Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Reviews
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is an excellent snapshot of gaming in the early 90s, but varies in quality from title to title.
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is a treasure trove of Turtle games, but our online experience was barely functional when matchmaking. Couch co-op fares a lot better, but some may notice an increased input delay over the originals. All said this is still a great collection for fans.
Whether you’re a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or not, the Cowabunga Collection is without a doubt the most impressive gaming compilation there’s ever been. Collecting 13 hard-to-find games with every possible bit of extra content is an incredible effort, and the fact that most of them are still a blast today is just the icing on the cake. The Cowabunga Collection is truly a shellebration of everything TMNT.
If Digital Eclipse addresses even half of my nitpicks in a future patch, that would take this collection past its current state of "good enough" to "easily recommended" territory. In the meantime, weigh your own particular nostalgic appetite before reaching in for a slice of the Cowabunga Collection-or order a tastier pie from the competition with Shredder's Revenge.
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.
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.
A great selection of games make this a strong collection, and I also appreciate the accoutrements that Digital Eclipse has thrown into the package. If you’re a beat-’em-up or a TMNT fan, The Cowabunga Collection is going to offer a lot of fun for you and your friends.
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.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise rarely had a miss with games back in the ’80s and ’90s and this compilation exemplifies that. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a love letter to fans of that era that can be equally appreciated by old and new generations of Turtles fans alike.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a must for any Turtles fan. The emulation here is flawless and the range of accessibility enhancements is very welcome. In fact, the treasure trove of behind-the-scenes content is worth the asking price alone. Sure, there's a some 'classic' games included that won't live up to nostalgic memories, but ignore the dross and you'll have a blast with the near-essential selection of scrolling beat 'em up TMNT goodness.
Plain and simple, TMNT The Cowabunga Collection is the new benchmark within retro video game compilations. Both for the selection of titles (very wide, with different versions and change of region) and for the enormous amount of extras, an example of preservation. As the turtles would say: this game is a fucking mother.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
If you're a fan of the Turtles, this is the collection for you. If you're a fan of arcade brawlers, this is the collection for you. If you're simply curious about this specific time in gaming history, the Cowabunga Collection is still worth owning. It's a phenomenal piece of work and a reminder of why the Turtles remain such a relevant franchise in video games to this day.
One of the best retro compilations ever made… for a collection of games that, despite the nostalgia, really don't deserve the attention.
The 11 games bundled together here offer a glorious return trip to a lost age of gaming
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is video gamer preservation at the highest level, as all the games remain intact and can be played as originally intended.
Overall, then, The Cowabunga Collection is a great look back at the Turtles games of yore. The franchise's stranglehold on side-scrolling beat 'em ups is fully on show with some of the best examples from the era, while the rest of the collection is still worth playing. A worthy selection for TMNT fans looking to delve into the past.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : The Cowabunga Collection compiles the best TMNT games from the 80s and 90s into one convenient package. The included enhancement options help to alleviate some of the inherent issues from past hardware, but it could have given the Green Team a little more love to really push this over the edge. Either way, this collection carries nostalgia in spades and gives newcomers and fans alike another chance to don their bandanas and take it to the Foot Clan.
The Cowabunga Collection is a masterful work of preservation, and the best way to contemplate the rise of the Turtles in Konami's heyday while contextualising it within a historical framework created with the taste and expertise that only Digital Eclipse can boast.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I’m not sure how I feel about this collection. I didn’t enjoy most of the games I played. And yet, this release does an admirable job gathering up so much Turtles history and memorabilia. You’ve got the games, the box art, the concept sketches, the music, and the TV stills. You have a clear snapshot of the Turtles hype train running at full speed. The effect is so complete this collection feels like a curated museum exhibit. On the other hand, the games are mostly bad. The action is repetitive, the difficulty balance is busted, and the stage design is mostly an afterthought. If you’re looking for a thoughtful essay on Ninja Turtles history, then look no further. If you want a bunch of fun games, The Cowabunga Collection is not for you.