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Game Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 30, 2022)
• PlayStation 4 (Aug 30, 2022)
• Xbox One (Aug 30, 2022)
• PlayStation 5 (Aug 30, 2022)
• Nintendo Switch (Aug 30, 2022)
• PC (Aug 30, 2022)

Trailers:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection - Exclusive Release Date Trailer
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Announcement Trailer

Developer: Digital Eclipse

Publisher: Konami

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 84 average - 93% recommended - 14 reviews

Metacritic (PS5) - 81 average - 8 Reviews

Critic Reviews​

Atomix - Sebastian Quiroz - Spanish - 92 / 100

In a year with good collections, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection manages to stand out as one of the best packages of its kind. Digital Eclipse's work pays a fantastic homage to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Konami's work on this property.

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Chicas Gamers - Álvaro Bustío - Spanish - Unscored

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is an essential game for all those fans who lived the phenomenon of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We can play 14 games that are perfectly emulated and it provides a large amount of additional information that helps to understand why this phenomenon became so great.

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Digitally Downloaded - 4 / 5

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FingerGuns - Greg Hicks - 8 / 10

The TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is exactly what it says it is. It's thirteen classic Turtles adventures, with some modern quality of life improvements to tip the scales on occasion. For those expecting more in terms of remake, remaster or more content, it won't be found here. Just pure nostalgia.

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GamingTrend - Richard Allen - 90 / 100

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is a painstakingly crafted love letter to a by-gone era of gaming, bringing 13 classic games to the modern age while adding in a slew of features including the ability to rewind, save, and toggle enhancements which greatly enhance the gameplay experience. Add in the impressively comprehensive list of documents available in the Turtle's Lair and you have a collection well worth the asking price.

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God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 8 / 10

There is much to see and do with The Cowabunga Collection, and whilst the games are arguably all eclipsed by the recent Dotemu reboot, there are still some blinding retro classics and so many extras to enjoy that this collection is a great value trip through your childhood console and arcade memories.

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Hardcore Gamer - Chris Shive - 4 / 5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a Turtle treasure trove, including every TMNT game released for arcade and console between 1989 and 1993.

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MonsterVine - Brian Seymour - 4.5 / 5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a great ensemble for retro gamers and newcomers alike.

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Nintendo Life - Tom Massey - 9 / 10

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is indisputably the best thing Konami has released in a long while, meeting all expectations and then some. Bar absent difficulty settings for the arcade games, it's an anthology that finally gets it totally right. Digital Eclipse and Konami have done the fans justice, offering a comprehensive library that doesn't hide content behind a paywall, while going above and beyond in terms of features and bonuses. With online functionality and rollback netcode being the icing on the cake, this is now the gold standard for retro collections. Capcom, pay close attention.

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NintendoWorldReport - Neal Ronaghan - 9 / 10

Or maybe you just want to watch a playthrough of Hyperstone Heist just because. Cowabunga Collection presents so many ways to experience the Turtles games of the '80s and '90s, making it enjoyable for anyone who has any interest in the Turtles or their video game exploits. This truly is radical.

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Push Square - Scott McCrae - 8 / 10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a great package. While not every game is a winner - and a lot of them are variants of other games in the collection - there's still lots here to love. It brings two of the most beloved beat-'em-ups in history to modern platforms, and is host to some hidden gems like Radical Rescue. This is all polished up with a host of great enhancements and the fantastic Turtle Lair gallery, which - for any TMNT fan - may be worth the price of admission alone.

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Spaziogames - Italian - 8.2 / 10

A valuable collection for every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' longtime fan.

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Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 7.5 / 10

Despite the stuttering and issues with the extras, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is still a very good title thanks to the quality of titles on offer and the enhancements to make each game a little easier for inexperienced players. The duo of arcade classics still stands the test of time, and their home version counterparts do a very good job of porting it all over while adding new elements to mask the parts that didn't get moved over. The portable games can be hit-and-miss, but they're still very good compared to the Game Boy lineup. The fighting games are interesting, and the other beat-'em-ups are solid. Hopefully the title gets patched for improvements, but retro fans will definitely enjoy it.

