TMNT: Shredders Revenge vs Cowabunga Collection (Which one is for you?)

If you are a hardcore fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, odds are you have had your fill of games with over 50 dating all the way back to the late 80’s on almost every system ever created. However, you might just be someone who was a kid in the 90’s at the height of the Turtles popularity and would like to enjoy some retro memories.

Whatever category you might fall into, there are two new TMNT games schedule to release in 2022 and you might be wondering which games is right for me? Hopefully this quick recap can add some clarity.

What is TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection?

As stated in the name the Cowabunga Collection features 13 of the most iconic TMNT games with the bulk coming from the early 90’s from systems like the NES, Game Boy and Genesis. More specifically there are two arcade titles, four NES titles, two SNES titles, two Genesis titles, and three Game Boy titles. These are all older games that have been updated with modern sensibilities including rewind features, save states and online play. Most of these games will be in 4x3 aspect ratio that won’t fill your entire, meaning although they will be true to the source material, they will have lots of graphics filling the screen while you are playing

As for pricing, the Cowabunga Collection is available for preorder and is currently priced at 40-50 dollars depending on your region. If it seems a little steep in terms of pricing, the Cowanbunga Collection is being published by Konami, who only exist in the gaming business to cash in.

What is TMNT: Shredders Revenge?

TMNT: Shredders Revenge is a brand new game built from the ground up that is inspired by the golden age of TMNT games. Shredders Revenge is a side scrolling, 1-4 player, beat-em up. Since Shredders Revenge is being published by DotEmu, it safe to assume that quality and price will be similar to Streets of Rage 4, another retro beat-em u up from 2020. This includes pricing which was around 30 dollars, and was even released on Xbox Game Pass on Day One and Shredders Revenge feels like a perfect game for the Microsoft service, but then again, what game isn’t perfect for it.

Verdict:

If I had to choose between supporting development from Tribute, a small indie studio and published by DotEmu, a company known for keeping the spirit of retro alive with publishing credits that include Streets of Rage 4, WindJammers, and the upcoming Metal Slug Tactics compared to Konami that answer is easy. An original product that captures the spirit is always more appealing compared to a collection or remaster from a company who is solely focus on financials.