Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Reviews
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
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.
I would have already loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection if it were a mere collection of a handful of TMNT titles from back in the day, with little to no extras. But the addition of online co-op, gameplay modifiers, regional variants, and that adorable Nintendo Power-esque tips guide for each title just elevates this compilation to nonsensical heights. This is Rare Replay levels of good, one of the best retro compilations of the past years.
Like with any collection of retro games, if you have fond memories of playing what’s included here, you’re likely to enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection more than those who don’t. And while there are some games here that are still enjoyable, there are others that we can’t imagine anyone genuinely having a fun time with. Still, as retro collections go, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection is comprehensive, and you can’t fault that. Add in all the fan-pleasing extras and you have a collection that is sure to find an audience despite its shortcomings.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection could have been a shoddy release but Konami delivers a meaningful bundle of games well worth revisiting.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a true love letter to Konami's own TMNT titles, and one of the best collections of this kind seen to date, with a huge amount of content and extra features such as online play and a very complete Ninja Turtles encyclopedia. A must buy for every lover of the classic TMNT games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a must-play title for retro game lovers or turtle fans. Having all these games from all the different consoles in one collection is amazing - so much easier than pulling out and hooking up all the systems!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a true labor of love from Digital Eclipse. Although the quality of the games included may be scattershot, ultimately, there's still enough good content to appeal to fans and non-fans alike.
If you’re at this point still in doubt if this compilation is worth getting, well, you shouldn’t anymore. The fact that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection includes the classic assortment of TMNT games in an easily accessible package is reason enough to pick it up. Now, add in Digital Eclipse’s extra efforts in making them better with the many different tweaks and online multiplayer, coupled with the insane amount of historical material that makes up the museum only go to cement that The Cowabunga Collection as a must-buy. That goes for just about anyone with even a passing interest in retro games, let alone a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. No ifs, ors, ands, or buts about it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is an excellent package and another wonderfully executed preservation job from Digital Eclipse. Not all the games hold up under a modern lens, but this is still a must own for any TMNT fan.
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.
It’s amazing to see all these classic games ported to modern consoles. The Ninja Turtles, plus all their friends, and even the villains, have always had a special place in the hearts of fans around the world. These games played a huge part in not only the Turtles’ legacy but also video game history. Reliving these classics offline and online, and going through all their history in the Turtles Lair will create one shell of a trip down memory lane. Even if Konami has been a shell of its former self in recent years, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection’ is one of the best things they’ve ever done and gives the people what they want. COWABUNGA DUDE!
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
To finally have proper, unspoiled versions of TMNT Arcade and Turtles in Time that I can play whenever I want without having to spend hundreds on a replica arcade machine makes the TMNT: Cowabunga Collection worth it alone. Everything else is a welcome bonus.
If the excellent TMNT: Shredder's Revenge has not yet quenched your hunger for ninja turtles, with The Cowabunga Collection get ready for indigestion: Digital Eclipse has done a really good job in adapting 13 products that have made the history of the Konami series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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.
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is an ode to the classic TMNT titles and the best Konami ever. A must have title for all TMNT fans.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Cowabunga Collection is a definite example of how a compilation should be, both with the number of games it contains and features and extra content it offers. Obviously, Digital Eclipse acted with great respect for both its work and the history of the series. For fans of the series, it's a dreamlike time machine that takes you back to the golden days of Ninja Turtles.
Review in Turkish | Read full review