Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

The Cowabunga Collection Is Totally Tubular!

jdodson gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

jdodson gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Right now, my 6 year old son and I are re-watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon bit by bit. The show starts incredibly strong with a first season that is basically a mini-series origin story that is way better than it has any right to be. After that, season 2 keeps incredibly strong and now I'm in season 3 which is where the shows writing, animation and such starts to really wane. It's a great show still, but the quality has backed off considerably and even many of the original voices of the Turtles change from episode to episode. This original cartoon show was the base for how we look at the Ninja Turtles now and nearly all the games in the... Read All Right now, my 6 year old son and I are re-watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon bit by bit. The show starts incredibly strong with a first season that is basically a mini-series origin story that is way better than it has any right to be. After that, season 2 keeps incredibly strong and now I'm in season 3 which is where the shows writing, animation and such starts to really wane. It's a great show still, but the quality has backed off considerably and even many of the original voices of the Turtles change from episode to episode. This original cartoon show was the base for how we look at the Ninja Turtles now and nearly all the games in the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection pack of classic Turtles games.

The Cowabunga Collection features 13 classic Turtles games but for the sake of this review, I've only really focused on two games. The original Ninja Turtles arcade game and the Capcom NES Ninja Turtles game. To me, both are retro classics and the NES game being hard as hell and the arcade game being of the best brawlers of all time that served as the base for last years Shredders Revenge.

Firstly, the presentation of the Cowabunga Collection is top notch. Each game is easy to flip through on the main menu, I just wish the game had the system the game was from listed with the game. For instance, there are two versions of Turtles in Time for the Arcade and SNES. I get that the 4 player version is the Arcade version but a tag saying that could help clean up any confusion.

The emulation used is perfect and I noticed no input delay or lag when I played the game. In playing the original Capcom Ninja Turtles NES game, the emulation keeps the original NES lag when they are too many enemies on the screen and they also offer an option to hack the game to fix all of that. That said, the games feel perfect and that's not something we can always get with these re-releases.

I picked up the Cowabunga Collection on Switch and X-Box and so far I've only played it on Switch and it's damn near perfection. Getting these classic games collected all in one place is really awesome if you want to re-live these with friends and don't have 50 bucks in quarters and a local arcade handy. Now if they just release all the old Simpsons games on one pack, including the Arcade game I think I'll be all set.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/16/2023 at 04:52am

Thank you for inadvertently clearing up some confusion I didn't realize I had until now. You helped me remember that this is different than Shredder's Revenge. Now that that's cleared up, I got it back on my wish list. LOL

I grew up watching TMNT, I was around 9 I think. This was also about the same time when I got into Nintendo, since my cousin had an NES and we both eventually had Gameboys. I played the original TMNT NES game briefly while I could. I found it for PC in '95, but didn't get it. I had the Gameboy game instead.

I'm glad it sounds like the collection is good. I look forward to getting it sometime.

There is recent TMNT content AFAIK. There's a newer movie I believe I'm aware of, but haven't seen yet. It's on my 2 page double-spaced "to-watch" list. I think there maybe more on the way, too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/16/2023 at 05:53am

I tried the first Turtles Gameboy game for a minute and it was WAY better than I thought it would be. Going to come back and play it again.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/16/2023 at 07:08am

I remember Shell Shock too well. LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/16/2023 at 06:55pm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qLqVVxVhUtU

🤣

jaelte wrote on 01/21/2023 at 07:09am

I played the original arcade as much as I could when I was a kid. I even briefly remember joining a "secret" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles club in third grade and in order to join I had to tell them who the first boss of that (brand new) game was.
I never owned the NES game, but I know I rented it a few times. I also know I owned the Tournament Fighters game for SNES, but I can't find it now. It either got lost in a move in college or is buried somewhere at my mom's house.
Anyway, thank you for the hit of nostalgia. Maybe I'll pick up for PC.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/24/2023 at 02:19am

SECRET CLUB? That’s pretty incredible. Bebop?

jaelte wrote on 01/28/2023 at 04:24am

Indeed. Those were the days.
Rocksteady. :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/29/2023 at 06:14pm

I always confused them. Too bad I wouldn't be able to get in to the club.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/29/2023 at 07:21pm

So, I mentioned a "new" movie. Turns out it's for a series. Both are called Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/10/2023 at 11:36pm

Huh. Interesting art style. Glad the turtles are still kicking shell.

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The Greatest Ninja Turtles Game Collection Brawls It's Way to PC And Consoles This Year!

The Ninja Turtles video games are some of the most iconic retro arcade and console games around. As a young lad I spent way too many quarters playing the Ninja Turtles Arcade game and later got Ninja Turtles on the NES. NES Ninja Turtles, I'd argue, is a good game that's incredibly difficult. Still, I played it so much I made it to the Technodrome a handful of times but never could quite complete it.

Now that the new Ninja Turtles brawler Shredders Revenge has blown up the gaming scene with a lot of interest it seems Konami is looking to keep that going with the release of The Cowabunga Collection featuring 13 classic Ninja Turtles games including the Ninja Turtles... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/11/2022 at 07:04am

Cowabunga dude! I had the first Game Boy game. I remember playing the arcade game. I'm not sure if I actually played it in the arcade, but I did play the console version, which I think/thought was on the SNES. Oh! I just remembered playing a TMNT NES game, too. It was out on PC, too, in '95 but my parents wouldn't get it for me and I had no money in high school. All these games I've mentioned, I think, are the first ones that came out for each console/arcade.

Thanks for sharing!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/13/2022 at 06:33pm

Can’t wait for this

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/27/2022 at 08:04pm

Steam says Aug. 30 and still no price listed.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/29/2022 at 04:29am

Should be the price of the physical copy which seems to be $39.99.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/29/2022 at 06:20am

Cool, thanks!