The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are set to launch as part of the Unmatched modular board game series after blitzing its $250,000 Kickstarter project target. The project has nearly raised $1 million with 13 days still to ??go. It took just under an hour for the project to be fully funded and the estimated delivery date for the g??ame is September 2025.

Unmatched is a modular hand management, battle game system. Every pack and add-on can be played individually with players working cooperatively to battle against the set’s main villains before they complete their objectives. The ?heroes and battlefields from each set can also be used to battle other human competitors in the Unmatched Adventures series. Previous entries have included the likes of Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and Doctor Strang?e from DC as well as Black Panther, Black Widow, and Winter Soldier from Marvel.

The Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set will see between one and four p??layers playing as Michaelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, an?d Donatello, with support from April O’Neil, Case Jones, Splinter, and Metalhead. The villains included in the set are Shredder and Kang, who are supported by the likes of Leatherhead and Rat King. Additional allies and henchmen cards can shift the odds in favor of the players or the villains.

The game is simple. Every turn, players can scheme, ??maneuver, and attack, bu??t the hero’s capabilities and skills will change how the game ultimately plays out.

Included in the base game are four h?ero and two villain min??iatures, as well as sidekick and foot soldier tokens. There are around 200 cards and a good selection of other tokens. Typically, players can take their hero decks from any of the standalone games and use them to battle other players.

Restoration Games has created hero decks from Shredder and Krang, and these can also be used in the main game. Pledges range from the $80 Pizza-Rama which includes the base game and a couple of promo packs, to the XL Ultimate Supreme which includes the villains as hero decks, promo packs, and extra miniatures, and costs $225. There are also add-o?ns like neoprene playmats, sleeve packs, and alternative art cards. Restoration Games has a??lso promised one new promo pack card for every $25,000 the project goes above its target. As it nears $1 million that already means a ton of additional content for backers.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is enjoying a renaissance at the moment, especially in the gaming world. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is set for release on PC at the beginning of November having previously launched on Apple Arcade and the Switch. Limited Run Games has announced that it is taking preorders for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Ultimate Edition on PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

There have been other board games based on the heroes in half-shells, too. 2020 saw the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures: Change is Constant, a deck-building and dice-rolling game, and one of the most noteworthy recent adaptations. In 1987, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Pizza Power Game had a somewhat unique battle element. When players fought?? any of the game’s villains, they had to flip dic?e into numbered compartments in a bid to win the fight.

Restoration Games, the team behind the Unmatched games, has a mission to bring back older games and reinvent them for the modern age. They have already rereleased Crossbows & Catapults as well as Thunder Road Vendetta and Fireball Island.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles b?oard game shreds its Kickstarter target appeared first on Destructoid.

The other half-shell

Dotemu and Tribute Games have announced that hit arcade beat-’em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is getting DLC in the form of Dimension Shellshock. It will be coming later? this year. According ??to my watch, it is 2023.

The key feature of the Dimension Shellshock DLC is the inclusion of Usagi Yojimbo (which literally means Rabbit Bodyguard in Japanese). Usagi was the star of his own comic book but frequently crossed over with the turtles. I mostly know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from playing the games, and I’m not sure I’ve ever watched an episode of its various cartoons? or?? watched a movie.

I watched The Real Ghostbusters as ??a child, and I was ?already a bit too young for that.

//youtu.be/JLlL2oFN0RU

However, Chris Moyse is Destructoid's Old Stuff expert??, and he doesn’t know I’m about to quote him in explaining, "This is a sorta crossover. Usagi was an independent, Japanese-American comic book character, who bl??ew up in the mid-'80s before anyone in the West had any interest in Japanese culture such as Manga/Anime, but Usagi Yojimbo kind of carried those tropes, as well as the vibe of Kurosawa films. In a way, that comic was a frontrunner in introducing Manga and other Japanese media to the US."

That's more or less what he said. He may have reworded it while editing this pie??ce, he's really awesome at his jo?b like that, said I, Zoey Handley, the writer of this article.

It is also implied that there are also new levels in the mix here, but the press release barely touches on these. There are definitely l??ocations that I don't recognize in the trai??ler.

Alongside the Dimension Shellshock DLC, Shredder's Revenge will receive another free update (following the one released in December 2022). Right now, the only featur?e announced for t??he next update is more color palettes for the game's characters.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is currently available on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, and mobile platforms. The Dimension Shellshock will be available sometime this year.

The post Usagi Yojimbo joins TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge in Dimension Shellshock DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Pizza Time

Konami has announced that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection has crested?? 1 million copies?? sold. That’s a lot of pizza.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a compilation of 13 games made throughout Konami’s time with the license. While this mostly just means it’s the Arcade titles and well-known ports, it also includes some less-beloved titles, such as the various iterations of The Tournament Fighters. The ports were handled ?by Digital Eclipse, who did a great job bringing the games over and including some awe?some extras.

//twitter.com/Konami/status?/1?644324155125559298?s=20

Personally, I feel The Cowabunga Collection is incredibly important. Licensed games are among the most difficult to get modern ports of, simply because the publisher often has to reacquire rights, and the costs there can mean that it’s simply not a profitable venture. I felt that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games were among the most unfortunate victims of this limitation, as they ??are some of the best licensed games developed. Having them left on platforms that are no longer supported would have been an unfortunate fate.

Thankfully, Konami has been mining its dragon’s horde of old titles recently with compilations like Castlevania Anniversary Collection. While I feel like the publisher is better known for pissing all over its history, I love being proven wrong, and their recent collections, including the Cowabunga Collection, have been heartening.

Now that I’ve offered some praise, I must now make demands for compilations of games such as Ganbare Goemon, Parodius, and a scattershot of unlocalized Famicom title?s.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection? is available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, ??and Switch.

The post Teenag?e Mutant Ninja Turtles: T?he Cowabunga Collection sold a million copies, dudes appeared first on Destructoid.

Samurai Shelldown

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic The Last Ronin is being adapted into a video game. The surprising but intriguing news was confirmed by Paramount Global's senior vice president for games, Doug Rosen. A developing studio, platforms, o??r release date was not revealed.

Released in 2020, TMNT: The Last Ronin tells of a single turtle �wearing a black mask and wielding the iconic weaponry of all four Heroes in an Half-Shell �as they pick their way through a dystopian, futuristic take of New York, seeking revenge for their fallen brethren. The identity of the turtle remains something of a mystery until its revelation further in the tale, making The Last Ronin a particularly grim entry to the TMNT pantheon.

