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[VGEsoterica]

It feels like Bill Clinton is President, Book It at Pizza Hut is in full swing and I have homework I need to do but all I want is to turn my SNES on and play some Turtles. Because that's the smarter choice

Seriously though this IMO may be the first perfect game of 2022. A straight up love letter to the fans of the cartoon and classic Konami beat em ups except modernized and expanded upon. All the heart and charm of the original games except on modern consoles. Almost like 3D was never invented and console hardware just kept getting better and better at displaying 2D backgrounds and sprites. Its just an absolutely gorgeous game in motion and the gameplay just seriously nailed it.

Probably the most pure fun I have had all year playing a video game. But that got me thinking GAF...what are your recent perfect games? and what games have you played lately that made you just straight up feel like a kid again? I guess my fellow 90s kids need to answer this one as some people on here might just straight up be 20 right now and the 90s are just a distant concept hahaha

 

[Georome]

Same. I'm playing it with my sons and I feel like it's a time warp back to video games circa 1992.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Same. I'm playing it with my sons and I feel like it's a time warp back to video games circa 1992.

I was just sourcing some 90s toy commercials yesterday for a project I am working on. Pure nostalgia in 4:3 aspect ratio goodness

 

[VGEsoterica]

extra 90s nostalgia haha

 

[STARSBarry]

Game is fantastic, wish the online wasent so laggy but for couch coop it's just great.

It's what I wish streets of rage IV looked like.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Game is fantastic, wish the online wasent so laggy but for couch coop it's just great.

It's what I wish streets of rage IV looked like.

I've yet to play online. Just couch style

 

[STARSBarry]

I've yet to play online. Just couch style

I put it down to the fact its 6 players, so it's a little more demanding than even the 4 player you see regularly. However yes sometimes I will grab an enemy only for it to teleport to someone else who's now comboing them behind me.

 

[Elbereth]

80s babies are getting spoiled lol

I actually ended up purchasing the game on PS5, played it with a friend. Then played it on Xbox via Gamepass, played it with another friend.

If you experienced the sheer hype and popularity of TMNT during its heyday, you will truly understand why the game is such a gem. So many references to the cartoon, movies, games… True love letter to the fans.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Certainly takes the title of "brawler of the year" no easy feat to be a title second only to the 30 year classic - Turtles in Time!

 

[Sp3eD]

I absolutely adored the original arcade game back in the late 80’s so my hype for this game was through the roof. The graphics, music, gameplay everything was about perfect until I was playing around with the buttons and learned about the taunting, I spent the next few minutes playing around trying to see if there was a limit or downside to it but was shocked to find there wasn’t one. since finding about that and how it is abused by others online the entire game is soured to me.

Maybe I’m just letting it bother me too much but it’s kind of like finding a broken car in gran turismo or a “tecmo bowl Bo Jackson” in a sports game. Huge issue for me which I wish it wasn’t.

 

[TexMex]

Got the plat. Top 3 game of the year for me with Nobody Saves the World and Elden.

 

[RayBoy]

 

[VGEsoterica]

I absolutely adored the original arcade game back in the late 80’s so my hype for this game was through the roof. The graphics, music, gameplay everything was about perfect until I was playing around with the buttons and learned about the taunting, I spent the next few minutes playing around trying to see if there was a limit or downside to it but was shocked to find there wasn’t one. since finding about that and how it is abused by others online the entire game is soured to me.

Maybe I’m just letting it bother me too much but it’s kind of like finding a broken car in gran turismo or a “tecmo bowl Bo Jackson” in a sports game. Huge issue for me which I wish it wasn’t.

someone else mentioned that. Hopefully it gets patched out. I've only done couch co-op so nothing Ive seen abused

 

[VGEsoterica]

Certainly takes the title of "brawler of the year" no easy feat to be a title second only to the 30 year classic - Turtles in Time!

I was just playing this yesterday for a video this fall. Still a damn good game

 

[Pagusas]

whats the best platform to play the game on? I have them all, so unsure what would be best.

