For the team at Boss Rush Network, few games have reached the anticipation and hype level that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has. Maybe it’s our age range, our love of all things nerdy, or our obsession with beat-em-ups and retro gaming (looking at you Ed!). Within a day of the game’s release, we had a full-on Boss Rush Network party, teaming up for six-player cooperative play. Now we want to share with you the team’s first impressions:

Jack

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise is responsible for starting a hobby of mine that I still participate in today: collecting. I had an obsession with TMNT. Action figures, clothing, bed sheets, video games, anything that had the TMNT brand, I needed. There was plenty of questionable content that sported the Heroes in a Half Shell, but the multiplayer games from Konami best represented TMNT. When I first saw the announcement of a revival to this gameplay, my joy and skepticism set in. How would the thirty year gap fair for my nostalgia of the games that had a major impact on my childhood?

I am happy to say that Tribute Games and DotEmu have successfully created the game I dreamed about from my childhood. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge masterfully recreates the TMNT brawler gameplay from the 90s and seamlessly blends modern gameplay like combos, achievements, and RPG elements. Easter eggs, cameos, and throwbacks from past games are handled with love and appreciation, instead of being force-fed like other franchises. I have played through a complete solo run as Raphael, and I was giddy for the entire duration.

The best thing I can say about this game: I cannot wait to play it again and again and again. I will be playing online and couch co-op with friends and strangers. I will be completing the story mode with the other six characters. I will find all of the collectibles and try to perform all of the achievements. I will cherish this game like I did with the past Konami games from my childhood. Thank you Tribute Games and Dotemu; this game is an absolute joy.

Donnie

Shredder’s Revenge is an easy game to sink into and the developers really captured the old TMNT brawler style, so gameplay is better than ever! The online multiplayer is a blast with friends and the drop in and drop out feature works so smoothly.

One of my favorite qualities about this game is the soundtrack. I need this on vinyl and on my preferred music streaming app. This soundtrack is so upbeat and motivating that I was up hours past my bedtime bobbing my head while slashing through the Foot Clan! Not only the soundtrack, but the voice acting and sound effects are really energetic as well. I can’t get enough of this game, and I plan on spending a lot of time with it, because this has rekindled my love for beat-em-up games again. I am really looking forward to the Cowabunga Collection next!

Mark

I am a child of the 90s, yet somehow the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze passed me by. Sure, I spent many quarters playing the classic brawlers in arcades across Houston, but that really was my only experience with the Heroes in a Half Shell. When it came to arcade games, I was more into Ms. Pac-Man and The Simpsons. However, when Shredder’s Revenge was announced, I couldn’t help but smile at the nostalgia fueled romp that was being presented. I love a good multiplayer game, even if the brawler genre isn’t my jam, and the game just looked so good. I knew it would be a day one purchase for me.

You know when you revisit something from your childhood and the sheen has worn off a bit and you are seeing it with modern eyes? Yes, you still love the game or the book or the movie, but it is starting to show its age. Somehow, Shredder’s Revenge looks and acts like it is a sequel that was never released in the 90s, hidden away all these years only to be released in 2022. The developers have made great tweaks to the formula to allow for modern sensibilities, but by and large Shredder’s Revenge recaptures the joy of playing the TMNT games of the past, flaws and all.

Yes, there are some flaws to the game; particularly the levels that take place on hoverboards above the city where it is almost impossible to tell where an enemy is to land a blow. Not to mention the length of time it takes you to get back up once you are hit. But those flaws aside, this is an insanely fun game—one that recaptures the joy of being a kid, but from the comfort of your own home.

David

Like many of the Boss Rush Network staff, I grew up loving TMNT. I watched the show, collected the action figures, and played the games. I’ll never forget my Turtles themed eighth birthday party at the arcade, complete with a Michelangelo cake. Just recently, I busted out my SNES (yes, the original) to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. Needless to say, I’m a prime audience for this new game.

Overall, I’ve had a fantastic time with Shredder’s Revenge. Like others here, I think the multiplayer feature is a must-play quality to the game. Teaming up with friends brought me back to so many good memories from childhood—and it didn’t cost me any quarters!

I am a bit disappointed by the number of glitches upon release. The game gets frozen, stuck, or crashes pretty regularly. I have yet to play with friends without encountering at least one issue. I know that’s pretty normal for games in this day and age, but for a game that is supposed to be retro and hearken back to an era when games were “complete” upon release, the irony is not lost on me.

LaMont

Where do I start? Hype doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings for this game. If there was an image to define love and dedication to the fandom of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dotemu’s logo would be it. The retro blend with a fresh take of characters of the franchise is something to behold. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing at the verbal quips in the game.

So far, I am loving every moment and savoring every part of this game. This release is so much a love letter to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that I would even dare to say that it may contend for Game of the Year. I have nothing negative to say at all, and I’m thoroughly enjoying every nook and cranny of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Going to play some more now, everyone should check this game out.

Tell Us What You Think!

So there you have it—the collective first impressions from the Boss Rush Network writing team! Have you tried Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge? Share your experiences with us in the comments below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Network Discord and Facebook.

Check out other pieces from our contributing writers: Donnie Meyer, Jack Brough, LaMont Reed, Mark Pereira, and David Lasby

Featured Image: Dotemu, Tribute Games