According to Rosen, (in comments made to Polygon), the video game adaptation will be a single-player adventure, though other characters will be playable in various flashbacks dotted throughout the story. Rosen makes illusions to The Last Ronin having gameplay similar to Sony Santa Monica's recent God of War releases �likely referencing a dramatic, third-person, combat-heavy escapade. The title is in its very early pre-production stages, so it is understandable at ??least several years away from rel??ease.

While most of the TMNT video games tend to be of the standard brawler/fighter variety, TMNT: The Last Ronin could shape up to be something very different �both tonally and from a gameplay perspective. While fans of The Fab Four await its arrival, they can still find plenty of digital entertainment in the great recent releases TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection.

Beloved TMNT graphic novel The Last R??onin is becoming ??a video game [Polygon]

The post TMNT: The Last Ronin is being adapted into a ‘God of War-style’ video game appeared first on Destructoid.

Wise man say: "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."

One of the most delightful games of 2022 was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. From the team over at Tribute Games, it was a wonderful return to form for the heroes in a half-shell, capturing the early �0s era of great arcade action amidst the current resurgence of the beat’em up genre. The game dropped on all major platforms last year, and earlier this week, it finally made the jump to mobile through Netflix Games. While I’ve already enjoyed Shredder’s Revenge on my Switch, I wanted to see how it played on my Pixel with and without a Bluetooth controller. Let me tel??l y'all, I am no?t disappointed.

Shredder’s Revenge mobile is the same beat’em up experience you can have on console and PC, but now far more convenient for anyone who doesn’t like to travel with their Switch or Steam Deck. You can link up with up to five other players online to blast through the campaign (or sneak into someone else’s party if they’re finishing up the game to quickly unlock Casey Jones). If you have a controller for your phone or tablet, it’s obviously the best way to experience a game that often requires some precise movements. If you’re stuck using touchscreen controls, they’ll get the job done just fine. Unfortunate??ly, the directional pad is the type that doesn’t follow thumb placement, but I found maxing out its size gave me more accurate control over the turtles than the standard size. Fat thumbs and all.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qcaEQVBcY0

The controls for touchscreens are customizable to a certain point, mostly limited to button size and spacing, but it's worth taking the time ?to get the best layout possible if you want to attempt this game on its harder difficulties. The directional pad was the only change I had to make to get this game to work well for me.

Last year, Dotemu–which published Shredder's Revenge on console and PC–ported its highly celebrated Streets of Rage 4 to mobile platforms, and I found the game worked well enough given the issues I had with my fingers covering the screen. While that’s still a possible issue with Shredder’s Revenge mobile, it’s less of a problem when it happens because of sprite sizes. Character models in this game are a lot smaller than what we see in SoR4 and it's easier to keep the action centered on the screen. Traps and pits, which could sometimes be troublesome to get past in SoR4 mobile don't really pose a problem here, again due to the sprite size and overall high-flying nature of Shredder's Revenge. Because of that, I think this i??s the better option for your mobile beat'em up needs.

Of course, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a worthwhile play no matter what device you’re using. Thanks to Netflix, now more people will have a chance to experience the game our own Chris Moyse called â€?a href="//jbsgame.com/reviews/tmnt-shredders-revenge-review-n?inja-turtles-playstation-switch-brawler-dotemu-retro/" target="_blank" rel=??"noopener">absolutely worth shelling out for."

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s R?evenge is a good fit for mobile appeared first on Destructoid.

Big compilation, 3AM

When I look at all the games in The Cowabunga Collection, memories fire off like pistons in my brain. I recall the extreme joy of playing Turtles in Time. And the extreme sadness of the frustrating and infamous Turtles NES platformer. Plus everything in-between, like showing people the SNES version of Tournament Fighters in a?? bid to woo them over while they we??re busy playing other fighting games.

Indivi?dually, not all of t?hese titles stand out. But as a repackaging, Digital Eclipse has done some fine work.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami
Released: August 30, 2022
MSRP: $39.99

As we do with many reviews dealing with compilations, let's take a look at what's on of?fer upfront before we ??dig in:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)

As I said before, quite the selection! There's so much to unpack there, and we'll start with the obvious: t?he games themselves.

Turtles in Time is an absolute classic, and could very well be considered the crown jewel of the collection. In 2009, people were paying $10 for it on the Xbox Live Arcade and PSN, or still playing the SNES original. Its time-bending setting, ahead-of-its-time voicework, and varied level design helped catapult it to one-of-the-greatest-of-all-time ge??nre status. I had a blast playing through it again in both SNES and Arcade form (which most?ly have aesthetic differences, with the SNES version sporting a bit more content and alterations), and it was a great way to kick off a playthrough of the collection.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6wScwqY440

Odds are though you'll have a few that you consider your personal favorites. Hyperstone Heist often comes up in a lot of Turtle game conversations, and it does hold up today. Outside of Turtles in Time, I played a lot of Tournament Fighters SNES, and even though it could be considered a wonky fighter overall, I appreciate the arcade and vers??us mode options, as well as the addition of a few out-there characters. The brawlers/beat 'em ups in the pack, really, ar?e evergreen, and somewhat legitimize this entire collection in the eyes of many. Some of them have been released in various fashions over the years, but now you can pretty much gather all of them under one $40 roof.

While I wouldn't necessarily call them "underrated," all three Game Boy games feel like natural evolutions of the formula set forth in the NES platformer; with simpler, more forgiving level layouts and more direct control of the turtles themselves. That's especially true for the third entry, which has abilities specific to each turtle. Speaking of, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue is definitely the standout, as it uses a Metroid-like framework. It's actually one of the meatier games in the collection, and wi??ll likely surprise some people with how much there is to it.

As a whole, there's something about the standout Turtles visuals that still hold up, even if the aesthetics for some of the NES and Game Boy titles have aged less gracefully. The distinct cartoony nature of the source material shines through here, and there's a reason why individual Turtles beat 'em ups are considered part of the golden age of the era, alongside classics like The Simpsons Arcade Game.