Edit: OHHH Just realized this is on Gamepass, no need to waste money on it then

 

[64bitmodels]

one of the best 2d beatemups of all time. Streets of Rage 2, cry your heart out because there's a new king on the block

 

[Ferdimage]

Thanks to TMNT coming back, I've had a craving for other beat em up games.
Playing Scott Pilgrim for the first time and I'm really enjoying it.

 

[RAIDEN1]

I was just playing this yesterday for a video this fall. Still a damn good game

With the Cowabunga Collection I may stand a chance to actually complete it... even playing it on the SNES mini reminds you that it is easy to get your lives drained away the further you get into the game...

 

[VGEsoterica]

With the Cowabunga Collection I may stand a chance to actually complete it... even playing it on the SNES mini reminds you that it is easy to get your lives drained away the further you get into the game...

It is legit stingy on continues. 3 on normal mode. That’s not enough really

 

[NikuNashi]

It's a very faithful recreation of that 90's magic time. It bought back feelings inside me that I thought were long gone. I loved it and would urge anyone to pay for it so that it sends a message to publishers that there is still a market for high quality sprite based games.

 

[VGEsoterica]

It's a very faithful recreation of that 90's magic time. It bought back feelings inside me that I thought were long gone. I loved it and would urge anyone to pay for it so that it sends a message to publishers that there is still a market for high quality sprite based games.

It already did 1 million copies in sales apparently so I think that’s a huge sign there is a lot of demand for really solid sprite based games.

Probably still need a franchise attached to move those numbers though. Take TMNT out and it probably does 300k. That would be my guess at least

 

[amigastar]

Turtles are cool. Still have to play the game, though.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Turtles are cool. Still have to play the game, though.

I prefer terrapins myself

 

[amigastar]

I prefer terrapins myself

Actually i've meant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are cool.

 

[Pagusas]

this makes me want to watch the original live action Turtle movie. wonder if it still holds up.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Game was pretty fun. Had to add scanlines via Reshade though. Makes it look much better.

I'll also say the "story mode" overworld and trappings were pretty much garbage. Only useful so you could save your progress and not play through the whole game in one go.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

This is the most overrated game of '22 bar none. It's not bad but its barely "good" and only really excellent in its visuals (awesome pixel art) and nailing nastalgia. Ironically, there was a pixel art beat em up that came out that same week, Final Vandetta, which is FAR better mechanically and game design wise yet this game got brushed aside by mainstream game reviewers and youtubers. It controls better, it's tighter, more challenging and also has excellent pixel art but it was seen as "generic" due to not having any gimmick and nastalgia the way SR does.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

one of the best 2d beatemups of all time. Streets of Rage 2, cry your heart out because there's a new king on the block

SoR 4 is so much better than Shredders as well as Fight and Rage and Final Vandetta. They control much better than SR which has some pretty loose controls and reward skill far better too.

 

[64bitmodels]

SoR 4 is so much better than Shredders

immense disagree, i'd argue SOR4 doesn't really add anything new to the streets of rage formula and coasts off of nostalgia far more than shredders revenge does. For all the nostalgic content SR may have i still felt it was a phenomenal experience
SOR4 feels generic after playing it and the music doesn't hit as hard as SOR2... it's just kind of 'there' honestly

 

[VGEsoterica]

This is the most overrated game of '22 bar none. It's not bad but its barely "good" and only really excellent in its visuals (awesome pixel art) and nailing nastalgia. Ironically, there was a pixel art beat em up that came out that same week, Final Vandetta, which is FAR better mechanically and game design wise yet this game got brushed aside by mainstream game reviewers and youtubers. It controls better, it's tighter, more challenging and also has excellent pixel art but it was seen as "generic" due to not having any gimmick and nastalgia the way SR does.

That I just can’t get behind

 

[Captain Toad]

Turtles are cool

So that's where you went, "I like turtles" kid.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is most excellent, but not perfect.

 

[Punished Miku]

Definitely not perfect. The aerial enemies. The no hit achievements. The lack of defensive options.