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ZTGD - Ken McKown - 9 / 10

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[The Shepard]

What's the price of this on psn? It's doesn't say and it's only a day away

 

[VectorVictor]

What's the price of this on psn? It's doesn't say and it's only a day away

$39.99 US. Same as Switch and Xbox consoles.

 

[ManaByte]

What's the price of this on psn? It's doesn't say and it's only a day away

No preorders on any console for some reason.

 

[baphomet]

Kind of wild that a mostly mediocre collection of roms can score as high as this is.

Sure it has some cool extras, but the 2 best games on here may be an hour worth of actual game time.

 

[AJUMP23]

 

[jaysius]

Old ROM collection, hilariously overpriced to steal money from nostalgia junkies.

 

[NickFire]

Anyone know if the Konami code will work on this collection? Nostalgia itch is flaring up just a little.

 

[SeraphJan]

Overpriced

 

[Wohc]

I like it, but i would never pay 40 bucks for this.

 

[Mr Hyde]

How's the Switch version? Only one I'm interested in.

 

[fart town usa]

Hell yea. Song slaps so hard.

Not available for purchase yet on PSN, countdown has it being available at 1pm EST.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Kind of wild that a mostly mediocre collection of roms can score as high as this is.

Sure it has some cool extras, but the 2 best games on here may be an hour worth of actual game time.

No good arcade game is very long. They're about mastery and replaying the game over and over. I'm serious about length. All the best arcade games are between 25 min to an hour tops.

 

[baphomet]

No good arcade game is very long. They're about mastery and replaying the game over and over. I'm serious about length. All the best arcade games are between 25 min to an hour tops.

There's very little to master in a beat em up, especially the first Turtles arcade game. I owned the arcade PCB for awhile and it was days before being able to 1cc it opposed to skill based arcade games that can take months or years to fully master.

 

[Punished Miku]

I'll get this after a price cut. Sounds like mediocre games mostly, but put together in a fantastic collection.

Been saying this for a while now, but Konami has consistently put out literally the best retro collections out there. Castlevania, Contra, Arcade all have multiple regions, box art, instructions scanned in for all regions, interviews, design doc and artwork scanned in.

This proves it's not only M2. Konami must be giving devs enough resources to make these collections shine.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Bought it for Switch. It got good reviews. Excited to jump back to some of my favorite games as a kid. Turtles in time and Turtles 2 on NES were classics back in the day. I'm even excited for the original NES game now that it got save states. Really nice collection Konami is throwing out here. Good value.

 

[Gambit2483]

I don't see why anyone (with a Switch) would get this for anything other than Switch. This is the kind of game that's perfect for both at home and portably

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Is the Cowabunga Collection totally radical? Find out in our in-depth review of this set of 13 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games, spanning the NES, Arcade, Game Boy, Super Nintendo, and Genesis, including the presentation, game selection, emulation quality, graphics, enhancements, and more!
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

0:00 What is the Cowabunga Collection?
0:54 Presentation & 13 Game Selection
2:42 Game Enhancements (Rewind, Save States, Cheats & More!)
3:56 Emulation Quality, Performance, & TV Filter Options
4:35 Online Mode! (Roll-Back, baby!)
6:58 The Games: Turtles in Time (SNES & Arcade)
7:41 The Games: Tournament Fighters (NES)
8:46 The Games: A Metroidvania TMNT?! (Radical Rescue)
9:53 The Games: The infamous NES TMNT
10:36 The Games: The Hyper Stone Heist (Genesis)
11:18 The Games: The Original Arcade TMNT (& NES port)
12:38 The Games: The Manhattan Project (NES)
12:52 Music & Sound Test
13:37 EXTRAS: Gallery, Box Art, Strategy Guide, & Behind-the-Scenes
15:17 Verdict

The 13 games are:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (Game Boy)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (Game Boy)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES)

 

[93xfan]

Kind of wild that a mostly mediocre collection of roms can score as high as this is.