Naturally, mathing out how much each entry is worth to you can be tough. Yet, you really don't need to suffer in silence when it comes to discerning whether or not it's worth buying in, even if you only really like a few games. There are a lot of playthroughs of every single one of these games, and plenty of info out there. Once you're past that stage, it's time to look at the collection as a collection. We have great news on that front, as Digital Eclipse has done right by the Turtles legacy.

So one of the biggest features of the Cowabunga Collection is the "watch" mode. You can kick off every game with an automated assist mode, where it plays through a run from the start. Here, you can fast-forward and decide to jump in at any point. While you won't necessarily need them for select breezier games, the most obvious choice for this feature is Turtles NES, especially for you folks who haven't beaten it yet. It creates a level of accessibility t?hat essentially justifies games that forever frustrated you growing up, even if it doesn't fully salvage them. Games also have an "enhancements" [cheats] menu, including options like a?? level select and extra lives.

Strategy guides are also in, and they're lovely. They're crafted for The Cowabunga Collection, in the style of classic '90s tips sections in magazines, and they're super quirky, with some actually useful info to boot. What blew me away though is the ability to sometimes manually click on a strategy guide section and instantl?y turn on whatever feature it's suggesting. This includes the chance to see "secret endings" and the like wi?thout having to actually play through it yourself.

The standout feature for me is the extras menu. Here you'll find boxes and manuals, ads and catalogs, and even comic book covers and still screens from several TV shows. There's behind-the-scenes-style guides/bibles the designers had to follow for characters, and a music player. It's a comprehensive look at Turtles history, and I surprisingly found myself digging into it for an hour before actually playing any games. Filters include original, full screen, widescreen, TV, monitor, and LCG toggles. Local play is in, and each game shows the number of supported players plainly on-screen. Although we couldn't test online play, The Cowabunga Collection has the option for it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a great repackaging of a set of uneven classic games. I'm in no rush to play Turtles NES again, for instance, but I can see myself diving into the extras menu and breaking out any number of the beat 'em ups with friends and fami??ly at pretty much any point. With the amount of care put in by Dig??ital Eclipse, this is one of the best ways these games have been presented since they were released.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Teenage Mutan??t Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga? Collection appeared first on Destructoid.

Way more cowabunga, dude

A new stability patch is live for TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, across all platforms. The update is set to address bugs and make game stability improvements for al?l the turtle-powered action.

Accord??ing to publisher Dotemu, the patch addresses some "tedious bugs" and adds a number of improvements, both for gameplay and online? features.

"Tribute Games to the rescue!" Dotemu declared on Twitter, shouting out the TMNT developer alongside the?? announce??ment of the update.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozKsDzumb0c

The patch notes are fairly lengthy. In it, Tribute Games and Dotemu detail a number? of fixes, so?me big and some small.

For example, under the Gameplay Bug Fixes, there's a fix for enemies sometimes getting frozen after a Fling Slam. Tha??t's a bit jarring to the action, and probably uncomfortable for those Foot Clan fighters.

There's also some fixes for online co-op play, addressing crashes and connection issues. Thus, it sh?ould hopefully be a bit smoother to form a Turtles crew over the web.

A smoother Turtles experience

Broader improvements have ?also been made to the game. Performance should be improved as now, all possible enemies that will be used in a stage will be prel??oaded. Transitions and boss position snapping should also be improved.

Plus, platform icons are now listed for online games and friends. And for the Steam Deck players, support for input gly?phs specific to the Steam Deck has been added.

All-in-all, it sounds like a good update for TMNT: Shredder's Revenge fans who might have run into some issues playing through the game. Having s??een some of these online issues firsthand when some pals tried to organize a co-op? session, it's nice to see this update.

The TMNT: Shredder's Revenge patch should be live now on all platforms. And if you think that's it for the summer in terms of Turtles games, I have some good news. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is set to launch later this month on August 30. And yes, it has rollback netcode.

The post TMNT Shredder’s Revenge stability patch tunes up the beat ’em up appeared first on Destructoid.

Konami shells out for top tech

Konami has confirmed that its upcoming retro compendium Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection will utilize rollback netcode for the online mode of TMNT: Tournament Fighters. The new factoid will come as welcome news for long-time ??fans of the heroes in a half-shell.

The Cowabunga Collection �a compilati??on that almost seems too good to be true �features a bumper crop of TMNT adventures pulled from arcade, NES, SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy platforms. What this boil??s down to is hours upon hours of classic brawling, platforming, and fighting action, dating as far back as the halcyon days of 1988, when Turtle Mania first bestowed itself on the world.

//twitter.com/Kona??mi/status/1554104673308741634?s=20&t=RT4CaFsh8QaP?T2fYR0AG9g

TMNT: Tournament Fighters launched on NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis in 1993, though all three platforms had very different games. Generally considered the best (and inarguably the most enduring) of the three versions, the SNES edition is still played today by a dedicated community, who are no doubt stoked to hear that they will now have a modern, copy of the one-on-one classic for future-proofing. It seems that only the SNES version of Tournament Fighters will support online play,?? a decision that what one would assume hopes to a??void further diluting the already niche player base.

Alongside the three versions of Tournament Fighters, The Cowabunga Collection also includes the titles listed below. When you add to this the recently released Dotemu brawler TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, it has certainly been an awesome year for fans of Leo, Don, Mikey, and Raph. Man,?? I love being a turtle?.

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection launches Aug??ust 30 on PlayStation, ??PC, Xbox, and Switch platforms.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)

The post TMNT: Co?wabunga Collection will feature rollback netcode for Tournament Fighters appeared first on Destructoid.

Some nostalgic turtle brawling is on the way next month

It's looking like a summer full of TMNT action. Retro collection Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is lau?nching on August 30 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Konami and Nickelodeon confirmed the Cowabunga Collection will be arriving both physically and digitally on August 30. It will retail for $39.99, though there was also a $150 physical collector's box announced a few months ago. It includes t??rading cards, an acrylic diorama, and an artbook with chapters dedicated to each of the games in the collection.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR3ZE5vFi7c

Of course, there are also some modern features, like online play and save rewind. Can't put coins in the Nintendo Switch, after all. And various behind-the-scenes info like artwork sketches and game concepts show off how these TMNT adventures got made.

If you'd rather see the games though, here's a rundown of the list of games in the TMNT Cowabunga Collection.

