During the summer of last year one of my favorite 2022 titles was released, that of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.” One of our other reviewer’s did the initial review which you can check out HERE. I didn’t get a chance to express my feelings on the game, but now with the release of the new DLC titled “Dimension Shellshock” I have a new opportunity to. If you read my review for Konami’s release of the Cowabunga Collection (feel free to give it a read HERE), you’d know that these pixelated classic side-scrolling action brawlers have a special place in my heart. So, for me, Tribute Games and Dotemu had a tall order in order to satisfy this fanboy. Luckily this review will mostly be about me gushing about the initial game, as well as my thoughts on the new DLC available.
The very first thing that they did right was they cast the original voice actors from the 80’s TV show to reprise their respective roles. The plot is as you’d expect, and since the game has been out a while, I’ll get into a bit more detail. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo, April O’Neil, and Master Splinter were glued to the TV news when Bebop unexpectedly interrupted. He announced the Foot Clan’s return and their occupation of the Statue of Liberty. The Turtles rushed to Channel 6 and faced Bebop, who had Krang’s android head. In the midst of the brawl, Rocksteady snatched the android head. The Turtles battled Foot members and others, relentlessly pursuing Krang as he pieced together his body. Their chase led them to Dimension X, navigating the ruins of the Technodrome. Ultimately, they confronted Shredder and Krang in his formidable new body. Unbeknownst to them, this entire ordeal served as a diversion. While they were away, Krang had turned the Statue of Liberty into the Statue of Tyranny, a colossal robot under his control. The Turtles swiftly returned to New York, mounting a determined effort to defeat Krang and the mutated Super Shredder, ultimately saving the city from impending disaster.
So how does “Shredder’s Revenge” actually play? Just as I hoped and then some, somehow the primitive side scrolling controls feel even more enhanced with extra fluidity and there’s a lot more little character animations in the combat. There are two main modes, Arcade and Story mode. Both modes are similar but while in Arcade mode you have a set number of lives to get you through the game, Story mode is a bit more forgiving where the points you earn can help you recoup some health and even lives lost. The best part is you can play all that with online or local co-op with up to six players! I personally haven’t been able to get a full group of six, but I can imagine that there is some glorious chaos on the screen. There are sixteen levels in total, all accessible with an old school top-down world map of New York and even Dimension X. The boss fights are great, as well as just the overall presentation, from the characters to the charm of the levels. For more insight, please give Steven’s video review a watch.
So now let’s talk about the DLC. About a year after the initial game’s release, we have “Dimension Shellshock.” The playable roster count went from seven (the four turtles, April, Splinter, and Casey Jones) to nine, adding two more to the mix. These two new characters are fan beloved Usagi Yojimbo, the awesome rabbit ronin, and Karai, the second in command of the foot clan and Shredder’s adopted daughter. Both of these new additions play very uniquely and just as well as all the others. When you boot up the game with the DLC you will notice that not much has changed, the main game still has its sixteen levels to choose from, although in the main menu there is a new Survival mode. Aside from the new characters, this is where the rest of the DLC takes place. Upon starting it up you will have a nice little cinematic similar to the rest of the game explaining the story and setting up the plot of you needing to go to multiple dimensions and retrieve crystals. It’s not the most thought-out plot, but at least you get something, whereas in most survival modes you just fight endless hordes of enemies for no reason at all, so any kind of plot is appreciated. The levels, enemies, and even bosses you will come across will all be randomized in each dimension you travel to, this is really cool, because this really welcomes replayability for the players that have beaten the story levels on several occasions by now. At the end of the stages, you will get the option to retrieve more crystals to collect or some kind of power up to help keep you alive longer to make it through the mode. After accumulating the number of crystals needed and playing through about five different dimensions, then you will be able to fight the final boss of the game. This is all easier said than done, you only have one life to get through this survival mode, so it’s very likely you will need to travel to many more dimensions to collect the crystals needed, because at least for me, I was needing those power ups to keep me going. Even if you don’t complete survival mode you will still be getting permanent unlocks for the individual character you played as, which makes future attempts that much easier.
Like the base game, we are gifted with many easter eggs for fans, crammed with some characters I never thought I’d see in a Ninja Turtles game. With such a varied amount of dimensions, this new feature, while not big on story, adds so much extra replayability to the package. I can see myself spending more hours playing this mode than the original game with how random it can be, this DLC will continue to keep this title fresh for a very long time. If you don’t have the base game yet, you can purchase the bundle which includes this DLC for thirty dollars, or you can buy the DLC separately for eight dollars. I’ve got to say, that extra eight dollars adds a ton of extra longevity to an already amazing game.
9/10
For more TMNT gaming updates, visit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge official site
Related: Reviews by Nick Navarro
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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