Synopsis:
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Collection is a compilation of thirteen Ninja Turtle games covering titles from the Gameboy, NES, SNES, and the Sega Genesis, including a variety of single-player, multi-player and fighting games developed in the late 80s and into the early 90s. 

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Also available for: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Windows

Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Konami

This collection of TMNT games is an excellent follow-up to TMNT: Shedders Revenge, a more recent release in this series of games. My playthrough of TMNT: Shredders Revenge gave me enough nostalgia to make me excited to see these older games on the new consoles. The titles come with a range of features I will discuss later in this review, including the added functions that help with the gameplay on many of these titles. Like with the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Digital Eclipse has gathered thirteen late 80s and early 90s TMNT games, and the collection is unmatched. This collection is hard to discuss in a standard review format, so I will work through each title to make the review easier to read.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) – A single-player top-down RPG overworld style game with platforming levels that link the open world map. Starting as Leonardo, the player can switch between the other Turtles at any time, but if the turtle loses all their health, they are captured by the enemy and will need to be rescued to continue using them. The difficulty in this game is extremely hard, and I became frustrated fast trying to complete this title.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) – The first arcade title in the series sees April O’Neil and Splinter kidnapped and the turtles beginning the chase through Manhattan to save their friend and mentor. This arcade version allows up to four players, each selecting one of the Turtles to play, and each turtle has their play style. Beating each stage leads to a boss battle, and the final battle sees the return of the Turtle’s companions. While the gameplay was fun, I found this title more challenging than I remember in my youth. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES) – Like its arcade cabinet title, this game sees the turtles attempting to rescue April and Splinter. This title was changed up a little when ported to the NES, including a couple of new levels and boss battles. This title also restricts gameplay to a maximum of two players. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Gameboy) – This game introduces the first portable TMNT game and is based on the 1987 TV series. A basic game with the player progressing through five stages and the ability to choose the starting stage. The platformer sees the player select one of the four turtles, and the story revolves around saving April and defeating Kang and other bosses at the end of each stage. This game was one of the more accessible titles. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade) – The follow-up to the previous arcade game and one of the better in the collection. Adding a variety of new attacks, stages, and up to four-player co-op makes this an excellent game for friends and family to enjoy. The progressively harder difficulty of the game also makes it a challenge to complete. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (Gameboy) – The second game in the handheld series learns much from the previous game. Improvements can be found in the gameplay, adding more depth to the game, changing the character choice before the level, and changing the formula, to make for a more enjoyable game.   

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) – This title introduces a few new elements, including allowing different attack types, specials, and throwing attacks. The story elements have Manhattan being stolen along with the turtle’s long-time friend April. This game also features eight stages, each with a unique boss to defeat and a few new ones introduced. I found myself struggling a bit with this game but loving the sprites and colours of the game. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES) – The first title brought to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and easily the most enjoyable of the bunch. This port is very close to the original arcade release seeing stages and assets pulled directly from the original arcade game. While also adding and expanding the game to make it longer and generally a more fun experience. Having a buddy to join the two-player co-op makes it a more manageable title to play.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis) – The Sega version of Turtles in time, ported to the Sega and changing elements in the game to make it feel different. The creation of a new story for our shelled pals to battle through; this game is more fun to play with a buddy, as the game’s difficulty can sometimes take a toll.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Gameboy) – The collection’s third and final Gameboy game. This time taking control of Michelangelo in a bid to rescue the other turtles as well as their mentor Splinter and friend April. This platformer introduces new elements, with each turtle having a unique ability needed to finish the game and a new addition to the health system involving pizzas. The game respawning of enemies also makes it harder to get through unencumbered. This title takes elements from the Metroid series to shake things up. I quite enjoyed these new elements, even while taking many beatings from the game. 

The final three games of the collection were my least favourite, I am usually a fan of fighting games, but for the life of me, I was unable to progress in these games, which brought me much frustration. While all three share the same title, each system’s games were drastically different. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES) – This game’s story mode sees the Turtles facing off against each other and a few other opponents to see who is best suited to take on the Shredders challenge. The game also includes a versus mode, the choice to challenge a CPU or second player, and a tournament mode. There is also an option mode where the player can choose the speed and difficulty of the CPU opponent. Gameplay is straightforward, with matches having three rounds, winning the victor of two rounds. The combos are made up of various punches or kicks; a special ability is also available with the correct inputs once it is earned. Sometimes a floating splinter will appear, dishing out a power-up orb which can also be used with the correct set of commands. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES) – This game’s story is set around the tournament involving Shredder, the Turtles deciding to join in beating their nemesis and proving their skills. This title features a four-button scheme for punches and kicks with a light and heavy option and a special attack bar that can be filled and used. The game also features a story mode where April is taken, and the green boys fight around the globe to gain knowledge of her whereabouts. There are ten playable characters in this title and one character that is only for the computer to control. 

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Genesis) – The Genesis version has only two buttons for the attack, punch, and kick, and the third button is used for taunting. In the story mode, the player fights through Dimension X, fighting the Turtles’ clones and trying to defeat Kang to rescue Splinter. The game features two-player and practice modes, with eight playable characters. The game also has a brutal tournament mode where the player must defeat eighty-eight enemies with only one health bar. 

The musical scores vary throughout the various titles, but you will find the familiar theme song in its many forms, from 8-bit tunes to a more systematic score in the later series. Along with the main theme tune, there are a couple of variations and a vast collection in the lair to discover. I found myself humming the music for a while after each play session. The game sounds match up well with each title and take you back to a simpler time when games had to be developed with restraints in mind due to hardware limitations. 

On top of the above games, there was an online option for a bunch of the titles; the small amount of time I got to test this was a positive experience, with no input lag and no dramas playing with another person. One of my favourite parts in the collection was simply labelled ‘Turtle’s Lair. In the lair, a heap of items caresses the collector’s hearts, from boxes, manuals, music, and comics to ads and catalogues. There are many items to be explored and many items from my past I haven’t seen in years. The comic covers were a favourite but listening to the various game tunes had me rocking out. For those interested in developer notes, there is a tremendous behind-the-scenes section. It may be all in Japanese but seeing the thoughts and processes laid out is an enjoyable look behind the development curtain.