Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Multi)
By: Tribute Games
BEFORE comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird slapped bandanas on the humble turtle, its contribution to entertainment involved waiting for death beside a plastic palm tree.
From satirical comic book to successful toy-line and cartoon to a string of god-awful movies, it's been quite the ride for Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. Unique among superheroes in that they live among human excrement, our salmonella-ridden sewer dwellers have long held a special place in the lard-caked hearts of ageing gamers – and now the pizza-munching quartet are back in a gorgeous-looking slice of half-shelled nostalgia.
A tribute to the classic side-scrolling arcade brawlers of the 80s and 90s, from the moment that theme tune kicks in (co-written by Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre, fact fans), Shredder's Revenge will have you in its kung-fu grip.
A sequel-in-all-but-name to the legendary 30-year-old arcade giant Turtles in Time, Shredder's Revenge takes its cue from the golden age of the side-scrolling beat 'em up as players amble left to right, smacking baddies about.
In story mode you'll negotiate levels on a cutesy map, upgrading your turtle by gathering points. For a more hardcore challenge, though, arcade mode apes coin-op rules, forcing players to complete the game in one sitting and with limited credits.
Amid a flurry of acrobatics and combat, our Renaissance artist-named reptiles dole out combo-rich justice with terrapin-point accuracy. A wealth of combos, throws and special moves can be used to despatch pretty much every villain of note from the extended Turtles universe: from Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady to Chrome Dome, Wingnut, and Slash.
Boss battles provide a rare challenge in its four-hour jaunt, but it's in multiplayer where Shredder's Revenge shines, with up to six (six!) players taking on the Foot Clan at once.
Though retro in design, never have the old arcade side-scrollers looked – or sounded – this good, with a searing pixelart palette and many of the original cartoon voice cast lending their ageing pipes to those iconic roles.
Distinct animations are lavished on the main players, while its vibrant backgrounds are crammed with Easter eggs for a game bursting with more passionate nods and winks than a dirty old man with a tic.
Given this is a licensed game, its amphibious fisticuffs could have been the proverbial turtle's head, but Shredder's Revenge offers a pizza slice of retro arcade thrills that's well worth shelling out for.