The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has one of the strongest legacies for licensed properties in video games. The legacy largely built 30 years ago with the original sprite-based Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat 'em up arcade games. And 30 years later, it's still a recipe for success. With that in mind, publisher Dotemu has now announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge from developer Tribute Games, a new nostalgia-rich beat 'em in development for PC and consoles.
Dotemu states upfront that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is designed to invoke the original 1987 animated show and its 1989 arcade game. That's immediately recognizable in the new game's trailer. The trailer's animated opening starts with a shot of the city, followed by the turtles bursting out of nowhere. It's a faithful modernization of both the 1987 show and 1989 arcade game's opening. It's clear that Shredder's Revenge is a love letter to those now-classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles experiences.
The influence of the 1980s show and game doesn't stop there, however. The animated sequence shows that all of the game's designs, including the turtles themselves, Shredder, April O'Neil, and even the Technodrome, are based on the originals. The gameplay itself looks heavily inspired by the 1989 arcade game, too. It features the same style of pixel art, as well as that same style of methodical beat 'em up gameplay.
Just based on the trailer, the entirety of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge will be based on the 1987 animated show. The best evidence of that is the list of villains showcased during the trailer. There's Krang, Rocksteady and Bebop, Shredder himself, the Foot Clan, Mousers, Chrome Dome, Baxter the Fly, and even Captain Zorax of the Triceraton Empire. It wouldn't be a surprise if Krang's Rock Soldiers or even Lord Dregg eventually make an appearance. Dotemu could always make a sequel, too.
As for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge's gameplay, it's confirmed to have both a traditional story mode and online 4-player cooperative multiplayer. Those who have played any of the franchises many beat 'em up games will likely be immediately familiar, though Dotemu does tease some "super-fresh" mechanics, too.
All that's missing from Dotemu's announcement is a release window, as well as a list of confirmed consoles. Developer Tribute Games, known for Flinthook, Mercenary Kings, and Panzer Paladin, has released games on PC, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles prior, so it should have its bases covered. Expect more details in the weeks and months to come.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is in development for PC and console.