Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

With a license this beloved, there was no room for error. It only takes a few minutes to realize that the developers did their homework. As the trailers promised, the game offers everything a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan could want: a full roster of fan favorites (April O’Neil, Splinter, and Casey Jones are playable) and each Turtle’s signature weapon (katanas, sais, bo staff, and nunchucks).

To take down the Foot Clan’s ninjas, the Turtles can use anything within reach: a wooden cane, a microphone, a hockey stick, and other everyday objects. They can also make use of their surroundings (parking meters, shopping carts, fire hydrants, explosive barrels) to catch enemies off guard. And of course, each Turtle has the signature moves fans know and love.

Shredder’s Revenge is easy to pick up, and its fast-paced combat is fun from the get-go. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a beginner, there’s a lot to enjoy. Newcomers can even rely on a tutorial to learn each move. You’ll need it: the Foot Clan has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Fortunately, pizzas scattered along the way restore your health bar. The game can be played solo, but it really shines in co-op, with up to six players teaming up either on the same screen or online.

Beyond its roster of iconic characters, the game is a visual treat. On top of all the nods to past titles, including the excellent Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo, the developers opted for a pixel art style. The result is gorgeous: Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and their companions move through striking settings (Central Park, Manhattan, the Technodrome, and more) with silky-smooth animation. The visual effects are just as impressive. Add the game’s ever-present humor and Tee Lopes’ standout soundtrack, and Shredder’s Revenge makes a strong impression. With its 16 levels, progression inspired by the NES games (complete with a map system), a range of challenges, and a great atmosphere, Dotemu’s game holds its own against the classic Turtles games.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a paid game on PC and consoles. The standard edition includes the full game, while the Ultimate Edition adds the two expansions released after launch. Dimension Shellshock makes Usagi Yojimbo a playable character and adds a Survival mode, while Radical Reptiles brings in two more playable characters, Mona Lisa and Mondo Gecko. Both expansions can also be bought separately. On Steam, the Soundtrack Edition bundles the game with its original soundtrack and an album of remixes, and another bundle pairs it with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, a roguelike also starring the Turtles.

The mobile version, released by Playdigious, works differently. It’s free to download and lets you try the game before unlocking the full adventure with a one-time in-app purchase. This version also includes both expansions, which become available as you progress.

If you’d like to go back to where it all began, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is the obvious choice. Developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Konami, this compilation brings together 13 classic Turtles games originally released in arcades and on the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy. This includes the arcade original, Turtles in Time, The Hyperstone Heist, and Tournament Fighters. Many of the beat ’em ups that inspired Shredder’s Revenge are here, enhanced with modern features such as the ability to save at any time, a rewind function, button remapping, and online play for some titles. The collection also includes an archive of concept art, sketches, and vintage TMNT media. It’s available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Also published by Dotemu, Streets of Rage 4 revives SEGA’s legendary beat ’em up series more than 25 years after Streets of Rage 3. Co-developed by Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games, it brings back Axel, Blaze, and their allies to clean up the streets of Wood Oak City, this time with hand-drawn visuals and combat that’s both accessible and deep. Nostalgic players can also unlock retro versions of characters from the original trilogy, complete with their 16-bit sprites. Up to four players can team up locally, or two online. The Mr. X Nightmare expansion adds three playable characters, including Shiva and Max Thunder from earlier installments, as well as a Survival mode with randomly generated runs. The game is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

If you’re in the mood for retro action of a different kind, The Messenger is a 2D action platformer that will appeal to anyone who loves pixel art and ninjas. Developed by Sabotage and published by Devolver Digital, it follows a young ninja who must cross a cursed world to deliver a scroll crucial to his clan’s survival while a demon army besieges his village. What starts as a classic 8-bit action game gradually expands into a time-travel adventure that switches between 8-bit and 16-bit visuals and music, with new abilities, upgrades, hidden levels, and branching paths. The game is laced with humor, and a free expansion, Picnic Panic, adds extra content. Unlike Shredder’s Revenge, it’s single-player only. It’s available on PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.