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For game fans growing up in the 1980s, few tie-in games were as enjoyable, and at the same time downright frustrating, as Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles title on the NES. Ever since that time, the lean, green, pizza-eating, fighting machines have enjoyed and endured a disjointed mishmash of TMNT gaming options - including fan-favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: The Arcade Game as well as Turtles in Time paired alongside less-enjoyable cash grabs like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters and the CGI-animated film tie-in TMNT.

Now, we're getting word, that the Turtles are officially set for another video game adventure. For now, it's unclear whether or not the new game, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, will be a return to form for the iconic reptilian heroes, as the official trailer features cool non-cartoon designs paired with dark environments and by-the-numbers combo-based gameplay.

Alongside the announcement that Michael Bay was set to produce a new live-action Ninja Turtles film (read our full coverage of that project at Screen Rant), rumors began to circulate that the Turtles might also be getting a triple-A video game release from developer Rocksteady Studios (makers of the Batman: Arkham Asylum series). Then, a follow-up report seemed to suggest that the title would actually be a CGI animated cartoon spin-off title, centered around the latest version of the characters on Nickelodeon - published by Activision.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows Trailer

As it turns out, the actual news is an intriguing, but not necessarily inspiring, mix of the two. Out of the Shadows will be published by Activision and does appear to borrow heavily from the animation style and combo-focused gameplay of Rocksteady's Arkham Asylum series; albeit on a much smaller scale and from a lesser-known and, frankly, less-accomplised developer. Instead of Rocksteady StudiosOut of the Shadows has been developed by Red Fly Studio - best known for the Thor: God of Thunder movie tie-in (read our review) as well as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 and Ghostbusters: The Video Game Wii ports. It's possible that Red Fly Studio could surprise gamers with an inspired Ninja Turtles experience but, even if the game is solid, it's hard to imagine that it will deliver on the scale that many fans were hoping to see realized in a Rocksteady Studios effort.

According to an exclusive report at Digital Spy: "The third-person brawler features a hyper-realistic 3D-style, true-to-life environments and a combo-driven battle system. Four-player online co-op sees players control Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael as they attempt to defeat the Foot Clan in New York City."

Some gamers might be surprised to see a more realistic look to the Turtles in Out of the Shadows - given that the CGI-animated style in the current Nickelodeon TV show would have easily translated to the game world (along with plenty of E for Everyone players). Still, Activision won't lose those potential customers with a slightly darker offering that could draw-in a T for Teen-friendly crowd as well. The addition of 4-player online gaming certainly won't hurt broaden the appeal either - but it's unclear at this point how co-op gameplay will work if Red Fly Studio is attempting to replicate complicated Arkham Asylum-like combos (instead of random button mashing).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows

The title is the first of three game partnerships between Activision and Nickelodeon, which could mean a bigger, full TMNT retail project might also be in the pipeline - assuming Out of the Shadows is successful. That said, the other two games are likely adaptations of entirely different Nickelodeon programming with no connection to the TMNT franchise.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows does not currently have a set release date - but expect the game to arrive on PC, PSN, and XBLA this summer.

Source: Digital Spy