Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge borrows a lot from brawlers of the past including some of its own predecessors like Turtles in Time. It’s an old-school brawler but with modern mechanics. It takes a lot of its DNA from Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game and for good reason.
Tribute Games, which developed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, also developed the aforementioned title Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game. The only big mechanic missing from that game in this new turtles-themed adventure is a money system. Otherwise, the game is as modern as things could get.
8 Six-Player Co-Op
Shredder’s Revenge offers a six-player co-op mode which is a lot more than standard brawlers. They usually max out at four, although six players are not unheard of in the arcade scene. The 90s X-Men game, for example, had six player slots.
Not only is the amount of players high but the game offers online sessions as well. It couldn’t be easier to find a group at any given stage in the game. It’s well done for a multiplayer mode at launch.
7 Leveling Up Characters
Every character, of the seven in the game, can level up. They max out at ten. The in-game menu at the dojo will explain what each character gets when they reach the next level. Progressing may result in extra health or a new move.
Like the six-player co-op, this mechanic has been done in a brawler before but it’s still rare enough that it is considered modern. Shredder’s Revenge deserves kudos for keeping the gameplay fresher in this way.
6 Each Character Feels Unique
This may not be Shredder’s Revenge’s doing exactly. The character variety comes with the territory of making a video game based on these famous turtles. The main cast of four is unique in that they each have a weapon.
Donatello, for example, has a staff that has good reach while Leonardo’s swords can cut through enemies faster. Each character feels unique, unlike most other brawlers, which usually focus on hand-to-hand combat. Making a game based around weaponized characters is just smart.
5 The World Map
There are two modes in the game. Players can progress from stage to stage, with limited continues, in the arcade menu. They can also jump into story mode which introduces players to a world map. There are 16 levels in total, with secrets hiding in each.
Players may return to these stages whenever they like. It’s great for power leveling with new characters. The world map linking stages in a brawler has also been done before but it’s just one more thing that helps make Shredder’s Revenge feel more accessible.
4 Secret Challenges
Some of the aforementioned secrets hiding in stages are called Challenges. A stage may ask players to defeat several enemies in a certain way. For example, some enemies may need to be destroyed using special movies or with air attacks.
Completing these challenges will reward players with points needed for leveling up. It’s just one more way players can power level their way to the top with characters. It makes it faster than relying on killing enemies alone. This has rarely been seen in modern brawlers, so Shredder’s Revenge is kind of a trendsetter.
3 Side Quests
Another big secret hiding in stages is side quest related. Some stages have NPCs hiding in them. For example, April’s boss, Burne Thompson, can be found in the first stage. Rescuing him will unlock a mode on the world map. His quest involves collecting old newspapers hidden throughout the stages.
Completing these side quests will earn players huge amounts of experience points. It’s just another thing for players to keep in mind while they pummel their way through hordes of ninjas. They may not be robust quests but they can help extend the life of the game.
2 Healing The Party
One of the worst things players can experience in a video game is dying. That’s an obvious point but it becomes more embarrassing during co-op sessions. No one wants to be the player that keeps dying and in turn, keeps eating the limited health drops.
The great thing about this game is that it offers group pizza. If players have a giant party together then one of these mythical pizzas might appear. Picking it up will heal everyone. That seems like a mechanic that should be more prevalent in brawlers but it isn’t and is another big advantage for Shredder’s Revenge.
1 Voice Acting
The turtles and the other characters aren’t talking up a storm in this game. However, the developer got together most of the original cast from the 80s cartoon and that deserves some applause. Everyone voices their characters from grunts to small quips.
Voice acting is not new in video games but it’s a bigger deal here over other brawlers simply because of the legacy factor in Shredder’s Revenge. How many games would go through the hurdles of getting veteran actors back together again when it might be easier to hire new actors? It would have been nicer if they talked more but it’s still a win overall.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was released on June 16, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.