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[Labolas]

As I said I don't want weird "SoR4 retro characters" in this, I will also say I've appreciated how "pure" to the 87 cartoon this game has been so far and absolutely would not want this derailed with "multiverse" characters in the base game. (For DLC? Okay, but we're not wasting a slot on a character who's already got a 1987 incarnation represented in the game.)

And as the purity of the respect to the 87 cartoon is the point, having Shredder be allied with the Turtles, while not theoretically impossible (There's been some one-off "unlikely team-up" moments, after all) would clearly require a massive plot re-write so that Shredder would, you know, basically not have to appear in the base game as the primary villain. And you'd have to re-do so many of the team-based mechanics beause Shredder sure as heck isn't gonna give Splinter a high-five. Really, this would not fit from what we already know about the game.

Furthermore, I stubbornly insist that making him a playable character diminishes his potential as a boss. Shredder's a notable boss in both the arcade TMNT and SNES Turtles in Time because he does NOT move like someone who could be played with a joystick and two buttons. How would you implement, say, his shadow clones? His insta-kill beams (Oh jeez, I guess it has to literally kill in this version because April sure as heck can't de-mutate)? His ability to teleport around an arena Akuma-style? The potential OTHER ninja magic he could use in this game to show he is clearly a step above the Turtles in raw ninja ability? All of these would be utterly gimped by having to make him "balanced" the way player characters are. You may remember in SoR4 they sort of had this issue with the boss characters that doubled as player characters, but the effect was a bit diminished since none of those bosses were meant to be, well, the ultimate villain of the game.

If we'd want an antagonist character who could/would, in theory, team up with the TMNT, going by in order by who'd be the most likely:
1) Metalhead was reprogrammed to be an ally to the TMNT in the 87 toon canon, and previously appeared in other games like Turtles in Time. He'd theoretically also be the easiest to make art for as he's basically a robot version of the Turtles.
2) Leatherhead did not make a heel-face-turn in the 87 cartoons, but other incarnations show a capacity for it. He's also someone fans recognize from Turtles in Time, The Manhattan Project and The Hyperstone Heist.
3) Lotus Blossom, the Karai expy, did a heel-face-turn in the cartoon. (But significantly less likely the actual Karai, if she'd be in this for any reason, as long as Shredder is the ultimate villain.)
4) The Rat King has also shown some signs of being more than just a villain in some other incarnations, though he's already confirmed a boss in this game.
5) Stretching things all else, Krang has been known to backstab his allies for his personal agenda, especially shown in Season 1 when Shredder prioritized his own plans over getting Krang a new body. That said, his body seems to be important for the enemies in the plot, so he's most likely a boss.

Outside of that, the player character roster is pretty fine as it is, outside the fact that 7 player characters in a 6-player game is a bit weird-feeling.

Look I know the game is based on the 87 cartoon and this is a love letter to the 87 cartoon, no problem with that, but fyi I honestly couldn't care less about the purity of the '87 cartoon as it was one of the weaker iterations of the Turtles, hell it was the weakest interpretation of the Shredder done on tv. Loved it as a kid but I would be the first one to admit it isn't something I'll ever revisited as an adult or think of it as great. It's the epitome of liking something out of solely nostalgia. There are better TMNT material out there than the 87 cartoon.

Plus, it's a fucking videogame. It doesn't break immersion with me as it's tonally consistent or doesn't disrespects the Turtles' lore. So no it doesn't diminishes him as a boss. Final bosses being playable isn't new. Again you can have a toned down version of Shredder and called him Cyber Shredder. If it's DLC that's fine, no problems throw in Karai as well.

 

[saintjules]

 

[Elder Legend]

Disregard this post.

 

[MoneySings]

Summary?
Got it ordered on Microsoft Store (I know, Gamepass but hey, support these companies and it means I can play it on PC and Xbox)

 

[MoneySings]

Looks like general consensus is... It's between 8/10 and 10/10

 

[Kiddo Cabbusses]

Look I know the game is based on the 87 cartoon and this is a love letter to the 87 cartoon, no problem with that, but fyi I honestly couldn't care less about the purity of the '87 cartoon as it was one of the weaker iterations of the Turtles,

You know you sound like you could write for Thundercats Roar or He-Man Revelations there, right?

PROTIP: It's probably not a good look to dunk on 80's cartoon nostalgia when that's recently become a trait allied with Twitter crazies.

And no, if you "nerf" the playable Shredder, then by all extents it's not even the real Shredder, which makes the whole idea self-defeating. I don't want some cosplayer in Shredder's dress; Why would I want to play as Shredder if I couldn't do his insta-kill beams? Try imagining nerfing any one of the Turtles (I don't just mean with numbered stats, I mean actually things like removing their attacks, runs or jumps, since that's what you'd need to nerf to balance Shredder). How is that gonna work, gameplay-wise? Konami didn't even dare remove the nunchaku from Mikey even when the European censors demanded those "Hero Turtles" edits.

 

[Labolas]

You know you sound like you could write for Thundercats Roar or He-Man Revelations there, right?

PROTIP: It's probably not a good look to dunk on 80's cartoon nostalgia when that's recently become a trait allied with Twitter crazies.

And no, if you "nerf" the playable Shredder, then by all extents it's not even the real Shredder, which makes the whole idea self-defeating. I don't want some cosplayer in Shredder's dress; Why would I want to play as Shredder if I couldn't do his insta-kill beams? Try imagining nerfing any one of the Turtles (I don't just mean with numbered stats, I mean actually things like removing their attacks, runs or jumps, since that's what you'd need to nerf to balance Shredder). How is that gonna work, gameplay-wise? Konami didn't even dare remove the nunchaku from Mikey even when the European censors demanded those "Hero Turtles" edits.

My guy, calm down. I really don't love sjw politics and generally I would respect something that has preestablished lore and keep true to the source material even if I'm not a fan of it if I was writing an adaptation or sequel of something.

And no I wasn't dunking on 80's cartoon nostalgia in general, I was throwing some shade towards '87 Turtles which isn't even the OG version of the Turtles. If I was purist or elitist I should be pissed on how the Turtles loss their edginess or being less adult oriented than they were in the comics. And to be frank I could have been harder on the cartoon. And don't associate me with twitter tards. It's a goddamn kids cartoon that I was slightly critical of and you're accused me of being like Kevin Smith and his ilk when I went on record bashing him and others for forsaking lore and characters to fit a narrative/agenda. I'm not asking for gender and race changes because that shit is for losers. I just like better TMNT material out there than something that is stuck in the early 90's. If you like it fine, I get it, I've been there but I'm not accusing you anything other than being a bit of butthurt fanboy of the Turtles.

Lol, don't give the character crazy insta-kills or laser that fill the screen, teleports to make it like Shredder. Just make him an unique character with a strong moveset, it doesn't have to be 1:1 to him being like the final boss because that would be fucking stupid and broken if they gave a playable Shredder shit a final boss can do. It's not rocket science.