Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a retrospective of 13 famous, classic TMNT games from the 1980s and 90s. This collection is a celebration of TMNT’s golden era, where it made its name in comics, movies, toys, and, eventually, video games. It is an action-adventure collection of classic games developed by Konami and Digital Eclipse.
If you used a Ninja Turtles brush first thing in the morning or had breakfast with your Ninja Turtles spoon, this collection would bring back many happy memories. It is centered around the aspect of nostalgia and the golden history of arcade games. If you haven’t experienced these games, then this collection will give you an experience of how immersive and addictive arcade gaming is, even without the fancy graphics and visuals we see today. The collection offers a comprehensive and in-depth look at the 90s era of gaming.
Here’s everything you need to know about TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection.
Games Included in The Cowabunga Collection:
The Cowabunga Collection features 13 of the most popular TMNT games of all time. Here’s a list:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
- TMNT: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
- TMNT 2: The Arcade Game (NES)
- TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project (NES)
- TMNT 4: Turtles in Time (SNES)
- TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis)
- TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan (Game Boy)
- TMNT 2: Back from the Sewers (Game Boy)
- TMNT 3: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)
- TMNT: Tournament Fighters (NES)
- TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES)
- TMNT: Tournament Fighters (Genesis)
Online Compatibility:
Out of these thirteen games, four of them come with a multiplayer feature – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade); TMNT: Turtles in Time (Arcade); TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis); and TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES). The multiplayer feature was, and still is, a major selling point of these titles.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance Review – Battle RPG Game Verdict
Although there is a slight problem, Multiplayer causes performance issues across all platforms. Be it PS5, PC or Xbox, there is a significant drop in frame rates as well as a rise in input latency. Patches need to be released for these issues as soon as possible to ensure consistency in online modes.
Enhancements:
Numerous enhancements have been made to the ports of these games. All titles now feature an option to rewind back to the point that you would like to replay until you get it perfect. As far as cheats are concerned, they vary from game to game. Some titles allow a god-mode and extreme difficulties, whereas others just give small perks like map blips.
You can save your current game state, which allows for easy pauses when you’re tired. You can even toggle the simulated slowdown and flickering since these games are not limited by older hardware anymore. However, you should keep them on if you want to have a true 90s experience.
More things that add to the old-school experience are the ability to play on a 4:3 aspect ratio, which adds the black bars like we were to see in an older console. Also, there are filters that can be applied, including a CRT TV, LCD, or monitor.
The Cowabunga Collection – Gameplay Experience:
The Cowabunga Collection isn’t limited to just arcade titles, but it features other brilliant titles too, like the SNES and Genesis games, which were hyped a lot at their time of release. Hyperstone Heist on Genesis is also a fan favourite, featuring an online multiplayer mode as well.
Game Boy Section:
The Game Boy section of this collection brings us TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan, Back from the Sewers, and Radical Rescue. These titles remain as fun as they were in the 90s. They offer an adventurous experience that the players can experience, tackling obstacles to find their friends.
NES section:
The NES section includes some excellent titles like TMNT 2 Arcade’s port to an NES cartridge, as well as TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project. This section contains some difficult titles mainly because they feature some unrecognizable enemies, those that aren’t in the TV series.
The story puts the Turtles against their very own evil clones to rescue their friends. The SNES version includes fighters like Armaggon from the Archie comics and introduces super moves from Super Street Fighter 2. The NES version is a mix of fighting game mechanics with an orb power-up.
Genesis Section:
The Genesis, Super Nintendo, and NES sections all feature unique versions of TMNT: Tournament Fighters. They are unique because they aren’t direct ports, similar in every way and form. Each title was built from the ground up and featured different moves and designs. The Genesis version features a gritty arty style and crunchy sound.
The Genesis collection adds TMNT: Hypersotone Heist, in which the player takes control of one of the Turtles and fights through time, battling characters from across the series. It’s similar to Super Nintendo, but one key difference is the dash move that lets the player zip across the screen and slam enemies.
Challenges and Achievements:
The game doesn’t feature a lot of achievements and unlockables. The only achievements included were one for each game, awarded upon completion. The developers could’ve been more creative when it came to this part.
The Cowabunga Collection – Supported Platforms:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection was released on August 30, 2022, across PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. The handheld version of the Nintendo Switch offers a much more old-gen-like experience without any drawbacks. Control remapping is supported on all platforms, so you can tweak things as you’d like.
How to Play?
Fans can get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowbunga Collection on app stores of their consoles and on Steam if they are on PC. The collection can also be purchased in stores for $39.99 with free shipping.
The Cowabunga Collection – Final Words:
Most games feel their age more than the arcade and SNES titles. The NES Turtle games will be loved by those who grew up playing them and for fans of the 8-bit era. The Game Boy titles are a prime example of the punch a Nintendo handheld packed back in the day.
The Cowabunga Collection is a great throwback to some famous Turtles games. The franchise remains worth playing, the collection being something old fans would definitely want to check out.
