Initial release date:Â April 23, 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S
Genres: Action game, Fighting game
Developers: Raw Thrills, Cradle Games
Publisher:Â GameMill Entertainment
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants is a side-scrolling arcade beat ’em up game featuring the wisecracking heroes in a half shell. The Turtles are now synonymous with the genre thanks to the arcade classic Turtles in Time and the more recent Shredder’s Revenge. The reptilian quartet is perfect for turning into a straightforward brawler because of its vivid and striking ninjutsu style and strong rogues gallery. Sadly, Wrath of the Mutants should have stayed in the sewers and never surfaced on consoles.
After spending a little over an hour aimlessly slamming through waves of enemy stooges, including Kraangdroids, Mousers, and Foot Soldiers, and swapping up the Turtles along the way, I sat down to write this review. That may set a new record for me, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants only offers that much to see. It’s a simple brawler that has a pizza box-like complexity. An average licensed game that falls short of the original work. Playing on a harder mode or chasing leaderboards won’t make the game any more enjoyable, and even 4-player co-op—a must-have for any arcade-style TMNT game—won’t cut it.
Which order—descending or alphabetical—would you prefer the list to be in?”
While other Turtles arcade games have a distinct personality, Wrath of the Mutants seems like any other beat-em-up game, dressed in green and accessorized with a colorful bandana. As one of the four Turtle brothers, you will use simple one-button combinations, monotonous power-ups, and reskinned environment-based throwable weaponry to wreak havoc on your opponents. Every hit you land adds to your character of choice’s “Turtle Power” meter and creates a combination. This initiates a unique area-effect attack when it is engaged. Wash again. Repeat. Although there may seem to be small variations amongst each Turtle, these don’t really add up to much variety. The only physical and tactical differences between the brothers are their selected weapon and voice, which are supplied by the actors in the program, and their special attack, which is functionally the same but has a distinct appearance.
Regarding the game’s environments, the same thing is practically true. Wrath of the Mutants, albeit lacking polish, does a respectable job of emulating the look and feel of the 2012 Nickelodeon animated series. Wrath of the Mutants is an enhanced port of the 2017 arcade game of the same name. It transports the brothers from the gritty streets of New York City to the pink, futuristic Dimension X, with six more bosses and three more levels than the original game. The game is definitely getting on in years; it looks especially archaic for a PS5 game. Not only are Leo, Don, Mikey, and Raph easily identifiable by the color of their bandanas, but several character models do appear a little rough in close-up. Having said that, it isn’t all that significant in the big picture. It’s also important to keep in mind that the game wasn’t created with home consoles and the scrutiny associated with console gaming in mind at first. Unfortunately, I can’t overlook too many of its flaws, and the gameplay is ultimately somewhat boring, made worse by some of the more clumsy, stiffer, and slower animations.
It stinks to have feet!
Despite all of the problems, Wrath of the Mutants did occasionally make me grin because I am a huge TMNT fan. Tributes to iconic TMNT titles like as the sewer surfing scene, Krang shooting lasers at you while you’re in the environment, and adversaries hurling themselves at the screen are all appreciated; they add a touch of tenderness to what otherwise seems like a somewhat lifeless licensed computer game. Even though the soundbites were monotonous, I enjoyed hearing the original cast of the show perform. It’s another attempt to honor the source material where it could, even though it may not come close to capturing the essence of the program or its characters. Last but not least, I liked the variety of TMNT 2012 villains that were used as bosses. Typical characters are Bebop & Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, and Shredder. But Wrath of the Mutants is one of the only games that features enemies like Tiger Claw and Fishface, so I guess that counts for something.
It’s possible to argue that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is experiencing a cultural comeback, fueled by a terrific new film, multiple critically praised comic book runs, the 40th anniversary of the series, and—most significantly for this discussion—some excellent video games. Because of this, it’s difficult to avoid seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants—which runs for an hour and costs an absurd £24.99—as a cynical money grab.
Even if you adore the original work or the TMNT franchise, Wrath of the Mutants isn’t a good enough game or of high enough quality to warrant playing. Rewatch the show if you’re in need of another fast fix for Turtles; the 2012 run is sadly underappreciated.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants is lacking in both content and quality – a cynical console port of an ageing arcade game, which does right by neither the source material nor the fanbase.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 78%
Story – 75%
Aesthetics – 80%
Content – 70%
Accessibility – 72%
Value – 75%
Overall Rating – 75%
Good
Summary: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants is a cynical console port of an aging arcade game that falls short in terms of quality and content, neither in terms of the fandom nor the source material.