Available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4/5, XBOne X|S, & PC
Thoughts
So yeah this is my GOTY 2022 just sayin'. Now to be completely honest I am a TMNT fan but this game puts me in the mind of Turtles In Time and the Arcade game. Dotemu once again hits it out of the park, just like with Streets of Rage 4. The game is your standard side-scrolling beat-'em-up fare with a nice selection of characters. From a story perspective, the game takes its cues from the 1987 cartoon show with some of the original voice actors reprising their roles. Many of the bosses in the game are also from the cartoon. Characters like Slash, Baxter Stockman, General Traag, ChromeDome, and Captain Zorax talk about good Saturday morning memories. From a visual standpoint, the game uses a pixel-art style that gives off old-school arcade vibes. The game can be viewed as a nostalgia trip but I would say that if it is then it is one that is done properly. With a number of characters to choose from, in-game achievements, and a plethora of collectibles and hidden secrets, it's completely worth the trip down memory lane.
The Gameplay
It's a beat 'em-up not much more to it than that honestly. You have 6 characters to choose from at the start with one being unlocked once you beat the Story mode. Each of the turtles as well as Splinter and April all feel unique and have different strengths and weaknesses. The game shows you each character's stats at the character select screen. For example, Leonardo is balanced between speed, power, and range while Raphael has more power but less range. There are 10 power levels to reach for each character that increase certain stats and abilities. This leads to the replay value for this game as on my first playthrough I beat the game with Leo at level 6, there is also an achievement for completing every character's max power level. There are challenges in each level and they range from simple to annoying. That's not to say that it isn't possible to complete those challenges but you will be replaying some levels a lot to get to a point where you can do complete them. This game has multiplayer support both online and couch and you can play with up to 6 characters. Those multiplayer games are intense and fun as you can do team attacks as well as save a teammate when in trouble. In my opinion, the game is at its best when played with people, especially couch co-op.
The Music
I wanted to make sure that I talked about the soundtrack. I love the soundtrack to this game. There is a variety of tracks that I think just work for every level. By now I think most people have heard the track 'We Ain't Came To Lose' by Ghostface Killa and Raekwon the Chef of the Wu-Tang Clan. This song plays during the Shredder boss fight and I can't tell you how much it works and fits. If you have a chance pick it up or at the very least stream it as I think it is very good and worth a listen.
Overall
PLAY THIS GAME!!! This game is fun from top to bottom and made me miss and want remakes of classic arcade titles like The Simpsons and X-Men the Arcade Game. Here's hoping that we get more coming down the pipeline. I am looking forward to what Dotemu comes out with next as they quickly becoming one of my favorite indie developers. Have you played Shredder's Revenge? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for supporting the blog please check out the Wingin IT Podcast YouTube and Gaming channels.
Shredder's Revenge Gameplay
Images via SwitchShare
Gameplay via YouTube
No comments:
Post a Comment