We’re suddenly in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles overload mode when it comes to games. I didn’t think we’d reach this point, but here we are.
We already had Konami’s impressive Cowabunga Collection to lean on, along with the incredible Shredder’s Revenge from Tribute Games. But this year will see the release of the roguelike Splintered Fate on Switch this July; along with a brand new Mutants Unleashed game later this year.
And in the middle of them is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants, a port of the Raw Thrills arcade game of the same name. It follows a general principle – beat up bad guys and save the world from Shredder. But it does so with a number of gameplay quirks, as well as the ability to team up with three players locally.
The port is surprisingly bare bones, but the price is affordable – even the physical version. And if you have a group of friends you don’t mind saving the day with, it’s not bad being a turtle.
Re-Shelled Reborn
Wrath of the Mutants comes across to me as a better version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time Re-Shelled, a game Ubisoft put out a few years ago. It has eight direction combat, but handles it a little bit better when it comes to hitting enemies. It also, thankfully, has better visuals and music.
That said, the game can be cheap sometimes, with Krangs basically firing at you in different directions and some boss enemies getting off lucky hits. Just so you know. At least you have special screen-clearing attacks to your credit, along with special guest appearances by “allies” like Metalhead.
There are some bizarre moments when it comes to certain battles, like the fact that Bebop has suddenly become bone-skinny and Rocksteady is…Russian? But characteristics aside, the game follows its arcade gameplay principles pretty closely, with a number of stages to run through and some extra boss battles for good measure.
Outside of that, however, there’s little here for the long-term. Wrath of the Mutants is sorely lacking online play (even older games in the Cowabunga Collection have it), no leaderboards, and no unlockable extras. It’s also missing the arcade intro, going right into a menu instead.
But it’s got its arcade heart right on its sleeve. So if it’s a coin-op-based brawler you’re after, this one will certainly fit the bill. And you’ll have a good time, especially with friends and/or family (perfect for the young’uns!) sitting alongside you.
Turtle Power?
The game’s visuals, loving reproduced by the team at Raw Thrills, get the job done. That’s not to say they’re perfect, as some enemies move a little too robotically and the special attacks are a way bit overdone. (Only in a game like this can pizza make enemies explode.) But they are true to arcade code, so if you know what you’re getting into, you won’t mind it in the least.
Also, some of the settings are very well done and true to the show. TCRI plays a part here, along with Dimension X and, for good measure, some classic stages that will remind you of older games. And you can pick stages however you see fit, unlocking the final Shredder stages after taking them on.
When it comes to audio, the music’s okay (again, better than whatever the heck Re-Shelled’s soundtrack was), and the sound effects are alright. But the voice effects repeat way too often, with a lot of the one-liners wearing out their welcome. On the bright side, it’s great to hear the late Gilbert Gottfried again, hamming it up as the alternative version of Krang. We miss him.
Not Entirely a Cowa-bungle
I’ll be honest, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is not the greatest arcade release we’ve seen. Cowabunga Collection is way more comprehensive; and Shredder’s Revenge gives you a lot more to do. I’d hunt down those releases first and add them to your library before giving this once a glance.
That said, Wrath does live up to its arcade heritage, and for a reasonable price of $30. It’s a lot of fun with friends, and there’s goofiness abound, even if the voiceovers do wear out their welcome. If you can accept what’s missing and dive in for some head-bashing goodness, I’d say this one is worth shelling out a few bucks for.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to GameMill Entertainment for the review code!