Games in TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)

Combine this with the recent release of TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, and it's been a good summer to be a fan of the Turtles. Looks like both the modern brawler and retro craving will be taken care of when Cowabunga Collection drops on August 30 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nin?tendo Switch.

The post TMNT: The Cowabu?nga Collection will la??unch in August appeared first on Destructoid.

The Saturday morning beat 'em up is looking great

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had some spectacular beat 'em ups over the years. Games like Turtles in Time have become nostalgic classics of the genre. But the turtles haven't had such luck in recent years when it comes to games. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge feels like a callback to those golden oldies, capturing rosy nostalgia in a pixelated cartoon brawl?er.

Shredder's Revenge comes from the one-two punch of Tribute Games and Dotemu. The former has developed some rad retro-inspired action games like Flinthook and Panzer Paladin, while Dotemu has collaborated on projects like Streets of Rage 4 and Windjammers 2. It's a good matc??h. And that becomes readily app?arent when the action gets underway.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RfrrEF1VLo

In my demo at PAX East 2022, a quick TV newscast introduction informed me the Foot Clan was up to it?s usual hijinks. My co-op pal and I locked in our fighters—I went for Raphael, they chose Splinter—and we burst onto the scene.

The action feels right at home for retro action game fans. Go right, beat up bad guys. There's a basic attack button, as well as a special attack with a corresponding meter. Jumpin??g and flipping (both forward and back) round out the face buttons, and we could also taunt to build meter and do a "cheer up" move (high-fiving each other) to help share health around.

It feels simple and straightforward in a good way. It's not quite as complex as something like Streets of Rage 4, where you might be gambling with risky special attacks for longer combos. A focus of Shredder's Revenge, one dev told me, is crowd control. Enemies can quickly gang up on you, and the Foot Clan brings no shortage?? of variety to the rumble.

Turtle power

As more varieties showed up, we had to start varyin??g our tactics and balancing use of our specials. I could T-pose (turtle-pose?) and spin around, using a whirlwind of sai to clear the screen. We needed to make sure we used it well, though.

Helping us out were some power-ups, as specialty pizzas gave us some boons like infinite specials for a limited ti?me. And make no mistake, it wasn't all flashy move??s: the basic brawling of the turtles, their master, and intrepid reporter April O'Neil is solid and fun. Combos can be simple, but I found little ways to mix them up and could see some potential for racking up big combo numbers.

April is a great example of just how TMNT: Shredder's Revenge nails the charm. Her arsenal feels like a mixture of interesting martial arts moves and little vis??ual gags, from her dashing boom-mic attack to her taunt having April bust out a mic and t??alk smack, R. Mika style.

One of my favorite little touches was in one of Apr??il's throw attacks. Players can grab enemies by walking into them, a beat 'em up staple. Once they have someone grappled, they can directionally throw? them, do a damaging throw combo, or chuck the Foot Clan fighter directly into the screen. I guarantee, that never got old.

April's special throw sees her fling an enemy back and forth in a series of slams. And on the last one, she whips out her camera and snaps a shot of the poor, shattered soul she just demolished. The turtle smackdown is full of little charming moments like this: high-fives, neat animations, fantastic tunes, and lots of little touches that make it all feel like a cartoon episode. Add on the return of the original voices from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, and it just clicks.

Cowabunga crew

That's all the ways Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge feels authentic and honest to the legacy. What's also exciting, on top of the fun combat and? fun four-player co-op, is how easy it is to pick up. I mentioned before how the controls are fairly straightforward, and that's a huge benefit to the actual game.

Shredder's Revenge feels easy enough to pick up and play for just about anyone. The buttons and inputs are straightforwa??rd. But the execution still feels good. And if you start digging into the little ways you can extend combos and brawl harder, it feels like there's depth to be found. It's also easy enough to pop on with some friends, with just the right amount of challenge.

It might sound weird to say, but TMNT: Shredder's Revenge was just what I was hoping it'd be, playing it at PAX East. It meets expectations. And when those expectations are a classic-feeling animated brawler, Shredder's Revenge is clearing a good bar. Hopefully the ful??l version stic??ks the landing.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is set to slam Nintendo Switch and PC sometime ??this ??year.

The post PAX: TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is the retro brawler I hoped it would be appeared first on Destructoid.

There's also a reasonable $40 standard edition

How much money is too much money to drop on a limited edition game? Well, plenty of us are stoked about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, but are we "pay $150 for a collector's edition" stoked? I can see the crowd dispersing? alread?y.

Konami showed off the TMNT collector's box today across PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch and opened pre-orders at retailers like Best Buy and Target.

Priced at a steep $150, this limited edition release of TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection includes a physical copy of the game, a 16" by 24" cloth poster, a 4.5" by 5" layered acrylic diorama, five enamel pins, 12 translucent trading cards, and a 5.5" by 8" 180-page artbook with "a chapter dedicated to each of the 13 ga?mes in the compilation." That said, the lack of a cool soundtrack inclusion in this set will be a deal-breaker for s?ome fans.

Maybe you'll just stick to the digital copy, but the allure of a physical version is pretty strong here given some of the beloved games in this compilation like Turtles in Time. Thankfully, there's a standard edition, too �it'll be available for $40. Among other retailers, Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Switch.

[caption id="attachment_317432" align="aligncenter" width="640"] _{Nintendo Switch box art for the standard physical copy of TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection.}[/caption]

What about pizza?

My favorite part of all of this: someone asked about a possible Pizza Hut coupon in the game's customer Q&A? section on ?Amazon.

I see you, and I get you.

To not-so-quickly recap, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection comes with a bunch of games —Â?strong>TMNT (arcade), Turtles in Time (arcade + SNES), TMNT (NES), TMNT II (NES), TMNT III (NES), Tournament Fighters (NES + SNES + Genesis), The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis), Fall of the Foot Clan (Game Boy), Back from the Sewers (Game Boy), and Radical Rescue (Gam??e Boy) â€?so it should be a damn good time. I almost can't believe it's real.

If you're curious about the artbook (I am!) and are skipping the ??collector's box, the g?ame itself will have "never-before-seen development art, sketches, and game design material."

The post TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection has a $150 physical collector’s box appeared first on Destructoid.

It's even got Tournament Fighters for NES

Though it's looking great, Shredder's Revenge isn't the only game to look forward to this year for brawler fans. A wide-ranging TMNT compilation is also on the way, as announced during today's State of Play. Konami tapped Digital Eclipse for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, a package containing arcade, console, ??and handheld titles.

