A great new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game has been a long time coming. The long-running multi-media franchise has been fundamental in the development of the beat-em-up genre thanks to titles such as Konami's brutal NES and arcade games, ranging all the way to classics such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. After a decade of underwhelming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tie-in games, the newly announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge could reignite the franchise's place as one of the pillars of the beat-em-up genre.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is an upcoming beat-em-up from Panzer Paladin and Mercenary Kings developer Tribute Games and Streets of Rage 4 developer Dotemu. The game course corrects the TMNT video game series, returning to the 8-bit style of Konami's classic arcade franchise and featuring designs from the 1980s animated series instead of more recent incarnations such as Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and there's plenty of reasons why TMNT fans should be excited for Shredder's Revenge.
RELATED: The 20 Hardest Video Games of All Time
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games have had rocky reception as of late. Even beloved action game developer Platinum Games, developer behind games such as NieR: Automata and Bayonetta, stumbled entirely with 2016's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant in Manhattan. While the turtles have had a rocky few years with their own games, they have successfully crossed over into other big games such as SMITE and Injustice 2, proving that fans are still eagerly anticipating their next chance to play as them.
Thankfully for TMNT fans, classic beat-em-ups have had a huge resurgence in recent years thanks to titles such as River City Girls, Streets of Rage 4, and the recent re-release of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on current consoles. Shredder's Revenge is coming from Streets of Rage 4's very own Dotemu, which is publishing the game for Tribute Games, meaning that the game's design is likely to feature the same level of refinement and understanding of the genre as Dotemu's most recent outing in Sega's iconic series.
The game clearly takes inspiration from Konami's classic arcade and console titles; however, after years of criticism for failing to move past design tropes of the past, Shredder's Revenge could end up offering the ultimate TMNT co-op experience. Especially if it takes everything that made those past titles great without any of the gatekeeping difficulty spikes of the original games.
RELATED: Top 10 Capcom Beat-Em-Ups, Ranked
While recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games have focused on recreating the art styles of the 2012 animated Nickelodeon series, or the Michael Bay produced 2014 film series, or have even opted for a new style and cast altogether, Shredder's Revenge takes the series all the way back to the visual style of the 1980s cartoon. This has the added benefit of appealing to fans of the 1980s NES and arcade titles, and while it's unlikely that the original voice cast will return in any major capacity, those who grew up with the original series can look forward to seeing a nostalgic throwback that builds off the classic style.
While it would have been exciting to see the stylish, over-the-top animation of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adapted by some of the team behind Streets of Rage 4, representing the 80s cartoon will ensure that the game appeals to the broadest demographic, including many players who have never watched or read a TMNT show or comic book. The game also promises to feature many of the franchise's most iconic villains such as Baxter Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady, Kraang, and, of course, Shredder himself. The trailer also features April O'Neil and Shredder, but it's not yet confirmed if they will be playable.
Overall, Shredder's Revenge is looking like the perfect throwback beat-em-up to appeal to both classic and modern fans of both the genre and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise as a whole. Tribute Games and Dotemu have proven themselves to be masters of the genre, making Shredder's Revenge a IO Interactive and 007 level match made in heaven.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is in development for PC and unspecified consoles.