After the well-received Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Konami returned to the games that sparked that title’s success. A dose of nostalgia and straighRemove term: family game family gameRemove term: tmnt tmntRemove term: the cowabunga collection forward beat-them-up gameplay rests on a vast legacy of previous Ninja Turtles games dating back to the late ’80s/early ’90s, which almost every gaming community member who is now in their late 30s (or older) has encountered.
As TMNT is a game based on a comic book, you should check out other games inspired by books.
The Cowabunga Collection certainly isn’t the first reissue of some of these Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, or Game Boy classics. Still, it is undoubtedly the most comprehensive edition, with plenty of additional details and content to delight fans of the TMNT franchise and the games themselves.
The Return of Classics in The Cowabunga Collection
The Cowabunga Collection brings an impressive number of classic TMNT games. The oldest two come from the distant 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the NES and the arcade version, which differs enough from the console version to deserve a separate entry. One of the significant differences is that it offers online multiplayer, one of the major novelties in the collection that allows us to engage in cooperative beat-up gameplay with other enthusiasts online.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game from the NES and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan from the Game Boy are the next two games from 1990, with the Game Boy game (logically) lacking support for any multiplayer gameplay, like all the other Game Boy games in this offering.
So, What Does the Cowabunga Collection include?
The collection includes two games from 1991, the arcade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (with online multiplayer) and the sequel to the first Game Boy game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers. The period from 1992 to 1994 was undoubtedly the richest in TMNT games, starting in 1992 with the NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project and the first game for the Super Nintendo, one of the most famous titles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist from the Sega Genesis.
In 1993, the last instalment of the Game Boy series came with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue, and the previous three games were fighting games, somewhat (un)successful attempts to capture the popularity of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat with the Super Nintendo game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters and a different version for Sega Genesis, and the SNES version released in 1994.
Which Version Has Multiplayer?
Of all these versions, only the Super Nintendo version has online multiplayer. Each of these games also has its Japanese version, which differs in name and some details in the execution of the game, but they are also available in the collection. It sounds confusing, but the nicely crafted menus and even the booklets included in the packaging of these games, which we can browse through, explain the whole collection.
The New Features of The Cowabunga Collection
The new features in the gameplay are the addition of unlimited lives, a rewind function, and the ability to save whenever we want. All of these options the collection offers make these games considerably more straightforward. As far as I remember, they were pretty challenging. Accumulating lives is certainly irresistible, as are the rewind and save functions, allowing for a much more stroll through the history of TMNT games that have undoubtedly left their mark on the genre and many gamers today. Therefore, if you set limits for yourself and restrict the use of these new features, the Cowabunga collection provides a pleasant stroll and exploration of these games.
Just like they did with the museum, a particular part of the game where you can view all the covers, manuals, unseen sketches of games and characters, concept arts, and all sorts of similar curiosities. There are even comic book covers and all the music in these games available for listening.
The Look and Feel
Since it’s not polished and technically advanced in its pixelated form like Shredder’s Revenge, and it’s not challenging either, this collection primarily serves as a reminder, a few smiles, and still extremely enjoyable Turtles in Time sequels that somewhat stand the test of time. Others, especially Game Boy games, are sometimes somewhat unplayable, as are the fighting titles that haven’t been intervened with, so we only have them as “those weirder TMNT games” that we’ll check out for half an hour and probably turn off. Although Tournament Fighter has a much greater popularity and legacy in the US than here, it’s undoubtedly a valuable addition, and many who played it almost 30 years ago will indeed play longer.
However, to ensure understanding, this is how you should do it if you’re making a collection. Redo the music where punching the foot clan sounds simply amazing, especially on our Xp-Panther Sand edition headphones. Then, bring all the games in their original form, add online components where possible, adapt the presentation to new 4K monitors and TVs, make gameplay a bit easier, and maybe even showcase some games that many didn’t even know existed or never had the chance to try. After all, not all of us had Game Boy and all those consoles, so it’s time to try out what we missed.
How is Online COOP Play in The Cowabunga Collection?
Online cooperative play is undoubtedly the most significant novelty in this collection, although I would also highlight all the memorabilia I mentioned in the museum. For some, that might even be more valuable than playing cooperatively with one to three strangers, one of whom is always lagging, and more or less all inputs are delayed, or after a while, the connection with others crashes. The online part could have been better, and ultimately, we have to see whether it’s even a crucial component for a game like this.
The most fun was playing with family members, arguing, laughing, and discussing strategies to finally defeat that boss that’s been bothering you for half an hour. Perhaps that’s just me, but regardless, there aren’t many people in online play, nor is online play stable. There’s a significant delay in inputs, and as such, it comes off as an excellent addition but could be better, more stable, and valuable.
In Conclusion
This is the best way to play all the old Ninja Turtles games without any competition. And it’s an excellent example of how to make these collections. There’s little to fault in the Cowabunga Collection, and the physical edition is also valuable and wonderful to have in the eyes of many fans who have deep enough pockets. For others, it’s an excellent return to the past that will, I doubt, keep many captivated for too long.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Cowabunga Collection has an ESRB rating of T for teens as it contains fantasy violence, mild depictions of blood and some mature themes. We don’t feel that any of this is too bad, especially if your little one loves the turtles and watches the shows.
Posted on 25th Mar 2024 by igorthegreat
