I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow ’90s cartoons and sidescrolling arcade brawlers. So it was with some excitement that I fired up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, a modern follow-up to Konami’s arcade & SNES hit Turtles in Time. It’s an exercise in targeted nostalgia, opening with a fully animated intro, a cover of the Saturday morning theme song, and even the return of the original voice cast – albeit with 30 years of added rasp to their voices.
That’s a strong first impression and a tough one to live up to, but I’m happy to say that developer Tribute Games has managed to recapture that classic spark, even if it’s sometimes at risk of being snuffed out by a few attempted modernisations that don’t fully deliver.
Putting its strongest two-toed foot forward, Shredder’s Revenge is an absolute joy to look at and listen to. Even with most of the game taking part in New York, each environment feels distinct, with the graffiti-daubed streets outside the TV station (where the bad guys have painted the word ‘Foot’ over any sign where it’d make sense, plus a few where it doesn’t) leading to a chase down broadway, a grungy sewer crawl, a trip to the zoo, and beyond. The backdrops rarely repeat, impressive considering this game’s about four times the length of Turtles in Time, and far more detailed.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of PC Gamer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2022 edition of PC Gamer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
JET SET RADIO
A vibrant Tokyo-like city with an anti-establishment attitude.
BLUE DAWN
INTEL graphics cards have become a genuine contender. How, and why?
WIRELESS GAMING MICE
I challenge you to spot the difference between these wireless rodents and their wired counterparts.
FOILED AGAIN
EN GARDE! is a brief yet riotous piece of swashbuckling nostalgia
PURE MAGIC
BALDUR'S GATE III is a dream RPG that was worth the 23-year wait
THE BEST MECH GAMES ON PC
From anime mecha to rusty 100-ton war machines, the best mech games for giant robot lovers
MECH MY DAY
MECHWARRIOR 5: CLANS is bringing a narrative focus and intricate, handcrafted missions back to the storied series.
HOMEWORLD 3
The space RTS aims to please with its War Games mode
LORDS OF THE FALLEN
World-hopping glow-up
WARHAMMER 40K: SPACE MARINE 2
Chaos is winning right now, I fear