Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 398 reviews

music12 positive mentions

monetization14 negative mentions

A comprehensive collection of 13 classic TMNT games, providing nostalgia for fans of the franchise.
Includes a wealth of extras such as original box art, manuals, advertisements, and strategy guides, enhancing the overall experience.
Features modern enhancements like save states, rewind functionality, and online multiplayer for select titles, making it accessible for new players.

Online multiplayer is often laggy and unstable, making it difficult to enjoy with friends.
Some games are still frustratingly difficult, particularly the NES version of TMNT, which may deter new players.
The price point of $40 is considered steep by some, especially given that many of these games can be accessed through emulation.

music
33 mentions
36 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the TMNT game collection is widely praised for its remastered soundtracks and nostalgic appeal, allowing players to enjoy classic tunes alongside a wealth of related content like box art and manuals. While many appreciate the original music, some users express disappointment over changes to iconic themes, highlighting a desire for authenticity. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the experience, even if some players find the music swap a drawback.
- “We've got never-before-seen concept art, fully remastered soundtracks to browse through, the original video game boxes and manuals to pore over, design documents, stills from the original TV show, advertising and promo material, and wonderfully stylized new guides for each game that you can dip into for tips, tricks, boss battle help, and even a bunch of good old-fashioned cheat codes.”
- “You can head to the turtles’ lair to see all the old-school gaming boxes, manuals, listen to all the songs in every game’s soundtrack, check out the TMNT comic book covers, and even images from all those awesome TV shows from the late 80s all the way to the 10s.”
- “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.”
- “The only thing that could be improved about this collection is the ability to keep the music change in the turtles' lair from the game soundtracks while you're viewing other material like the covers, etc.”
- “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.”
graphics
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics in this collection are celebrated for their nostalgic appeal, successfully capturing the arcade quality that defined early gaming experiences. While some titles feature upgraded visuals, others maintain a classic aesthetic that resonates with long-time fans, complemented by a wealth of original artwork and memorabilia. However, the menu design has received criticism for being visually unappealing, detracting from the overall presentation.
- “It may seem quaint now, but boy-oh-boy was it exciting back in the day to get in from school and boot straight into arcade-quality action instead of some dreadfully slowed down, graphically inferior mess, as was most often the case at the time.”
- “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.”
- “In-game graphics look crisp, and you can rebind keys/buttons, making for a visually appealing experience.”
- “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.”
monetization
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the TMNT game collection has received mixed reviews, with many praising the extensive nostalgic content, including original box art, manuals, advertisements, and soundtracks, which enhance the value of the collection. However, some users criticize it as a "janky cash grab," noting concerns about potential censorship of certain licensed games and a desire for more playable content. Overall, while the additional materials are appreciated, there are calls for more transparency and inclusivity in the offerings.
- “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, but I see Sunset Riders advertising still there... hey Konami, mind doing us a solid and give us Sunset Riders on PC? Potentially an arcade collection? You have gems in the catalog, share for the class.”
gameplay
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this collection of classic TMNT titles is a nostalgic blend of side-scrolling action, fighting, and beat 'em up mechanics, though it suffers from some repetitiveness and slower pacing compared to arcade versions. While the creativity and fun factor are appreciated, newer players may find more enjoyment in modern titles like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge," which offers refined gameplay and quality-of-life improvements. Overall, the collection is best suited for those seeking a nostalgic experience rather than groundbreaking gameplay.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for frequent stutters, glitches, and significant lag, both in offline and online modes. Users report a frustrating experience with buggy online multiplayer and persistent audio issues, detracting from the enjoyment of the game. Overall, these technical problems 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.”
- “I love the TMNT series and especially this radical recollection of classics and historic shell-shocking stories, but I'm aware of the really sluggish and buggy online multiplayer.”
- “For now, I sadly and regrettably have to leave this negative review to bring attention to these game-ruining glitches and weird bugs!”
story
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the reviewed games is mixed; while some titles like "TMNT: Manhattan Missions" are noted for their absence, the third Game Boy installment is praised for its engaging narrative and unique character skills. Additionally, the inclusion of high-quality scans of original artwork enhances the storytelling experience.
- “The third game 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.”
- “Sadly, the PC-exclusive TMNT: Manhattan Missions wasn’t included.”
- “Though an extensive list, it is lacking a few titles for obvious reasons.”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; 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 make gameplay unplayable.
- “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.”
- “The performance on the Steam Deck is impressive, showcasing the optimization efforts made to ensure a smooth gaming experience.”
- “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.”
replayability
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the replayability of the games is mixed; while some players find significant value in the collection for its price, others note that many games are short and offer limited replay options.
- “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.”
- “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.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its ironic and self-referential qualities, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of certain features, such as the lack of remote play for multiplayer games. Additionally, there is a playful comparison to other titles, highlighting the humorous exaggeration in claims about the game's superiority over others like Sonic Origins.
- “It seems kind of funny to say, but I finally found closure.”
- “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...”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and off-putting, as the process of browsing and accessing extra content feels laborious. Despite features like rewind and quick save, many feel that completing the games remains excessively challenging and frustrating.
- “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 features, the games are extremely tedious to complete and almost impossible without them.”