//youtu.be/R-78FD9xvc0

What retro games are included? Essentially, all of them. There's "13 console and arcade games and their regional versions," which spans Turtles in Time, The Hyperstone Heist, the NES games, the Game Boy games, and multiple versions of Tournament Fighters. Strap in:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)

The arcade inclusions �Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time �will let "you and up to three friends have the arcade experience at home on your couch or online," according to Konami. "The 8-bit TMNT II: The Arcade Game, TMNT III: The Manhattan Project, and the 16-bit TMNT IV: Turtles in Time, and The Hyperstone Heist will also have all the local multi-player fun of y??esteryear."

"Additionally, never-before-seen development art, sketches and game design material?? will ??also be included."

We're dipping back into the 8- and 16-bit era, which is a partially comfy, partially nerve-wracking time for TMNT games. Thankfully, that's where modern features ??can lend ??a hand.

"Combined with Rewind and Save Anytime, we're designing custom game guides harkening to the aesthetic of the video game magazines from the '80s and '90s to help get players through some of those notoriously tricky parts," notes Konami senior pro?ducer Charles Murakami. "You know wh??at we’re talking about!" That damn dam level.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection will launch on PS4, PS5, S?team, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 202??2. It's $40, and it'll have a physical edition.

As much as I don't li??ke modern-day Konami, at least w?e're still getting retro collections.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabung?a Collection is pure?? nostalgia appeared first on Destructoid.

Channel 6 Smackdown

Ah, I knew it. As part of today's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, Dotemu released a new trailer for its upcoming retro-styled brawler TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, revealing that everybody's favorite jump-suited reporter, April O'Neil will be joining the Heroes in a Hal?f-Shell as a fully playable ch??aracter.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RfrrEF1VLo

A new trailer, which you can check out above, sees April in action as she slaps around the Foot Clan alongside her boys in green. We also got to see a few new fun features, such as the ability to resurrect fallen allies with pizza, and the first appearance of classic TMNT villain, Rat King. The original TMNT: Shredder's Revenge trailer also featured a ??clip of Master Splinter kicking ass, and only a fool would bet against the rodent sens??ei also joining the roster before long.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is currently in development for PC and Nintendo Switch, with ??a 2022 release date.

The post April O’Neil confirmed playable in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge appeared first on Destructoid.

It also has Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo

There are two big shows each year you can depend on Arcade1Up bringing its A-game to. The first is CES, where earlier this year, the company announced its Killer Instinct cabinet. The second is E3. In the past, Arcade1Up has used the event to reveal some incredible units, like when it announced the Pole Position Atari Star Wars cabinet, complete with an X-Wing controller. This year's show is a bit more subdued. After announcing The Simpsons earlier this week, Arcade1Up is pulling back the curtain on a trio of new units, including its third Street Fighter II arcade cabinet.

Dubbed "Big Blue," this latest SFII cabinet will feature 12 games in total, including three versions of the classic one vs. one fighter. It'll also include three games from the Darkstalkers series, making it one of the better fi?ghting game cabinets Arcade1UP has rele??ased.

Previously, the company released a Street Fighter II arcade cabinet with 12 games and a black livery. The line-up of games is different here, however, there are a few repeating titles. Speaking of repeating titles, Arcade1Up is also announcing new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Ms. Pac-Man cabinets. The full list of cabinets and include?d games are below.

• Street Fighter II "Big Blue"
  • Street Fighter II Champion Edition
  • Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
  • Super Street Fighter II: Turbo
  • Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo
  • Darkstalkers
  • Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge
  • Darkstalkers 3
  • Saturday Night Slam Masters
  • Knights of the Round
  • Eco Fighters
  • Capcom Sports Club
  • Muscle Bomber Duo
• Turtles in Time 4-Player Cabinet
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
• Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga "Class of '81"
  • Ms. Pac-Man
  • Galaga
  • Dig Dug
  • Mappy
  • Rally X
  • Galaxian
  • Rolling Thunder
  • Rompers
  • Tower of Druaga
  • King and Balloon
  • Dig Dug II
  • Galaga '88

All three units will feature wi-fi, which was missing from the first TMNT cabinet. Pre-orders for Big Blue and Turtles in Time being on July 1, while the Class of '81 cabinet wil?l go on pre-order starting in August?.

The post The ??newest Arcade1Up Street Fighter II cabinet has three Darkstalkers games appeared first on Destructoid.

Who is your favorite?

As part of yesterday's Nintendo Indie World live stream, publisher Dotemu confirmed that it would be bringing its cool-looking brawler Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge to the Switch platform. The?? announcement was accompanied by a new trailer giving us a quick look at o??ur half-shell heroes in action.

The nostalgia-fueled beat-'em-up will see the TMNT team go up against classic enemies from the hit comic-book and TV series, including Bebop and Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, the Triceratons. All of this will lead to a one-way trip to Dimension X, and a confrontation with the turtles' arch-nemesis, Shredder. The new trailer did not, unfortunately, confirm any of the whispers that April O'Neil and Master Splinter will be making their presence fe??lt as playable characters - but developer Tribute Games?? notes that there is "more to come".

With an aesthetic that turtley captures Konami's classic arcades  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel, Turtles in Time, frantic four-player action, the promise of deep combat mechanics, and characterful animation, Shredder's Revenge is already shaping up to be a great time for TMNT fans. I was a little switched off by the "hit" sound effects in this trailer, which seem bland, but this is merely alpha footage. I'm very much looking forwar??d to jum?ping on this with buddies when it finally comes smashing out of the sewers. PIZ-ZA POWER!

_{(No pizza for me I'm allergic to cheese.)}

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge confirmed for Switch with new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Playable characters teased?

Yesterday saw publisher Dotemu come leaping out of the sewers (erm... no offense) with the announcement of a brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade brawler.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is in development for PC and consoles at Tribute Games - a studio not only responsible for the enjoyable Mercenary Kings, but who also houses developers who worked on Ubisoft's great 2010 brawler Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. Powered by this trinity of brand, studio, and frenzied fan nostalgia, it's fair to say that much of the internet lost its collective mi??nd when the trailer dropped yesterday morning.

