The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are finally returning to video games with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.
In the retro 16-bit era, Konami produced some classic arcade beat ‘em ups based on the franchise. The most famous and lauded of those is Turtles in Time. While the TMNT franchise has stayed relevant over the years with new TV shows, comics, and movies, more recent games like Out of the Shadows and PlatinumGames’ Mutants in Manhatten were lacking in quality.
Thankfully, the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game looks like an enjoyable retro throwback from the developers who worked on the excellent Scott Pilgrim vs. The World game and the publisher behind Streets of Rage 4.
Here’s everything we know about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge following its announcement in March and appearance during a Nintendo Indie World showcase in April 2021
When is the TMNT: Shredder's Revenge release date?
The four turtle brothers are back!DotEmu
Currently, Shredder’s Revenge has a 2021 release window. During April’s Indie World presentation, Nintendo confirmed that this game is slated for “later this year.” Press releases for the game don’t get any more specific than that.
The Steam page for the game says ”Coming Soon.” A PR representative for the game tells Inverse that Dotemu and Tribute Games will reveal a more specific launch window at a later date.
Is there a TMNT: Shredder's Revenge trailer?
There are two trailers, and they’re both outstanding.
The reveal trailer for the game features over a minute of brand new animation clearly inspired by the classic 80s TMNT cartoon. It even features a remix of their classic theme song by Faith No More’s Mike Patton:
While the trailer is mostly animated, we see the game in action at the end. The second trailer, which was shown off in April 2021 during the Nintendo’s Indie World showcase, is solely focused on gameplay. You can check out that below:
It’s certainly reminiscent of classic sidescrolling beat ‘em ups in the best way possible. The pixel art also looks very fluid and pretty in motion, though the gameplay trailer still jumps around a lot. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait too long before we see a longer video featuring uninterrupted gameplay.
On which platforms will TMNT: Shredder's Revenge be available?
As of April 2021, Dotemu and Tribute Games have only confirmed that the game is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch. When Dotemu first announced Shredder’s Revenge in March, it had an even vaguer “PC and consoles” platform description, with a PR representative telling Inverse that specific platforms would be revealed in the future.
During that April Nintendo presentation, it was confirmed for Switch. Still, we don’t know if it’s a console exclusive or will also come to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Stadia, Luna, or mobile. We will update this post if that changes.
What is the TMNT: Shredder's Revenge story?
While the focus in beat ‘em ups is mostly on gameplay, Shredder’s Revenge also tells a new story with the TMNT squad as they fight Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Foot Clan to stop their latest scheme.
The developers promise that the game will visit many iconic locations from the franchise’s history, so you can expect to fight the foot clan in New York City, the sewers, and even Dimension X.
Like in classic TMNT beat ‘em ups, you can throw enemies at the screen in Shredder’s Revenge. Dotemu
Who are the TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge developer and publisher?
While many details surrounding Shredder’s Revenge are still a mystery, this project is already so exciting because of the teams behind it. Tribute Games is the developer, a studio with a great history of retro-style games like this. Its founders worked on the cult classic and just re-released Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes is working on the soundtrack.
At Tribute Games, the team has worked on games like Ninja Senki, Mercenary Kings, Flinthook, and fantastic Mega Man-inspired platformer Panzer Paladin. Meanwhile, Dotemu has made a name for themselves as a publisher, reviving classic franchises with games like Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Windjammers 2, and Streets of Rage 4.
Needless to say, this project is in excellent hands.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is currently in development.
