Often when a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series is released, complaints are occasionally made regarding how similar they all are regarding their plot and villains. However, the most recent series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, takes a massive departure from the established formula. This shift allowed the series to introduce itself to a new viewership and surprise old fans in a way that they hadn’t been for many years. This change is also the perfect basis for a new video game playing off Rise‘s unique narrative.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released in 2018 and was well received by most of the fanbase. The series changed several things that had remained stagnant through most other series. One of the biggest changes was the design and relationships of the four brothers. In most of their canonical appearances, the four turtles had mostly looked the same aside from their different colored masks. However, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made each brother visually distinct. The second-largest change was the enemies that the turtles faced and their origins.
While most TMNT series focused on the Shredder as the leader of the Foot Clan, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles focused on a new villain in the first season and new enemies along the way. These new villains all come with their own unique characterizations and views, with some even making the jump from villain to hero over the course of the series. A Rise game would introduce these enemies to the players and have them battle each of them. This would allow old fans to fight against an enemy that they don’t know and, as such, the conflicts would be a surprise. It would mean that newer gamers would be able to battle against the foes without needing to know all the lore and references that developers may slip into the game. It essentially places everyone on the same level when it comes to engagements.
The series also made some notable changes to the arsenal the Turtles carried. In most previous series, the turtles are armed with the sea assortment of ninja weaponry; however, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles equipped each brother with new magical weapons. These weapons would allow each brother to be vastly different from the other when played in a group and would allow each to have more defined roles on the battlefield. For instance, Raphael’s magical tonfas make him a full-time bruiser that can grow to giant sizes, while Leonardo can teleport himself and others with his magical sword. These differences would make co-op play frantic and exciting while also making solo play more varied.
Another interesting aspect for new and old players is the relationships between the characters. One thing that the series avoided is the conflict between Raphael and Leonardo and the role of April in the series. April has often been more of a support character who helped the Turtles to understand the human world. However, in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, she can fight on par with the brothers and takes a much more central role in the fight against Shredder when he does arrive. These changes would allow a game to surprise old fans of the series and let the developers focus more on the brothers’ relationship in the same way that the show has. This would also mean that the more familiar aspects of old games could be avoided, such as the Turtle’s skills, which are mostly untested in the series as the brothers are all learning to be who they would become. This would allow the player to naturally progress their skills in the game where, in other games, these skills are considered to already be learned.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a series that tried something new with a franchise that has been around for a long time. These changes were well received and are perfect for a new game to either introduce fans to the series or bring old fans back. While all eyes may currently be on the retro throwback Shredder’s Revenge, developers shouldn’t shy away from covering this underrated and beloved entry in the TMNT pantheon.
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