From the short gameplay teaser, it's clear that TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is hoping to capture the awesome multiplayer action of Konami's 1989's arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 1991 sequel, Turtles in Time. With fans suffering from severe shell-shock at the announcement, there's a few details featured in the traile?r t??hat might've passed them by.

Excitably, the animated prologue features a sequence where April O'Neil lays waste to two Foot Clan suckers, with the Channel 5 news reporter landing a sweet jumping side-kick. This is then followed by a shot of the Turtles' tutor, Master Splinter, ninja-dashing through a sewer tunnel, swinging his walking stick like a maniac. These scenes imply - though this is purely speculation - that both characters might be playable in the new brawler. After all, it's rare for Miss O'Neil to be depicted kicking ass in such a fashion. I certainly hope these icons join the roster, and I'm sure many of you wou?ld agree.

In terms of villains, we get to see The Shredder and his Foot Clan, as well as the gruesome twosome of Bebop and Rocksteady. Also putting in an appearance in? the prologue are doomed scientist Baxter Stockman, a  Triceraton, and a destroyed "Mouser" - Stockman's troublesome, sharp-jawed battle droids. Most notably, during April's close-up, we can see t?he grisly visage of Dimension X ruler Krang, briefly glimpsed on a TV screen behind her.

Perhaps the most surprising appearance of all belongs to Faith No More vocalist and avant-garde musician Mike Patton, whose performance of the TV show's iconic theme soundtracks the trailer. While TMNT is definitely a far cry from the works of Mr. Bungle or Fantomas, the addition of Patton adds a delightful element of... well... insanity to the whole affair.

Dotemu's work with recent releases such as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and the excellent Streets of Rage 4 has afforded them the reputation of retro remake masters. Afforded deep fighting mechanics, fun features, a solid selection of characters, and plenty of fan-pleasing cameos and Easter Eggs, (Casey Jones, anyone?) TMNT: Shredder's Revenge could prove to be the finest digital Turtles release since 1993's Tournament Fighters. One thing's for certain... it's?? going to be a long wait...

Now, if you don't mind, I have to go a??nd start my online petition for Irma DL??C.

The post Ass-kicking April O’Neil, Krang, and Faith No More’s Mike Patton among the rad details in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Tonight I dine on turtle soup

Dotemu has announced a brand new arcade-style brawler starring those Heroes in a Half Shell: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Produced in conjunction with Nickelodeon, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is currently in development at Tribute Games (Mercenary Kings) and looks to capture the fun, chaotic gameplay and nostalgic spirit of Konami's legendary 1989 arca??de beat 'em u?p.

The just-released teaser trailer below sees Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael laying waste to The Foot Clan in colorful, old-sc?hool, arcade action. Also popping up in the preview are punk rock bad dudes Bebop and Rocksteady, as well as The Shredder himself, no doubt up to one of his nefarious, world-conquering schemes. The new adventure will see the totally tubular foursome kicking shell all over New York City, en route to a climactic showdown deep the mysterious Dimension X.

Dotemu is yet to announce platforms or a release date for TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, but the new title is available for wishlisting on Steam and? will be coming to "consoles." For more details, call April O'Neil in on this case, and you better hurry up, there'??s no time to waste. We need help, like quick, on-the-double. Have pity on this city, man, it's in trouble.

The post TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge sees Dotemu revisit the Ninja Turtles’ brawlin’ roots appeared first on Destructoid.

Smitten

Where were you when Tony Hawk landed the 900? Where were you Danny Way jumped over the Great Wall of China? Where were you when I went o?ver the half-pipe, through the secret room, collected the hidden tape, and grinded the q??uarter-pipe along the whole back wall?

Iconic moments in skateboarding history. More iconic than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles skating all over Smite? Tough to say.

Smite's new battle pass launches tomorrow, and it's completely TMNT-centric. We learned about this collaboration last month, and how Hi-Rez Studios is reskinning the Turtles to play the roles of existing gods. We were not prepared for the sheer number of ollies and kickflips and pizza-eating that we'd get.?? Judging by the new trailer that dropped today, I'm not convinced the Turtles will make good on any of the battle arena aspects of MOBA.

And maybe that's why I love this trailer. It's not bogged down in attack stats and roles. There's no minutiae, there's just skateboards and pepperoni. Here are the TMNT Battle Pass update notes for anyone who is inte?rested in the nitty gritty. I'm j??ust here to watch Michaelangelo catch big air over a Fire Giant.

The post Ninja Turtles in Smite means we’re blessed with footage of Michelangelo catching big air over a fire demon appeared first on Destructoid.

I need some four-player hero in a half shell action

Growing up, two of the biggest cartoons in my house were X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Unfortunately, like most shows from my childhood, neither really holds up all that well for me. However, the games spawned from those series absolutely ??do, and soon we'll all get a chance to replay them the way they're meant to be played with new arcade cabinets from Arcade1Up.

The company behind last year's Midway, Capcom, and Atari cabinets is back with two new 3/4 scale, DIY arcade sets. The first is the Capcom Marvel Super Heroes Home Arcade Game, which features: Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men: Children of the Atom, and The Punisher. The second cabinet is the Konami Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Home Arcade Game, which includes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) and Turtles in Time. The Konami cabinet will be the first Arcade1UP set to include four simultaneous players, just like the arc??ade originals.

According to Forbes, the Konami cabinet will retail for around $349 while the Marvel cabinet will go for $299. There is currently no release date for the cabinets, but both will be on display at E3 this week, along with a mysterious third title that will "spark 'A New Hope' in the gamer galaxy."

The post Arcade1Up strikes gold with new X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ?arcade cabinets appeared first on Destructoid.

Purple better than Red. Officially.

[Art by Sapphire]

After three weeks of colourful, ink-splashing warfare, the North American and European Splatoon 2 communities have finally decided, once and for all, who is the greatest Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle.

So, it's official: "Doing machines" is what the?? people want, as Team Ma??rina's Donatello took the 2 - 1 victory over hot-headed badass, Raphael. Once again, the popular vote (53%) went the way of the runner-up, but Donnie bagged both Solo and Team Play points to take tournament glory. Is this an upset? You decide.

