here is high quality.
The verdict
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is content that oozes quality. With precise references, the game knows how to honor the name it bears. With its excellent character design and great scenarios, the title bets on infinite charisma to win over players.
Brilliant with its memorable bosses, the title only suffers from being too short. It is still necessary to highlight the excellent soundtrack which, with the same quality as the other hits of the game, gives the right retro rhythm to the adventure. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is rare these days. Nowadays, it is extremely complicated to find a title whose different aspects are so neat. Even more complicated to find a title with so many noses.
Game analyzed on PS5 with a copy kindly provided by Dotemu (Masamune)*.
Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Extremely fun
- Excellent bosses
- Stunning visuals
- Incredibly charismatic
- Enjoyable combat system