Cowabummer, Dude…
HIGH It always feels great to play my boy Donnie…
LOW …But bland gameplay and repeated voice lines test that theory.
WTF What’s with these Slendermen-looking dudes?
Over the past few years, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have seen a revival in the videogame scene via the wonderful Shredder’s Revenge and the classics of the Cowabunga Collection. Now we have another port to modern systems, 2017’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Raw Thrills.
For nearly its entire history as a videogame franchise, the TMNT series has consisted of mostly beat-’em-ups, and this one is no exception. Wrath of the Mutants is a 2.5D side-scrolling beat-’em-up where players must traverse levels while engaging with Shredder and Krang’s forces.
There are six stages in total (five are selectable from the start) and fans will be glad to know that classic areas such as the New York City streets and the Technodrome are here. Being able to pick my own path in any order was nice and they’re all fairly short, with two boss fights each. Classic enemies like Bebop, Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, Foot soldiers and more show up, along with some enemies from the 2012 TV series, like Krang’s robots. A couple of the levels also borrow elements from older titles, like the sewer surfing section of Turtles in Time, where the crew fought aliens while riding surfboards.
No matter which area they’re in, the turtle boys will cut ’em no slack while finding various powerups that help in the fight. These range in effect, but usually clear the current screen of enemies by summoning Leatherhead or Metalhead to attack enemies, allow the use of temporary special moves such as a spinning attack with Donatello’s bō, add energy to the special attack meter and so on.
These screen-clears helped out when there are lots of enemies on screen, but… they’re everywhere. The frequency at which they can be fired off had the impact of making Wrath a bit too easy, and in fact, I never felt like I was in much danger. With powerups constantly spawning, it was simple to keep clearing out foes. As a result, play felt unbalanced. With fewer of these across each level, the challenge would be elevated a bit.
In addition, there isn’t any nuance to the combat — only a standard attack, jump, and defensive move. This made the action repetitive and dull, and I was wishing for something to spice it up, like contextual inputs that might trigger different actions based on the situation. Without anything else in the formula, it’s just slapping (mostly) one button and jumping occasionally.
Likewise, enemies are unintelligent. If I set a trap, they’d run headlong toward it, rather than trying to avoid it. There’s also no flanking of any kind. Some enemies shot projectiles to change things up, but they were fairly uncommon. More variety in the enemies and going up against a wider array of gimmicks would have been a nice inclusion.
There also isn’t any plot to speak of until after the final boss has been defeated. Yep, Wrath saves all of its story for the absolute end of the game. Even in the earliest TMNT arcade entries, there was a basic plot driving the characters forward. Here, it’s absent for… no reason? A brief story segment would have been a nice treat to get the end of each level, at the very least.
One good thing about Wrath is that the characters are voiced by the actors from the 2012 version of the TV series. Rob Paulsen, my favorite of the bunch, voiced my main man Donatello (he also voiced Raphael in the original 1987 series) so it was nice to hear him again. However, the same voice sampled phrases and catchphrases are repeated over and over, to the point that they become irritating.
Unfortunately, Wrath of The Mutants also falls down in the one most crucial aspect that a beat’-em-up has to nail — replayability. The campaign is quick, just an hour or so, and there aren’t any extra characters to find or unlock. Where are Splinter, Casey Jones, and April? Where are the bonus goodies, extras or anything that might make someone go through this mediocre experience again? The only thing unlocked after beating the campaign on normal is a hard mode. These omissions feel like a huge missed opportunity to enhance the appeal of this re-release, and it further underlines the sense that Wrath is a quick port of a barebones arcade title. For $30 at launch, I expect more.
When compared to all the love the Turtles have been receiving lately, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants feels like a big step backward. The gameplay is dull and offers little variation, the prevalence of screen-clears highlight the poor combat design, and there’s no real replayability or any rewards to encourage players to come back. Wrath? It’s more like a whimper.
Rating: 3 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Cradle Games and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is currently available on PS4/5, XBX/S, Switch and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PC. Approximately 1 hour was devoted to the game, and it was completed. There is an online co-op multiplayer mode.
Parents: This game has an ESRB rating of E for Fantasy Violence. The rating summary states: “This is an action game in which players control Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles through levels of enemies. As players attempt to foil Shredder’s evil plans, they use various weapons (katanas, staffs, nunchuks) to defeat cartoony enemies (e.g., soldiers, droids, mutant creatures) in beat-em-up-style fighting. Characters can also use special attacks (e.g., tornadoes, fiery blasts, electric surges) to inflict wider damage. Some enemies can shoot stylized lasers, flames, or energy bursts at players’ character.”
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind options.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: The game offers subtitles. Subtitles cannot be resized. There are no audio cues needed for successful gameplay. This game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.
