Cowabunga dudes! The turtles are back to kick some shell, and they’ve broken out of the arcade and into your home! We got the chance to enjoy this throwback title from the comfort of our own couch and are here to tell you all about it.
What is TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants?
Originally released in 2017 simply as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this Raw Thrills developed game was exclusive to arcades. Now it’s been ported into our homes with new levels and fresh bosses to take down.
Wrath of the Mutants is a 3D side-scrolling beat ‘em up inspired by the classic Turtles in Time and based on how the heroes in a half-shell appeared in their 2012 television series. If you loved 2022’s Shredder’s Revenge, then this is one for you!
TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants Gameplay
Like the 90s arcade classic that inspired it, Wrath of the Mutants lets you take control of the four eponymous turtles and engage in exciting side-scrolling, beat ‘em up action. Take control of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo as you navigate exciting stages inspired by their adventures. From the streets of New York all the way to Dimension X, you’ll get to battle it out against the Foot Clan and build up to fighting the Turtles’ arch-nemesis, Shredder!
While you can certainly fly solo in this adventure, everyone knows games are more fun with friends. Wrath of the Mutants has been optimised for local co-op play, so be sure to grab a couple of friends and a few pizzas before booting up this game. For our review, that’s exactly what we made sure to do…
Our Thoughts on TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
While we may not have pizza, my wife and I sure had fun blasting through Wrath of the Mutants together from the comfort of our colour co-ordinated bean bags. When Raw Thrills say this game is best experienced with friends, I wholeheartedly agree – while you could certainly play through each level and work towards that high score solo, there’s something so much more satisfying about doing it with a friend.
Wrath of the Mutants keeps controls simple to stay accessible – you move, you attack or grab, you jump, and you use your Turtle Power. That’s enough to keep every level entertaining and varied, while still carrying enough challenge for those looking to master. Every turtle plays similar save for their Turtle Powers – super attacks that you charge up by beating up enemies. These are available often enough that you won’t hoard them, but infrequently enough that they don’t break the game. Each is a reflection of the respective turtle, such as Raph’s fiery furious fists and Mikey’s pizza-based assault.
Levels all feel different in design and difficulty (there’s a clear, unadvertised progression carrying over from Wrath of the Mutants days on the arcade) and stay true to their side scrolling roots. There is a third dimension in there though, so the game feels retro rather than dated. Once you’ve landed on a difficulty setting, you can play any five of the six levels off the bat – you’ll need to defeat them all in order to unlock the last level and final boss, Shredder.
In an era of 100+ hour epic adventures and live service games, Wrath of the Mutants simpler content pallet can be refreshing. The boss battles with the likes of Krang and Baxter Stockman are pleasing for TMNT fans, as are the inclusion of allies as powerups giving us Metalhead cameos, but there’s not constant new content and gameplay you need to contend with right up till the final level. New enemy units sure, but not whole new skills that unlock half a map you haven’t explored with no story relevance.
No, Wrath of the Mutants wants you to do something far more traditional – compete for the highest score! At the end of every level, each Turtle’s score is tallied up and one can be truly declared the winner. That’s right, this game is just as co-operative as it is competitive. What fun that can become as you blast through each fifteen-to-twenty-minute level with your buddies. For me, it was a case of my wife constantly managing to beat me without even trying. Something that makes me just as proud as it does salty.
TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is a lot of fun in the small doses it wants you to take it. Glory seekers will get a thrill out of shotting for high scores, dissecting levels, and understanding the optimal approaches. Filthy casuals like me will just have fun bashing through the Foot Clan, screaming for their other half to let them have the HP restoring pizza this time, and joyously high-fiving when you both manage to break into the leaderboard…even if her turtle is higher up it than mine.
Can You Play TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants With Others?
As we highlighted earlier, yes you can! TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants does support local co-op for up to four players, meaning you can get your own turtle squad together to have a good time. The game is out from April 24th 2024, and is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, as well as PlayStation 5 and PS4.
TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants Official System Specs
If you’re going to take to streets of New York on your gaming PC, best to give your Party Wagon…err, system a tune up first! We’ve got the official system requirements for TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants right here for you.
| Component | Minimum Specs |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3570 |
| Memory | 8GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1050 |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Storage | 7GB available space |
The Best Gaming PCs to Play TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
Are you rocking tech that would make Donatello proud? We’ve got a wide range of gaming PCs and laptops here at Overclockers UK to help you play TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants at its best!
Refract Gaming Crimson Pre-Built Gaming PC
- Entry-level gaming PC part of pre-built Refract Gaming PC range
- Cherry-picked hardware and hand built by Overclockers UK’s team of experts
- Comes with three years parts and labour warranty
- Perfect to also play League of Legends and Valorant
Available to order for £869.99* with free-next day delivery
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Gaming Laptop
- Take your game on the go with this portable, lightweight gaming laptop
- Blow away the competition with powerful tech, sleek cooling solutions, and plenty of ports to match your needs
- Fast-charging technology gets you back to 50% in just 30 minutes, plus efficient battery for hours of play
- Military grade toughness thanks to rigorous testing, earning its coveted TUF status
Available to order for £1,199.99*
OcUK Gaming Oxygen Gaming PC
- Built to order gaming PC hand built by Overclockers UK’s in-house team of experts.
- Play the latest games with AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU while enjoying the stylish RGB lighting
- Upgrade the specs to meet your needs – from the GPU and memory to storage and the case!
- Comes with our standard three-year warranty, including free upgrade service
Available to order starting from £1,349.99*
Are You Excited to Play TMNT: Wrath of the Mutants?
Will you be picking up this beat ‘em up arcade port to play with pizza and friends? Do you have another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game that’s your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 7 min read
Jacob Smith
Author
Jacob is a passionate gamer, plus a noted Pokemon and LEGO nutjob, who emerges only when doing the words here at Overclockers UK. Since starting at the tail end of 2021, Jacob has gone on to write dozens of blogs on everything from the latest games to whimsical Dickens-inspired poetry. Outside of creating content and being the one person in the office daring to champion Nintendo, he is often found fawning over his Pokemon card collection and his trio of lovely doggos.
Read More >>