Sure it has some cool extras, but the 2 best games on here may be an hour worth of actual game time.

I’d call your post “mediocre” but I’m not feeling that generous

 

[93xfan]

I don't see why anyone (with a Switch) would get this for anything other than Switch. This is the kind of game that's perfect for both at home and portably

Achievements, cloud saves for free, quick resume (maybe), 4K support, less latency, and most of all, a history of Nintendo stopping BC after a gen or two.

I do think it would be great portably though, and may get it again on sale for switch at some point.

 

[zweifuss]

It's great but I'm annoyed you can't pick a new turtle after you lose your credits on the arcade game. Even the Xbox live arcade version had that. Otherwise it's good.

 

[baphomet]

I’d call your post “mediocre” but I’m not feeling that generous

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

 

[Elbereth]

Read TMNT The Last Ronin if you haven’t already… A absolute must for Turtles fans.

 

[ManaByte]

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

 

[Gambit2483]

It's great but I'm annoyed you can't pick a new turtle after you lose your credits on the arcade game. Even the Xbox live arcade version had that. Otherwise it's good.

I'm guessing that will be patched in

 

[Knightime_X]

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

No.

 

[Ristifer]

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

 

[baphomet]

No.

Of all those games TMNT The Arcade Game, TMNT Turtles in Time, SNES Turtle Fighters, and because the Gameboy was new, the first GB Turtles game are the only ones that straight up scored good.

 

[Knightime_X]

Of all those games TMNT The Arcade Game, TMNT Turtles in Time, SNES Turtle Fighters, and because the Gameboy was new, the first GB Turtles game are the only ones that straight up scored good.

TMNT 2 nes, 3 nes, snes turtles in time where also great games.
Hyperstone heist wasn't a bad game, but was hugely overshadowed by the snes version.

As for tournament fighters NES, nobody was playing that when SNES (and 16-bit in general) was the hottest commodity in gaming entertainment.

 

[bender]

QFT

 

[Krathoon]

The online multiplayer is choppy. I just played through Turtles in Time with 4 players. It is still fun.

 

[93xfan]

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

I wouldn’t knock them for including extras such as the game boy games and fighters. Just like the Castlevania collection is no worse for having that crappy gameboy game.

And these games are meant to be very replayable. No one is saying these are Mario 3 tier, but they offer tons of nostalgia that people clearly love

 

[cireza]

but the 2 best games on here may be an hour worth of actual game time.

You can play a game more than a single time.

 

[cireza]

So I have completed Hyperstone Heist with this collection. I know this is not the favorite title for most people, but it is a personal favorite of mine. Great for a short, intense playthrough.

As always, I was very skeptical because Digital Eclipse do not have a great track record in terms of providing a really complete, fully featured emulation.

So from what I see, I can tell you this, and I am REALLY disappointed by these points here :
- NO integer scaling. Hyperstone Heist is displayed in 4/3, while the game actually runs in the lower/weaker SNES resolution on MD, which is 256*224. So they stretched this to 4/3, and you get sometimes a x4, sometimes a x5 for native pixels in the columns. You can be sure this is going to happen with all NES/SNES games as well. Tournament Fighters on MD might be true integer scaling, I will check.
- There is a filter applied even when you select NO FILTER. It is very obvious that intermediate pixels are begin calculated.
- Any filter offered is totally ugly since the scaling is uneven : LCD, CRT and whatever. Looks like complete ass.

For the vast majority of players, this going to be fine. But for older gamers like me, that still rock a CRT and original hardware, and that have high exigences towards image quality, this is stuff of nightmare. Unacceptable. Did these guys even play the M2 collections out there, for Contra and Castlevania ? How DIFFICULT can it be to simply offer options to the players ?

Seriously. This is 2022. Let the players decide how much they want to integer scale vertically and horizontally...