Although the TMNT tournament has reached its dramatic conclusion, over in Japan a new battle is just beginning, with round one of the Sanrio character splatfest also in the books. Flag-bearer Hello Kitty defeated Cinnamoroll 2 - 1, despite the latter taking a huge 60% of the public vote. So at least Pearl has something to be stoked about this weekend,

Next week will see My Melody face off against Pompompurin, the winner of which will now face the feline one in the? Grand Finals. But, for now, congratulat??ions are in order for Team Marina and her boy, Donatello. Maybe brains really are better than braun.

The post Splatoon 2’s TMNT splatfest tournament comes to an end, Sanrio tournament has only begun appeared first on Destructoid.

Raphael or Donatello?

After a fortnight of dust-ups, the North American and European Splatoon 2 communities will face-off, one more time, to decide who is the greatest Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle: Raphael or Donatello?

Raphael beat team-leader Leonardo in round one, with Donatello taking the victory over Michelangelo in round two. Interesti??ngly, in both cases, the popular vote went the loser's way, but the eventual winner scored both? Team and Solo Play points.

Pearl is sticking with her original choice of Raphael, while Marina has got Donatello's shell for this Grand Final. Donatello is my favourite TMNT, but I'm still sure that Raph (or "Ralph" as Marina, the dolt, insists on calling him) is gonna take? this tournament. We'll find out in just a couple of days' time.

T??he Raphael vs Donatello splatfest begins this evening in North ?America at 21:00 PT until the same time tomorrow. In Europe, it's shell-time from 15:00 CET until the same time on Sunday. Cowabunga!

The post Who’ve you got in this weekend’s Splatoon 2 TMNT final? appeared first on Destructoid.

Although the vote, once again, went the loser's way

The second round of the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle-themed splatfest ended yesterday. Players in the United States and Europe fought it out on Nintendo's Switch shooter Splatoon 2 to decide who rocked their world more, Michelangelo or Donatello?

Despite Mikey taking a very comfortable 55% of the public vote. Team Donnie pulled back both Solo and Team play points to give the mechanically-minded ninja (an??d team captain Marina) the 2 - 1 victory. I love ya, Pearl, but you had the wrong horse ??in this race, sister.

Donatello will now go on to get destroyed by second finalist Raphael in next weekend's Grand Finals. Incidentally, this is the second time this tourney that the winner of the popularity vote actually lost when it came to match p??oints. Kinda shows how torn the community is when picking their favourite hero in a half-shell (and kinda raises questions about the splatfest system, but shush.)

The Raphael vs Donatello splatfest will begin May 18 in th?e U.S an??d May 19 in Europe.

The post The second round of the TMNT-themed Splatoon 2 splatfest comes to the inevitab?le conclusion appeared first on Destructoid.

Party Dude or Does Machines?

It's time for the next round in Splatoon 2's Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle-themed splatfest. After Cool-but-(C)rude Raphael took the victory over team-leader Leonardo last weekend, this weeken?d will see Michelangelo take on Donatello.

Pearl, showing a rare moment of ?bad takes, is backing the irresponsible Michelangelo, who's more likely to be workin?g on his radical 'tude than covering your shell in battle. Marina has chosen the corner of mechanical whiz Donatello, who is known for his outstanding intellect and having the dullest weapon on the team.

The winning turtle will go on to? face Raphael in the Grand Finals next week. Donatello was my favourite turtle when I was a kid, but I have a feeling Mikey might have this won. This says a lot about the state of today's youth, a??lways chillaxin' and partying with your Instagrams and your... Kardashians.

The TMNT splatfest begins this evening in North America at?? 21:00 PT until the same time tomorrow. In Europe, the battle begins at 15:00 CET until the same time on Sunday.

The able artist Mikey is up against the intelligent inventor Donnie in round two of the @TMNT Splatfest this weekend! The battle begins at 15:00 BST on Saturday in #Splatoon2! Whose side are you on? pic.twitter.com/H9EtZ5qdf9

— Nintendo Versus UK (@NintendoVSUK) May 11, 2018

The post Michelangelo or Donatello? Round two of Splatoon’s TMNT splatfest starts today appeared first on Destructoid.

Defeat the sneak, protect the weak, fight for rights and your freedom to speak

Round one of the first-ever multi-round splatfest has come to an end. The U.S. and European Splatoon 2 communities battled it out this weekend to decide the first finalist in the TMNT-themed tournament.

In what could be considered an upset, team-leader Leonardo won the public poll with a pretty hefty 57% of the votes. However, t??he cool-but-crude Raphael pulled back both Team and ??Solo play points to be declared the overall winner 2 - 1, Raphael will now go on to the Grand Finals in two week's time.

Pearl was stoked, burning katana master "Leo-Nerd-o" while salty Marina showed her true fake-fan colours by referring to Raph as "Ralph". Still, I'm genuinely surprised that Leo took the public vote. I though Raphael would clean sweep t?his whole tourney.

Round two will see Donatello's bo-staff clash with Michelangelo's nunchucks. Fun fact: During the original show's run, here in the UK, every episode was censored to omit all appearance of said nunchucks. This is because, at the time, the weapon was banned from appearing in TV shows and movies. We didn't even get Enter the Dragon uncut until the late '90s.

The Donatello vs Michelangelo splat?fest begins on May 11 in the U.S and May 12 in Europe.

The post The first round of Splatoon 2’s T-U-R-T-L-E powered splatfest concludes appeared first on Destructoid.

Raph vs. Leo

This weekend, U.S. and European players will fight it out in the first ever multi-round splatfest of Nintendo's arena-shooter Splatoon 2. This three-week battle royale is an effort to determine who is the greatest Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle.

Round one will see TMNT's hot-headed warrior Raphael, represented ??in the fun art above by Pearl, take on long-time team leader, the cool-headed Leonardo, who is backed by Off the Hook's plate-spinner Marina. The splatfest begins this evening in North America at 21:00 PT until the same time tomorrow. In Europe, it's shell-time from 15:00 CET until the same time on Sunday.

Next week will pit mechanics-wiz Donatello agains??t party dude Michelangelo, with the winner going on to face this week's winner in the Grand Final the following week. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd be putting all my bottle-caps on Raphael to take the whole thing.

Splatoon 2 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

Cowabunga, dudes! 🍕 This next Splatfest is all about ninja power!

