There are tons of great comic book franchises that spawned excellent video games, and one of the best is easily the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The comics and cartoons were ideally suited for video game adaptations, especially in the side-scrolling beat-’em’-up genre, and there have been some fantastic TMNT games released over the years. Everyone has their favorites, but we wanted to take an objective look at the franchise’s gaming history to find the five best. To do so, we’ve ranked the top five TMNT games based on contemporary critics’ reviews, overall popularity among fans, and sales.
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5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a 2022 beat-’em-up that’s based on the 1987 cartoon (a common trend). Gameplay involves taking control of one of the four Turtles or one of their allies in a fight to stop Shredder from taking over New York City. The game was released to widespread critical acclaim, receiving praise for its homage to classic arcade-style beat-’em-ups of the 1990s. It was also touted for its player roster, combat mechanics, and overall style, becoming a huge success. Since its release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has seen several updates, including new playable characters and game modes.
4) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The first arcade game in the franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was released in arcades in 1989. The side-scrolling beat-’em-up sees the Turtles go up against Shredder and his goons across various levels. It allowed for four-player simultaneous play as one of the four Turtles, and included plenty of references to the cartoon, including numerous characters and settings. It was one of the most successful arcade games of the early 1990s, gaining a significant following. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was ported to several consoles and has been re-released on various platforms. Its success led to a highly successful sequel.
3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters is actually three different games developed by Konami for the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo Entertainment System. The best version is undoubtedly the one released on the SNES, and it (along with the others) has been re-released. As the title implies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters is a fighting game, which is apt for a franchise about four martial artists, and it’s a blast to play. The game took the franchise in a new direction, moving it from its beat-’em-up roots into a genre that includes some of the best games of all time, such as Street Fighter II.
2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist was released in 1992 on the Sega Genesis. The side-scrolling beat-’em-up sees the TMNT going up against Shredder after he takes possession of the Hypersone from Dimension X, threatening to take over the world. Much of the gameplay follows that of Turtles in Time, including its soundtrack, which is almost identical. The enemies are more challenging in this game, and it consists of five levels. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist received widespread praise upon release, despite some complaints about its short length, and it remains a classic of the era.
1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is the second arcade game to feature the TMNT, and it’s widely considered to be one of the greatest adaptations of the titular team. The side-scrolling beat-’em-up sees the TMNT going up against Shredder, who sends them through a time warp, where they must battle his goons across time to save the day and return the Statue of Liberty to Liberty Island, defeating Shredder in the process. It’s easily one of the franchise’s greatest games, and it has been re-released multiple times across various consoles over the years.
What’s your all-time favorite TMNT game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
