One of the best things about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the graphics. There are many indie games featuring pixel art on the market as it is a popular visual style, and Tribute Games is at the top of this trend.
The developers are master craftsmen whose work can be seen in not only Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge but also Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game and Mercenary Kings. Shredder's Revenge looks good, has great animation, and features levels that are intricately detailed. Of the 16 stages in this new turtle-themed brawler, which ones stand out the most?
8 Episode 1: Jaw-Breaking News
The first level of a game is usually among the best. It doesn’t matter if they are brawlers like Shredder’s Revenge or platformers like Super Mario World. The developers seemingly know to put their best foot forward to attract players to keep going.
The first stage in Shredder’s Revenge takes place in a news station. The background gags are great, especially the Bebop cooking stuff, and the music is catchy too. Bebop is also the boss for this one. He’s not a standout boss in the game overall but still fun enough.
7 Episode 2: Big Apple 3 PM
The name of Shredder's Revenge's second stage pays homage to Turtles in Time. That game is well regarded as not only one of the best TMNT titles of all time but also one of the best brawlers. That stage was called "Big Apple 3 A.M." and takes place on a series of construction beams.
The stage in Shredder’s Revenge takes place in the mean streets of New York City, so it is quite different. Overall it’s another great level with equally amazing music and sight gags starring the bumbling Foot Clan soldiers. Rocksteady is the boss of this one.
6 Episode 3: Mutants Over Broadway
Every good brawler needs an on-rails segment. Shredder’s Revenge has quite a few and stage three is the first one. It takes place purely on skateboards as players zoom through the city fighting ninjas and robots aplenty.
The boss fight involves Bebop and Rocksteady in a van, shooting at the heroes and dropping bombs. It’s a better fight than the two solo boss battles combined but also on the easier side of things. The music for the stage is the first to include lyrics besides the main TMNT theme.
5 Episode 6: Mall Meltdown
The mall is another classic setting for a brawler. The gags in Shredder's Revenge's sixth stage are again some of the best in the campaign, including numerous food stands being operated by Foot Clan soldiers. There’s also an arcade toward the end wherein they’re just playing classic games. It’s almost a shame to fight them and take away their love of video games.
The arcade is also tied to this stage’s boss, Tempestra, who is a deep cut from the series. She hangs back and summons Tokka and Rahzar from the second live-action movie which will surely get fans excited.
4 Episode 8: Panic In The Sky
Stage eight is the second level in Shredder’s Revenge to take place in an on-rails environment. This time players will soar through the sky on their hoverboards. Like “Mutants Over Broadway,” this stage’s music also has lyrics and it sounds like a song by The Offspring. It’s very '90s.
The final boss of this stage, Wingnut, is a top-ranking villain in the game. His attack patterns are reminiscent of Storm Eagle from Mega Man X. It would be hard not to imagine that Tribute Games got inspired by that awesome title.
3 Episode 9: Crisis At Coney Island
Another classic setting for a beat-em-up game is the amusement park. This stage takes place in New Jersey’s famous Coney Island but a version that is a bit more decrepit. The games are being run by Foot Clan soldiers, so it is seemingly shadier than usual.
This level introduces a lot of the game's harder Foot Clan fighters like the plunger soldiers and the lightning-fast black-clad warriors. The boss for this one is Leatherhead who has a decent gimmick for his fight.
2 Episode 13: Technodrome Redux
It takes a long time to get to the Technodrome but players finally get there in the 13th stage. Shredder’s Revenge overall is like a spiritual sequel to Turtles in Time. The Technodrome gets destroyed in that game, which is why there is the theory that these two titles are linked.
Shredder’s Revenge doesn’t exactly say that’s what happened to the base in this game, but long-time fans know. Regardless of whether this theory is true, this stage is a fun callback. Technodrome Redux is also the first level set in Dimension X wherein things get a lot harder. Hopefully, players have a good co-op party ready to fight.
1 Episode 16: Wrath Of The Lady
“Wrath of the Lady” isn’t so much a stage as it is a series of bosses linked together. It’s a breath of fresh air for the final stage in Shredder’s Revenge. The mission begins with a fight against Krang who takes over the Statue of Liberty, renaming it the Statue of Tyranny. It’s a good pun and a fun, great-looking boss fight.
The true final battle is against Shredder after he consumes some ooze. This is without a doubt the hardest boss battle in the game because of how hard he hits and because the window of opportunity to counterattack is low. The trickiness is why it’s so good though.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was released on June 16, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.