But its a 9/10 and pretty dang great.

 

[Punished Miku]

SoR 4 is so much better than Shredders as well as Fight and Rage and Final Vandetta. They control much better than SR which has some pretty loose controls and reward skill far better too.

Its not even in the same league as SoR4. I just don't compare them. Its not fair to other games.

 

[Labolas]

I will say fuck whoever got rid of April's butt attack. We need dem cheeks.

immense disagree, i'd argue SOR4 doesn't really add anything new to the streets of rage formula and coasts off of nostalgia far more than shredders revenge does. For all the nostalgic content SR may have i still felt it was a phenomenal experience
SOR4 feels generic after playing it and the music doesn't hit as hard as SOR2... it's just kind of 'there' honestly

If you think that SOR4 didn't add anything to the franchise. Then you're playing it wrong. Lol, SOR4's music is just there. Wow ok. As someone as that loves SOR2's music I have again disagree. I played SOR4 ost multiple times.

 

[RAIDEN1]

I will say fuck whoever got rid of April's butt attack. We need dem cheeks.


If you think that SOR4 didn't add anything to the franchise. Then you're playing it wrong. Lol, SOR4's music is just there. Wow ok. As someone as that loves SOR2's music I have again disagree. I played SOR4 ost multiple times.

Streets of Rage 4 has brought a revival to the franchise, which was sorely needed when you consider how long ago Streets of Rage 3 was and what it didn't do to take the franchise forward, all this talk of yeah maybe there will be a new Saturn or Dreamcast version...it could have turned out much worse which would have set things back probably another 20 years before Sega would be even remotely interested in revival ...(keeping in mind today's Sega is a shadow of its former self..)

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Game was pretty fun. Had to add scanlines via Reshade though. Makes it look much better.

It's criminal that a pixel game released in 2022 doesn't offer scanline options out of the box.

 

[cash_longfellow]

It is legit stingy on continues. 3 on normal mode. That’s not enough really

I’d rather it be stingy with costumes, than watered down with micros

 

[Labolas]

It's criminal that a pixel game released in 2022 doesn't offer scanline options out of the box.

Thank God for mod

 

[Sojiro]

Great to hear! I have to wait since I went physical with this game, but glad to hear it really nails the turtles (specifically the cartoon series) as that is like my favorite childhood show. Can't wait to dive into it when it gets here.

 

[SegaShack]

It is fantastic but just way too long. I only play arcade mode and its about 2 hours even with me using no continues. I think they should have made it 2 separate games or split the game into "Chapter 1 or Chapter 2" for Arcade mode.

40 minutes to an hour is a perfect length for an arcade beat em up.

As for a perfect 90s game? I'd say Sonic Mania absolutely kills it.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

1989's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for arcades was a coin-op colossus for Konami. Arriving as the popularity of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's radical reptiles was reaching its peak, the thirst for the original TMNT cabinet was so great Konami couldn't even keep up with the demand. With additional production outsourced, tens of thousands of TMNT cabinets were ultimately sold worldwide - and it would go on to become Konami's highest-grossing arcade game ever. In 1991, Konami found success again with the fondly-remembered follow-up Turtles in Time, which improved on the formula and is still largely considered the most-legendary TMNT game of all.

Three decades and several reboots later, Montreal-based studio Tribute Games has taken the turtles back to where they began with Shredder's Revenge - a spiritual sequel to Konami's stone-cold arcade classics. Shredder's Revenge is proof positive that there's no school like the old-school - but assembling a brand-new brawler in the shadow of two of the biggest and best beat 'em ups ever built is no trivial task. To find out how Tribute Games pulled this off we talked to narrative designer Yannick Belzil about what it took to contemporise the classic coin-op characteristics of the original TMNT games, and the challenges of returning to the 1987 animated universe. We also analysed the level Crisis at Coney Island and its flawless fusion of retro tropes and modern flourishes, all in a setting that pays perfect tribute to the earliest roots of the beat 'em up genre in the iconic 1979 cult film The Warriors.

This is Art of the Level.