Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Tribute Games

If you grew up in the 80's and 90's, then you were probably a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…or at the very least, you were aware of what they were. Aside from having a wildly successful cartoon series and toy line, the Turtles also starred in some of the most popular video games of their time. So popular, in fact, that decades later, we've seen the release of Shredder's Revenge, which is essentially a love letter to the TMNT arcade games. While it's not really groundbreaking in any way, it's a solid brawler that plays like how you'd want it to play if you were looking for a video game to fill you with nostalgia from when you were a kid, if you had played the original TMNT games back when they released. Shredder's Revenge does add a little bit to prevent it from feeling like the original games with a new coat of paint. First, there are items to discover in the levels…it's not much of a challenge to find the items as they're hidden in breakable items, which are pretty easy to spot in each level, but it's nice to have a little side-quest here and there for you to keep an eye on while you pummel your way through each stage. Also new to Shredder's Revenge is the option to brawl through each stage as other characters, like Splinter, April O'Neil, and Casey Jones. These additional characters don't necessarily add much to the gameplay - they all play basically the same. Regardless, though, if you're a fan of the Turtles, it's a nice bonus to be able to beat up the Rat King when playing as Splinter. Shredder's Revenge isn't a game that I'd consider for the running of game of the year, but it provides a nice bit of nostalgia for folks that grew up with those heroes in a half shell…and I'm assuming it's a good game for kids growing up with the current version of the cartoon as well.

Review added: 12/05/2022

Tetris 99

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Arika

Tetris 99 is a simple game of Tetris…but with a twist – you’re battling against 98 other players at the same time. Basically, as you match up rows, you’ll send blocks over to other players, but as they match up rows, there’s a chance that you’ll get blocks sent over to you. Your goal is to match up rows as fast as you can so that you can not only survive the onslaught from other players but dish out your own onslaught. It’s such an addicting premise that it’ll likely have you saying, “Okay, last match,” about 15 matches before you actually put your Switch down. It’s an awesome exclusive to the Nintendo Switch and it’s free for subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online. If you’re not a subscriber to that service? Well, Tetris 99 is easily worth the $20 a year price tag of Nintendo’s online service all on its own. This is the kind of online multiplayer game that I enjoy – if you’re an introvert like I am, it’ll likely be the kind that you’ll enjoy as well.

Review added: 10/14/2019

Toki

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Microids

I’m a fan of the original Toki. Playing a platformer while controlling an ape that spits stuff at enemies always seemed like a formula for guaranteed success to me. Unfortunately, despite the fact that I do enjoy the Toki games, I would never really consider any of them all-time classics. So, I was hoping that when the Toki franchise was resurrected for the Switch that I’d finally be able to put a Toki game on this list amongst other gaming icons where that wonderful chimp deserves to be. Unfortunately, this game is much like the other Toki games – decent, but not great. The biggest thing holding this game down is the lack of a save feature. I understand that they were trying to emulate how games were back in the 80’s…but if someone wants to play without saving, then at least provide an OPTION to save. That way folks that want to refuse to save can do so while the rest of us who want to play a bit on the toilet, then step away for a while, or even play another game, before continuing on our journey, can do so. That said, Toki is an okay nod to games of the past, but aside from the well-done graphics, it fails to do a whole lot to make it a good game in the present.

Review added: 02/02/2020