Anyone familiar with Dotemu’s pedigree won’t be too shell-shocked to hear that the bar of quality has been reset to Turtle Blimp heights in Shredder’s Revenge. This small publisher is known for championing a number of exemplary 2D game remakes. One pertinent example to be the studio’s stellar efforts on Streets of Rage 4 (2023) and its imagine a DLC, Mr. X’s Nightmare.
Within Dotemu’s small stable of studios, the collective understanding of the beat ’em up genre is second to none. Remarkable ability to capture the essence of a classic formula- while also tastefully ‘roiding up with clever twists and modern creature comforts- is really a special technique that few others possess.
Speaking of authenticity, it’s also worth noting farmville bears the entire endorsement of Nickelodeon, holder of the Tv show rights. Any OG who grew up with the first batch recently ’80s Turtles (as well as the ’90s films) will recognise the telltale OCD detailings of a couple of super fans revealed. One has got the unmistakable impression Shredder’s Revenge would be a dream project for they at Tribute Games.
There’s no secret to the ooze that’s been smeared all over this. It’s love.
And what happens represents the additional jellybeans about this pepperoni pizza? All of the original voice actors have returned to quip up bad weather as Leo, Raph, Mikey and Don. The other playable characters-Splinter, April and also the unlockable Casey Jones-don’t sound too much off what your crusty old ears remember, too.
In relation to plot and purpose, this is an original adventure which smartly cherry picks and mutates the very best moments and mechanics from Konami’s watershed TMNT arcade cabinets. Using a top-down overworld reminiscent of the (vastly inferior) Ultra Games turtle titles, you’ll hop around a super deformed NYC and Dimension X. The basic gist: stop Krang, Shred-head and much more or less every major antagonist within the show, from going for a bite from the The big apple.
To thwart them, you have to once more hew through mobs of enemies within an ever rightward push for an end boss, accompanied by a modest pattern memorisation test. There is of course the odd palate cleanse here and there- environmental dangers to dash or leap over, radical hoverboard sections, etc. Having said that, typically you’re here to ruin more Foot than a work experience podiatrist.
On the cheapest difficulty in Story Mode, these fisticuffs can be pedestrian enough to allow anybody reach the final cutscene within 2 . 5 hours. Credits are endless in Story, as well as your stock of person life is generous (and can even reset to “full” for every level attempt). Honestly, smashing through by doing this is a decent training montage to (mostly) grind your fave characters up for any serious run on Gnarly difficulty. It’s even the best way to tick off the trickier mini-cheevos in each level, which typically ask you to kill a set amount of foes with certain techniques.
Be that as it might, the Finish The amount Without Getting [Hit/Knocked Over By Obstacle X] challenges are clearly targeted at very skillful soloists. Because if you’re playing as a group, one turtle’s ruin is applied to any or all. I appreciate that the loners have something difficult to shoot for that will need many a restart and certain gobble up additional hours just like a Mouser does rodents.
When it comes to kicking shell, Shredder’s Revenge clearly has way more depth compared to mashy arcade titles that inspired it. However, it’s not quite as layered as the likes of the almost “side-scrolling Street Fighter” complexity of Streets of Rage 4.
The the very first thing becomes apparent may be the effort Tribute put into making each turtles look and feel unique. Having a simple rating system around the character select screen you will soon gauge who excels in Power, Speed or Range, as well as who’s a good all-rounder.
Hit the mean streets and you’ll quickly spot a lot of other nuances for these amphibians. Subtle differences appear in their various basic moves-like a flashier jump attack, a swifter evade animation, a faster charging ‘heavy’ attack, or perhaps a dash slide which goes farther or trips Foot…uh, feet harder.
This individuality bleeds across into the Special attack maneuvers. These Y button techniques grant you momentary invincibility and crowd control benefits, providing you’ve punched the right path into earning a full ‘Special Bar’ for his or her use. Depending on the character selected, a few of these might flare out with a greater diameter, last slightly longer or permit you to pivot yourself about, like some sort of roaming sai tornado.
Better yet, a few new special techniques (and more health/lives) can be earned through diligent play. The game tracks each character’s kills across multiple playthroughs, having a modest supply of perks and new mechanics unlocking every 200 murders or so. Max out at 2000, and you’ll be considered a fully fledged ninja master with 5 lives, a bigger HP bar, a trebled Super bar and use of these frankly OP slam dunk and dash Specials.
Oh, and you may earn a Radical state which gives you a bodacious afterglow effect and also the capability to deal shellacious damage for some time. It’s greatly as advertised.
Marry the above mentioned having the ability to grab enemies-then either smash them in to the pavement, hurl them in their mates or “out from the screen” entirely as a one-hit KO – and yeah, Shredder’s Revenge is reasonably complex and tons of fun.
While I certainly enjoyed my tell you as “no bros” Leonardo, the game shines brightest like a multi affair. In my 4-player and 6-player playthroughs, communication and collaboration were imperative. In the roiling madness of limbs and technicolour explosions you will sometimes have to ask an ally to operate interference while you spam Taunt to replenishing your Special bar faster. As you’d imagine, talking smack for 2 seconds draws serious AI aggro.
The Foot love to stomp anybody holding LB to revive a completely downed mate. Additionally they interfere whenever you tap LB to high-five two points of your life across to a weakened bro. Cool, camaraderie-enhancing mechanics both.
These moments of goodwill and skill elevate Shredder’s Revenge from the good beat ’em up to a great all for one, one for all hoedown. However, that’s purely the neighborhood expectation you ought to have, where everyone is within physical punching distance. Your experience can vary in an online setting where you’re instructed to lobby in 2 distant friends or *shudder* two Internet randos. I predict the needless pizza theft is going to be from the scale.
Beyond those infuriating moments, I’m confident Shredder’s Revenge will attract a new generation of fans whilst delivering the classic sights and sounds expected of sore eyes. As with every Tribute titles, you’re getting apex level pixel art and animations teeming with references towards the wackiest TV ep plots. It’s clear that they’ve mined the toy line figures/vehicles for gold, too.
Soundwise, it is really an aural injection of sheer, unadulterated Nineties. We’re talking bodaciously boisterous rock anthems and even the odd ninja rap permanently measure (quick props to Wu Tang). That’s all complemented by a few satisfying thwack effects, authentic Turtle boy bantz and people triumphant special move shrieks which accustomed to dominate arcade halls and entice lunch money like a Siren’s song.
Even today, Konami’s Ninja Turtles beat ’em ups are revered, replayed and resold in ridiculous numbers as 1UP branded cabinets. With Shredder’s Revenge, Tribute has studied the blueprints of the best titles this genre produced and expanded and improved upon them in each and every conceivable metric.
Not to turtle wax lyrical, however i reckon your debt it to you to ultimately have this turtle celebration waiting in your collection when ever friends (of all ages group) drop by. It has the universal benefit of pizza and can be partially consumed in sixteen ten-minute slices at a time. More likely, you’ll scarf it all in one binge, multiple times. Possibly while you seek all seven endings. Maybe to get your amhibian arses kicked as you chase the Arcade clear on Gnarly that’s harder than the usual Rock Soldier’s abs.
