Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 842 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Game Cover
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection may be one of the most heartfelt compilations created to date, with all the fan service and love any fan of a turtle in a half shell could ever want.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a compilation of classic TMNT games from the arcade and consoles, including Turtles in Time, The Hyperstone Heist, and Tournament Fighters. This collection offers updated visuals, modern features like online multiplayer, and the ability to save at any point. It's a must-have for fans of the classic TMNT games, allowing them to relive their childhood memories and introduce the games to a new generation of players.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 842 reviews
music25 positive mentions
monetization28 negative mentions
  • The Cowabunga Collection is a comprehensive compilation of 13 classic TMNT games, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the franchise.
  • The collection includes a wealth of extras such as original box art, manuals, advertisements, and strategy guides, enhancing the overall value.
  • Quality-of-life features like save states, rewind functionality, and online multiplayer for select games make the collection accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players.
  • The online multiplayer experience is often laggy and unstable, making it difficult to play with friends, especially in larger groups.
  • Some games in the collection, particularly the NES titles, are still punishingly difficult and may not hold up well to modern gaming standards.
  • The price point of the collection is considered steep by some, with many suggesting it is not worth the full price and should be purchased on sale.
  • music68 mentions

    The music in the collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games is generally praised for its quality, with remastered soundtracks and a nostalgic appeal that resonates with fans. However, some users express disappointment over changes to original tracks, particularly the theme song, which detracts from their experience. Overall, the inclusion of extensive music options alongside a wealth of related memorabilia enhances the nostalgic value of the collection.

    • “Plus, it’s full of cool animations, sound bites, wonderfully creative stages, awesome soundtrack… it’s really good even if the bosses get quite unreasonable.”
    • “Even if you just want to take a trip down memory lane to listen to all the soundtracks, see artwork from every game, or go through the best stills from the comics from this legendary franchise, that’s all in here.”
    • “Great presentation, soundtrack & gameplay with many filters to give that classic vibe.”
    • “They replaced the theme song with a stupid one.”
    • “Initial impression: I don't really like it, they changed the original music to the games and I gotta say I hate the upgrade.”
    • “Game play is as you'd expect it to be, definitely up to par, but the music swap is a downer for me.”
  • graphics53 mentions

    The graphics in this collection are a nostalgic nod to the arcade classics, showcasing remastered visuals that maintain the charm of the original games while offering adjustable filters and aspect ratios. Players appreciate the crisp in-game graphics and the extensive array of high-quality scans of original artwork, manuals, and memorabilia, although some find the menu design lacking. Overall, the blend of retro aesthetics and modern enhancements provides a satisfying experience for fans of the franchise.

    • “Further to this, some of the console classics included here were among the first games to really nail the transition from the arcade to your home, a real holy grail at the time, serving up the exact same graphical prowess and gameplay speed in the comfort of your own sitting room.”
    • “This can't get any more classic; there's totally 'mondo awesome' original era remastered graphics, colors and sounds, and the ability to change the aspect ratio, screen filters, plus there's loads of classic memorabilia to look at too thanks for hosting on Steam!”
    • “I really love the game selection menus with the comic panels, and the extras are really fun features like full screen or default and the border artwork and filters.”
    • “It seems okay, but I only tried it for a few minutes, because why would I play a watered down and much harder version of the arcade with massively inferior visuals?”
    • “On top of that, it has a very ugly menu in terms of visuals and layout.”
    • “Additionally, some of the 'extra features' artwork feels a bit tacked on.”
  • gameplay32 mentions

    The gameplay in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection" offers a nostalgic experience with a mix of classic titles, featuring side-scrolling action, beat 'em ups, and fighting games. While the collection showcases creativity and fun, many titles suffer from repetitive mechanics and slower pacing compared to their arcade counterparts. For those seeking a more modern gameplay experience, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge" is recommended for its fluidity and updated mechanics.

    • “They have a nice variety of gameplay from side-scrolling action platforms, fighting, and beat 'em up.”
    • “Great presentation, soundtrack, and gameplay with many filters to give that classic vibe.”
    • “TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is a painstakingly crafted love letter to a bygone era of gaming, bringing 13 classic games to the modern age while adding in a slew of features including the ability to rewind, save, and toggle enhancements which greatly enhance the gameplay experience.”
    • “The truth is many beat ’em ups and action-platformers in this compilation have rather repetitive gameplay.”
    • “Back from the sewers is the weakest title in pure gameplay terms overall.”
    • “Yes, the difficulty is still somewhat unreasonable and the gameplay is considerably slower than the arcade titles or the later 16-bit titles.”
  • monetization28 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the TMNT game collection has received mixed reviews, with some users praising the extensive additional content, including scans of box art, manuals, advertisements, and soundtracks, which enhance the nostalgic experience. However, others criticize it as a "janky cash grab," noting concerns about potential censorship of non-Konami games and the absence of certain nostalgic ads. Overall, while the collection offers a wealth of nostalgic material, opinions on its value and execution vary significantly.

