The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a mainstay of popular culture since their cartoon debut in December 1987. Since then, the Ninja Turtles have appeared in a variety of TV shows, live-action movies, and an assortment of video games, with each property varying significantly in quality but keeping the spirit of the franchise alive nonetheless. While every piece of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media does have its fans, there are certain shows, movies, or games that are universally loved, and there are certain time periods which have seen the best of the franchise, and this year may just be one of them.
For those who have a passion for both gaming and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, then 2022 has already been a pretty excellent one, with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge just a month ago. However, the year is far from over, and TMNT gaming fans have one big project to look forward to, proving that right now is a great time to be a Ninja Turtles fan.
A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Video Game Renaissance
Just over a month ago, TMNT fans were treated to the nostalgic thrill ride that was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Developed by Tribute Games, Shredder's Revenge took the essence of the original fan-favorite TMNT arcade games, and pumped it into a modern age 2D beat 'em up. While the beat 'em up genre isn't overly popular nowadays, with Streets of Rage being one of few franchises in the genre to make a comeback, Shredder's Revenge manages to achieve the perfect blend of nostalgia, and modernized controls and mechanics, introducing a progression system that encourages multiple playthroughs.
For Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, Shredder's Revenge was an absolute treat, packed to the brim with Easter eggs and references dating all the way back to the original TMNT comics, and even referencing some of the more maligned 1990s live-action movies. What's more, with Shredder's Revenge being available via Xbox Game Pass, the title managed to bring in an even wider audience than the developer probably expected, making the game a surprise smash-hit, and perhaps even introducing some people to the long history of the Ninja Turtles franchise.
Although Shredder's Revenge is an excellent game, it's quite a short one, and die-hard Ninja Turtles fans are already in need of another opportunity to return to the franchise in video game form. Luckily, Konami has just announced that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is dropping on August 30, 2022, just a month away. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection brings together a whopping 13 classic TMNT games, ranging from the original 1989 arcade game, to the infamous 1992 Hyperstone Heist on Sega Genesis, and even a handful of Ninja Turtles Game Boy games.
On top of some slight visual and technical improvements, The Cowabunga Collection is also bringing couch co-op to a good portion of its compiled games, allowing nostalgic TMNT fans to play through a plethora of classic titles together. A few other quality of life improvements have also been added, including the ability to remap buttons, rewind the game, and access save states at any point, which should certainly help with the trickier sections of those TMNT arcade games. With both Shredder's Revenge and The Cowabunga Collection releasing this year, it's an excellent time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, and that's without mentioning the stellar TMNT: The Last Ronin comic book which wrapped up earlier this year.
