Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Review

The heroes in a half shell are back with the release of Digital Eclipse and Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. 13 totally tubular titles await – should players throw down or instead go for some turtle soup?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Review

Featuring games from the arcade, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis, and Nintendo Game Boy, the collection found here captures the 90s era of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quite well.

Those who have a pocket full of quarters will be pleased to see an arcade-perfect Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, while fighting game fans will enjoy playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. Nintendo’s pea soup green portable is also repped with Fall of the Footclan, Back From the Sewers, and Radical Rescue.

There’s a fair amount of overlap between arcade and console releases, but the best of the best are present and accounted for. Well, calling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES the best is a bit of a stretch, but we appreciate the thoroughness of this collection nonetheless.

If anything, the development team at Digital Eclipse did everything in their power to make sure this is the ultimate experience for TMNT fans. It’s obvious right from the get-go, with its slick comic book-style menus. There is also a wealth of options to choose from – one can change the region, starting level, remove sprite flicker and slowdown, remove penalty bombs, or even give themselves infinite lives. This is far more than a simple emulation; this is a complete deconstruction that truly dissects each title to create the definitive experience. Besides, who doesn’t want to rewind up to 10 seconds back when you get a face full of Foot Clan?

The same goes with The Cowabunga Collection’s quality of life changes as well. Mappable buttons, screen filters and borders (or lack thereof), and ratios are there to make sure even the most devout old-school purist is covered.

Perhaps the biggest addition comes in the form of the Turtles’ Lair – or more specifically thousands of additions. Ads and catalogs, behind-the-scenes style guides, boxes and manuals, and other additions make it a shrine of the series. Perhaps the biggest addition is the inclusion of “Eclipse Tips!” – custom strategy guides with cheats, quips, and Mikey’s Musings. Created for every game in the collection, it is a return to form from the Gamepros and Electronic Gaming Monthly articles 90s kids grew up with, and is a much-welcome addition.

Break out the personal pan pizzas – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is the best way to experience these heroes in a half shell. This is more than just a collection; it’s a tribute of the highest order.

This review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection was done on the PC. The game was purchased digitally.