Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Windows, Linux

There aren’t many games that lovingly recreate the vibe of yesteryear while maintaining a modern feel, but Tribute Games’ TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge does that with aplomb. A 2D side-scrolling brawler that takes plenty of inspo from Konami’s TMNT beat-em-ups (particularly 1991’s Turtles in Time) Shredder’s Revenge is a blast from the past in the best way possible. With all four Ninja Turtles at your disposal—alongside playable characters like Casey Jones, April O’Neil, Master Splinter, and more via DLC—you and some friends (in local or online co-op) go around beating the brakes off Foot Clan and various iconic villains to save New York City from chaos.

It’s a pretty basic narrative setup that gives way to a fighting game that feels and looks as retro as it does modern. From the Turtles’ personalities shining through the vivid pixel art to the crunchy combat that gives the characters some heft, Shredder’s Revenge leans into nostalgia while carving out its own identity, adding upgradeable stats and unlockable moves to add more depth to combat throughout one, or multiple, playthroughs. Sure, the core concept—moving from left to right, pummeling goons till you make it to the boss, rinse and repeat—might grow stale across the game’s 16-level campaign, but the execution is so skillful that the sameness is never much of a deterrent. It’s like the most basic meal prepared in the best way. In that regard, Shredder’s Revenge is truly heckin’ dope. — Levi Winslow