 

[renzero]

What are the chances the success of this game convinces them to do a cowabunga collection 2?

 

[renzero]

Achievements, cloud saves for free, quick resume (maybe), 4K support, less latency, and most of all, a history of Nintendo stopping BC after a gen or two.

I do think it would be great portably though, and may get it again on sale for switch at some point.

Steam deck all day

 

[kingwingin]

Little dissapointed with the fact not every game has god mode or infinite lives cheats. But not bad from what I played around with yesterday

 

[93xfan]

~70% of these games were considered average to trash when they released.

Winners don’t use drugs

 

[apple_of_enlightenment]

So from what I see, I can tell you this, and I am REALLY disappointed by these points here :
[...] Unacceptable.

Darn. How did latency fare?

 

[WalterSobchak]

Bought for Switch. Hopefully Konami will release more classics and maybe make some new shit. They really have an amazing list of IPs sitting there.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Playing this and Shredders Revenge , I’d love a game based on the 1990 movie characters and tone. It has the best Shredder and Raphael imo.

 

[cireza]

Darn. How did latency fare?

I played on Xbox and it felt okay.

The collection has a nice interface, goodies, options for US / JP, cheats, rewind etc... So it has a lot of good things. Simply display options are not what they should be in 2022.

 

[KO7]

I loved these games as a kid, but never had much of an itch to replay them. How does Shredder’s Revenge compare to these older games? Really liked the newer Streets of Rage and considering getting Shredder’s Revenge next.

 

[fart town usa]

I loved these games as a kid, but never had much of an itch to replay them. How does Shredder’s Revenge compare to these older games? Really liked the newer Streets of Rage and considering getting Shredder’s Revenge next.

Shredder's Revenge is better.

If all you want is a beat-em-up, go with SR. If you want some nostagia, go with Cowabunga Collection.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Shredder's Revenge is better.

If all you want is a beat-em-up, go with SR. If you want some nostagia, go with Cowabunga Collection.

What I would say though is that with Shredders Revenge what you don't get is the variety in the action compared to say Turtles in Time SNES, whereby not only are you side-scrolling but you have the great looking Mode 7 section instead, maybe if there is a sequel they'll add a level where you are in the Turtle's vehicle taking down the footclan who are trying to veer you off road, make it Road-Rash esque..

 

[fart town usa]

What I would say though is that with Shredders Revenge what you don't get is the variety in the action compared to say Turtles in Time SNES, whereby not only are you side-scrolling but you have the great looking Mode 7 section instead, maybe if there is a sequel they'll add a level where you are in the Turtle's vehicle taking down the footclan who are trying to veer you off road, make it Road-Rash esque..

For sure.

Probably should have clarified that SR being better is me taking into account someone who has no affinity for the past TMNT games and just wants a beat-em-up. Not that the Cowabunga Collection doesn't have great games, I just think SR would appeal more to someone who isn't familiar with the old titles.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

For sure.

Probably should have clarified that SR being better is me taking into account someone who has no affinity for the past TMNT games and just wants a beat-em-up. Not that the Cowabunga Collection doesn't have great games, I just think SR would appeal more to someone who isn't familiar with the old titles.

SR is inferior to Turtles in Time mechanically.

 

[sainraja]

I got this for TMNT: Tournament Fighters (both the SNES/Genesis versions).

 

[The Skull]

SR is inferior to Turtles in Time mechanically.

Is it? Doesn't it have more fighting mechanics?

 

[SkylineRKR]

I find it tough to call SR better. It has a more robust combo system etc but its a 2022 game so it could take lots of cues from dozens of scrollers.

However the pacing is different, its a much bigger game I didn't beat in one sitting. I was pretty much done by Episode 6. The co-op beyond 2 or 3 players feels worse, its incredibly mashy and often I don't even know who I play as.

I think at the end of the line I pick Turtles in Time and even Hyperstone Heist over SR when it comes to quick play or couch co-op. But SR is more meaty, thats for sure.