There are a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games out there to play. In the mid-'80s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exploded onto the scene. They instantly became one of the top-grossing franchises in the world. It all started in 1984 with a comic book series but soon expanded into other mediums.
Of course, there have been numerous hugely successful movies and television series related to the franchise. However, the franchise also features a long list of classic video games. These games are groundbreaking and ended up becoming bestsellers on multiple generations of consoles. Indeed, the video game series spans several decades and includes some of the best games in history.
Updated on August 17th, 2022 by Melody MacReady: It is quite the time to be a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not only is there a new animated film on Netflix in the form of Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie but 2022 has two video games. In June, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was released as a massive hit for an independent game and on August 30th, fans old and new alike will be able to play some of these classics on modern systems with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.
Now seems like a good time to play all kinds of past TMNT titles just to see how far the four ninja brothers have come since their original debut in arcades and the NES. Multiple titles featured will be playable in The Cowabunga Collection while others are gems that have been released to various receptions over the years.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan (2016)
Embracing a comic book-esque visual style, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan takes on hack-and-slash slash gameplay meant to hark back to the classic games while embracing more modern gameplay. It's clear that the developers had an ambition with their own take on the Turtles' mythos.
Unfortunately, reviews were not kind to Mutants In Manhattan with most fans and critics stating that while the turtles themselves are fun to control and watch; the levels, enemies, and overall structure of the game were a chore to get through.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)
In 1989, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turned their attention to the video game world. Konami created the first game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for Nintendo Entertainment System, which took some inspiration from the 1987 cartoon series but mostly took on its own style.
However, the game received mixed reviews from critics. Regardless, it was a big hit with fans and became one of the hardest games for the original NES; it will also be returning to modern consoles alongside many other TMNT games in The Cowabunga Collection.
T.M.N.T (2007)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise got its first big-budget movie in years with 2007's TMNT and Warner Bros. did everything in their power to make this reboot into the next big Turtles franchise. There was a plethora of toys as well as a video game released for the PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Wii.
Though not terrible, TMNT is a pretty average action game that gets pretty repetitive. It does replicate the darker art style of the movie it's based on rather well. However, it mostly just comes off as a cheap movie-licensed game more than anything.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up (2009)
In 2009, the TMNT franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary and UbiSoft released the fighting game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up for Playstation 2 and Wii to commemorate the occasion. The game was similar to the popular game Smash Bros.
Some fans praised the gameplay, while others felt it wasn't as good as Smash Bros. but for a party experience, there are worse attempts at platform fighters. It has plenty of characters to control, smooth animations, and a solid presentation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
The Ninja Turtles series features various styles of gameplay. However, they specialize in the beat-em-up game. In 2003, Konami returned to the style that gained them so many fans with so many other games in the past. Nonetheless, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles didn't reach the same level as some other games.
It did well with fans, especially since it was based on the 2003 animated series which was another hit for the turtles. Like many games in the early 2000s, it received a companion game for the GameBoy Advance.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (2013)
With no connection to the live-action movie of the same title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is another case of clear care from the independent developers. The visual style and design for the four turtles were unique with a lot of love and care put into this revamp of the mythology.
Though critics were not fond of the game, Out Of The Shadows did slowly gain a cult following as many appreciated what the game did on such a lot budget. It mixes action and stealth, giving each Turtle a unique gameplay style.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (1992)
In 1992, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project hit stores and was an instant success. Indeed, it's considered one of the best games of 1992. It was built off on the success of the first two games.
Konami took what worked about the first two games and then simply expanded upon them while improving on all the flaws. This third game took on more of the style of the critically acclaimed 1987 animated series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Legends (2012)
Mobile games are not everyone's cup of tea. However, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Legends is one that hardcore fans of the TMNT franchise should at least try out. It is based on the 2012 Nickelodeon series, and it has the biggest roster of playable characters in the franchise.
TMNT Legends features heroes such as the turtles themselves, Casey, April, Splinter, alternate versions of the Turtles, and more as well as villains from across the many seasons of the show. It's a turned-based RPG in the same vein as the very successful and character-filled Marvel STRIKE Force, so there is a lot of grinding as well as fun to be had.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (1992)
While the SNES had Turtles In Time, the Sega Genesis received its own exclusive TMNT game in the form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist. It reuses many of the same assets and gameplay from Turtles In Time to create an often forgotten yet still strong entry in this franchise.
In 1992, Konami released one of their most successful titles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist. Konami created the game for Sega Genesis to rave reviews. It will be getting its first re-release outside the Genesis library with The Cowabunga Collection.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (1991)
Konami released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers to widespread praise. The game was a huge hit and built off of the first game in the GameBoy series. It may not be on the same level as the first GameBoy game, but it was still considered a quality sequel.
This would begin a confusing franchise where there were technically two different timelines of Turtles games. One on the consoles and the other on handhelds, but where most GameBoy counterparts lack in quality, the TMNT handheld games proved to be worthy entries in this franchise.