Who's your favourite hero in a half shell: Raph or Leo? Pick a side in #Splatoon2 this Saturday and battle it out from 15:00 (UK time) on 05/05. pic.twitter.com/0BjiBb1EMT

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) April 26, 2018

The post The first round of Splatoon’s TMNT splatfest starts this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

Spoiler: Correct answer is Donatello

Nintendo have announced a partnership with Nickelodeon to bring one of life's most important questions to arena-shooter Splatoon 2. Players in the U.S. and Europe will duke it out in a series of splatfests to decide who is the greatest Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle.

The first round takes place on t??he weekend of May 4 and will see cool-but-crude Raphael take on team leader Leonardo. One week later, party dude Michelangelo will battle it out with Donatello, who does machines. I'll admit it hurts a little to see Pearl side with the wrong choice in that particular face-off.

The winning turtles in both rounds will then square off in the Grand Finals one week later. In the U.S, each splatfest will run from 21:00 PT on the Friday until the same time on Saturday. In Europe?, the splatfests will take place from 15:00 CET on the Saturday until the sam?e time on the Sunday.

Who have you got in this? Although Donatello is my favourite, I'm totally calling an overall victory for edgy bada?ss Ra?ph. In any case, I'm certainly not sure about those character redesigns...

TM??NT? and Nintendo team up for Splatoon 2 splatfests [Nintendo Life]

The post Upcoming Splatoon 2 splatfests ask: Who’s your favourite Ninja Turtle? appeared first on Destructoid.

His home is a little shitty

Justin was like any other kid growing up in the '90s; he idolized the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He spent his Saturday mornings watching the latest episodes before running outside to reenact his favorite scenes. He recalls fond memories of him and his friends forming their own ninja squad and thwarting the evil-doers of their neighborhood. All of that may have been pretend, but art imitates life and Justin turned his idolization of TMNT into a career path.

His passion for the Turtle's saw Justin take up training in various martial arts during his teens. He has studied Karate, Jiu-Jitsu and Hung Gar Fist, among a few others. Justin also joined the wrestling team at his high school, winning a few championships during his amateur career. When applying for colleges, the next logical step was to start looking for ways to protect his neighbors as a career. While being a vigilante w?as a bit outside of his reach, becoming a trai?ned law official was at least a way to realize his dream of being a hero in a legal way.

?"My favorite aspect," Justin recalls, "was the bravery that each turtle showed in the face of adversity. Nothing was too strong for them and the threats that did provide trouble ?were overcome with the power of friendship. That is what I wanted to bring to this city." The city, of course, was the homestead of the Turtle's; New York City.

Having such a familiarity bred appreciation from Justin in his youth. While the cartoon may not have been a 1:1 representation of the streets Justin inhabited, the atmosphere was c??aptured perfectly. Justin studied the way the Turtle's moved and was able to adapt their style w??hile chasing pretend criminals with his friends. This eventually bled over into his career at the NYPD, but something just wasn't right for Justin.

Now 34, Justin has never forgotten the impact that the Turtles h??a?ve had for him. "I eventually became the leader of my own team at the department," Justin recounts, "but we can't always be there. Sometimes, a perp gets away and we're left with no legal recourse. The Turtle's would never stop with 'good enough'."

That last bit is what always nagged at Justin. While the Turtle's confronted every adversity head-on, they never had to consult a police chief or follow the law with such strict ad?herence. Not content with jus??t being a police chief for the NYPD, Justin has left the force and is now building a shelter in the sewers to better emulate his heroes.

"It has taken me roughly 25 years, but I am finally living that? dream," Justin proudly boasts. "Even if my dream is a bit oft-kilter, I'm definitely going to make sure this city gets the protection it deserves." Justin isn't going to let something like the legal system stop him from protecting the citizens of New York.

While I was able to speak with Justin, I wasn't allowed to follow him to his new home in the ??sewers. Some rare photographs have surfaced of Justin prowling through the depths, but no one is certain where his base of operations lies. Whil?e the NYPD considers their former ally as AWOL, my read from our conversation paints a different picture.

Justin is a man with justice in his heart. While he may have taken hi?s devotion to a cartoon show a bit too far, he isn't out to harm innocent civilians. If you are a criminal and are looking to bring harm and decay to New York, Justin has got your number and won't stop in his pursuit of finding you.

Much lik?e his journey to becoming a Ninja Turtle, Justin is determined and won't give up.

The post Meet the man that became a Ninja Turtle appeared first on Destructoid.

Cowabunga and then some

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were definitely the DLC addition everyo?ne was waiting for in Injustice 2 and now they're available to purchase for everyone. They were released for Ult??imate Edition owners a week or so before, and luckily now we know how they wo??rk. 

Each turtle is locked into a specific key gear (equipping Leonardo's swords or Raphael's sais, for example). but each of the key gear is available from the start. Each one also has a core set of special moves, but have little nuances to make them feel like different characters. Leonardo's trait allows you to call in the other turtles for ??a combo starter, Mikey rides his skateboard, and so on. 

The Te?enage Mutant Ninja Turtles run for $9.99, and are available as part of Fighter Pack 3.&?nbsp;

The post The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are now ?available in Injustice 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Knock knock you about to get shell shocked

NetherRealm is definitely saving their oddest and most intriguing Injustice 2 addition for last, as the Teenage Mut?ant Ninja Turtles are ready to throw down later this February (which will most likely get a harder release date during this evening's Twitch stream). 

What's most interesting about this gameplay trailer is how the Turtles will work. It seems that each one is allowed to call out their brothers (whether it limits them is another story) for certain special moves, and that each one even moves differently. Raphael is most likely the bas?e turtle, and the others are premium costumes that change up everything. 

However way this works, I'm all in. 

The post The Teenage ??Mutant Ninja Turtles to party in Injustice 2 later this February appeared first on Destructoid.

Crossovers in a half-shell

With as much teasing Ed Boon tends to do, it's crazy how no one guessed the final guest character in Injustice 2's third wave of DLC would be the friggin' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Being the trailer for the last (as of now) wave of DLC, this one's a little more involved than the other CG ones. It confirms Atom (who we've seen previously), Enchantress (semi-fresh off of Suicide Squad fam??e), and the turtle teens. I'm curious as to whether or not they'll play as a team (a??s mentioned here) or if each turtle is a variation of the gear for a base model turtle. Either way, this is crazy and I can't wait for it. 

Atom hits Injustice 2 first December 12. 

The post The Atom, Enchantress, and t??he Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming to Injustice 2 appeared first on Destructoid.