Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a beat-'em-up that deliberately returns to the arcade and console takes on the Turtles from the turn of the eighties and nineties. The player chooses from a roster of characters, that is, all four turtles, Splinter, April, and others, and fights through the streets of New York, sewers, construction sites, and a TV studio against members of the Foot clan and familiar villains from the animated series. Each character has a different reach and speed, so the choice isn't purely cosmetic: whoever plays as Donatello keeps enemies at range, whoever plays as Raphael has to go in for close contact.

Combat is simply readable but has enough depth to hold up over repeated playthroughs. Besides basic combos, there are dodges, deflecting projectiles back at the shooter, throws, and a chargeable special attack that briefly makes the player invulnerable. The game comes most alive in co-op, which supports up to six players at once, both locally and online, including the ability to revive each other and pull off joint moves. Alongside the arcade run, there's a story mode with a map, character quests, and gradual fighter leveling, giving a reason to return to individual missions. On Switch, it's a completely trouble-free title that looks just as good handheld as on a TV.

The pixel art nails the style of the original cartoon, including its animations and color palette, the music was composed by Tee Lopes and alternates funky and synth sounds with loud drums. Reception was very favorable, reviewers called it one of the best licensed beat-'em-ups ever and praised above all the co-op and the precision of the controls, with criticism aimed at its short length. Today Shredder's Revenge shows what a genre tribute should look like, one that doesn't rely solely on nostalgia but on genuinely well-designed combat. In a group of four or six, it ranks among the safest bets you can boot up on Switch, since everyone grasps the rules instantly.