    • “Janky cash grab.”
    • “It bothers me more than it should that they took the Pizza Hut ads out of the NES arcade game.”
    • “Having said that, I see that Konami may have censored the licensed/non-Konami games on the ads and catalogs.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The stability of the game has been criticized for being plagued by frequent stutters, glitches, and significant lag in both offline and online modes. Players have reported a particularly frustrating experience with buggy online multiplayer, which detracts from the enjoyment of the game. Overall, these technical issues have led to negative reviews highlighting the need for improvements in stability.

    • “The games are slow, buggy, and full of lag both offline and online.”
    • “For now, I sadly and regrettably have to leave this negative review to bring attention to these game-ruining glitches and weird bugs!”
    • “There are constant audio glitches that plague the experience.”
  • story8 mentions

    The story aspect of the TMNT games is generally viewed as inconsistent, with the first two Game Boy titles receiving lackluster feedback, while the third game is praised for its engaging narrative and unique character skills. Additionally, high-quality scans of original artwork and storyboards enhance the storytelling experience, although some notable titles, like "TMNT: Manhattan Missions," are missing from the collection.

    • “Tmnt gb 1 2 & 3: the third one is interesting and recommended since the story is great, the graphics for a Game Boy are good, and each turtle has a unique skill!”
    • “They have high quality scans of the original artwork and storyboarding used for the games.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the replayability of the games is mixed; while some titles offer multiple ways to play and enhancements that encourage revisiting, many are short and lack substantial replay value. Players may find enjoyment in the variety and challenge, but the overall experience may not justify repeated playthroughs for everyone.

    • “This is the definitive way to play these games; there is a ton of replay value for 40 bucks, and if that's too much, just wait for a sale.”
    • “13 great games in one package; enhancements provide replayability as they allow you to tackle each game in multiple ways, online works flawlessly.”
    • “Replay value may vary, but the difficulty level of some games can be challenging, and the TMNT theme song will get stuck in your head.”
    • “The only disappointment is that all the games are short by modern standards, and only a few of them offer anything in the way of replayability.”
    • “Furthermore, the replay value is questionable.”
    • “[replay value may vary, difficulty level of some games can be challenging, tmnt theme song will get stuck in your head]”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some users appreciate the overall presentation and extras provided by Digital Eclipse, others have reported significant performance issues, including sprite flickering and stuttering that can render the games unplayable. Despite these drawbacks, many fans still find value in the nostalgic content and thorough exploration of the franchise.

    • “With regards to performance, there's a little bit of sprite flickering and slow-down in places with some of the NES games in particular, but overall, Digital Eclipse has done a fantastic job in presenting this content in a wonderfully well-rounded package that doesn't skimp on the extras and delivers a fact-filled and thorough journey through Turtles history that fans of the heroes four, and beat 'em ups in general, will get a lot of satisfaction from.”
    • “I had to refund this as all games had second-long stuttering every 5-10 seconds that made them unplayable.”
    • “With regards to performance, there's a little bit of sprite flickering and slow-down in places with some of the NES games in particular.”
  • humor6 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mix of humor stemming from ironic situations, such as the lack of remote play for multiplayer games, which users find amusing. Additionally, there's a playful tone in the comparisons made to other games, suggesting a lighthearted take on the game's reception. Overall, the humor appears to be rooted in irony and playful critique.

    • “And yeah, the lack of remote play for all games with 2+ players is hilarious.”
    • “It's so funny to me how everyone claims this is far better than Sonic Origins.”
    • “It seems kind of funny to say, but I finally found closure.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and off-putting, as the process of browsing and accessing content feels cumbersome. Despite features like rewind and quick save, many feel that completing the games remains excessively laborious and nearly impossible without significant effort.

    • “The manner in which you can browse and view the content is tedious and makes the effort of looking through the extra materials off-putting.”
    • “Even with the rewind and quick save feature, games are extremely tedious to complete, almost impossible without grinding.”
    • “The manner in which you can browse and view the content is tedious and makes the effort of looking through the extra materials off-putting.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection" is highlighted as a deeply heartfelt compilation that resonates with fans, showcasing a strong sense of nostalgia and affection for the beloved franchise.

    • “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection may be one of the most heartfelt compilations created to date, with all the fan service and love any fan of a turtle in a half shell could ever want.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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