'TMNT: Shredder's Revenge': Our Playable Characters Wishlist

Dreams really do come true, don’t they? For beat ‘em up fans, that sentiment certainly rings true.

We finally got a fourth Streets of Rage game, the River City Ransom franchise blessed us with a dope spinoff in River City Girls, and a bunch of retro brawlers is getting the Arcade1Up machine treatment. There’s yet another reason to be overjoyed with the rejuvenated beat ‘em up genre - Dotemu and Tribute Games have joined forces to create an all-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game that evokes warm memories of the series’ past arcade classics. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge sports a throwback 2D art style and features the sort of multiplayer madness that caused young gamers to spend all their quarters back in the day. 

Besides the four bandana-wearing turtles that everyone knows and loves, this 2022 beat ‘em up surprisingly features April O’Neil as a playable character. Joining forces with the Turtles as the beloved TV reporter in a bid to smash the Foot Clan looks way more fun than it has any right to be. Seeing as how TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge will feature more playable characters than expected, we’d like to offer up a few more character choices that should be bestowed that honor.

If we’re going to have an all-new TMNT beat ‘em up, it’s only right that the playable roster includes everyone’s favorite hockey stick-swinging hero. Casey Jones is another one of TMNT’s iconic vigilantes and he needs to join in all the festivities in this game. His arsenal includes more than a hockey stick, by the way - he also delivers his own brand of justice via a baseball bat and a golf club. We can already envision a team-up attack that results in Casey hitting a home run on a lowly Foot Clan grunt after they’re launched by a fellow Ninja Turtle. Plus we’re sure Casey would make for a great ranged character that can launch a few hockey pucks at his foes.

Here’s hoping that TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge doesn’t feature a storyline that revolves around the Ninja Turtles going out of their way to rescue their kidnapped father/master. If that’s not the case, then it’d be awesome if Master Splinter got active right alongside his adopted sons. As the mentor that taught the Ninja Turtles everything they know, Splinter has the skills needed to put the Foot Clan and its many allies in their place. We’d be open to wielding Splinter’s signature staff and using it to bash every baddie that comes our way. The visual of Splinter and Donatello using their staff simultaneously excites you, doesn’t it?

Does anyone out there remember the live-action Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation series? It was...interesting, to say the least. The one good thing about that show has to be the debut of the she-turtle known as Venus de Milo. Her weapon of choice is the Tessen, which is the Iron/War Fan that Mortal Kombat’s Kitana is known for using in battle. Venus has been MIA for a good while now, so it’s about time that she made her video game debut and gave everyone a reminder of just how underrated she is. April O’Neil shouldn't be the only playable lady heroine in this game - Venus de Milo deserves a resurgence and putting her in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is the best way to do it.

Usagi Yojimbo is that familiar rabbit rōnin that always made guest appearances in the TMNT comics and on their many TV shows. His skills as a swordsman are legendary and are on par with those of Leonardo. We think it’s worth throwing him into the game so everyone can put those sword skills to good use by slashing at an army of Foot Soldiers. The fact that a samurai rabbit exists in the world of comic books is cool enough. Adding him as a playable character for this retro brawler just makes so much sense. Yojimbo is always ready to cut through some baddies when duty calls!

If you’re old enough to remember who this little robotic guy is, then congrats to you! For the rest of you that have no clue who Fugitoid is, allow us to make you more familiar with him - Professor Honeycutt resided in his human form at one point until his consciousness carried over into his android creation. This monumental moment ended up creating the beloved fugitive android (hence the clever name!) we have here. Fugitoid can be a destructive force when he wants to be - he has hand blasters on deck, plus he has the ability to cause a massive explosion via his own core. Plus we’re sure he has the capacity to throw some hands when he’s called upon to do it. So yeah, the Ninja Turtles' robotic buddy should join the crew and get it on all the Foot Clan bashing fun.