Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Reviews
Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is worth the price of admission. Some are duds, but most of them are excellent beatem-ups and a classic NES game that a lot of gamers grew up with. It’s nostalgia bait, but nostalgia is a valid feeling and can be cathartic- especially when it involves overcoming a game that used to crush you as a child.
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.
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.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection does right by the retro collection format, although at around $60-$70, even for digital, it’s on the pricier side, which won’t sit well with too many gamers, I suspect. That’s a pity, because it’s the kind of historical approach to curation that I wish more companies would take seriously.
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 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 an example of nostalgia done right. It is packed with good games, with numerous improvements and new options to make the experience even more fun for both longtime fans and new players looking to experience the classics for the first time.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection includes 13 great classic games with improvements and options that optimize the game experience. Besides having a good selection of titles, it includes a very complete gallery that works as a virtual museum. This nostalgia-packed collection is a great option to play with friends and is one of the best collections of the last few years.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection serves up ample old-school gameplay nostalgia, though it's appeal it limited.
Anyway, I think I’ve made my point for now. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection is a prime example of how video game history should be preserved and celebrated. With the wealth of additional material bundled in alongside the games — plus the solid recreations of the games themselves — this is the closest you’re going to get to an interactive “textbook” on the history of Konami’s Turtles games, and I sincerely hope we see more releases of this astonishingly high quality from Digital Eclipse in the future.
For now, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game remains a noteworthy game from a historical perspective, and is definitely still worth playing today. Just be ready for the things it does a bit differently from the norm — and aware that some of its follow-ups provide an arguably superior experience, particularly if you’re playing alone.
Break out the personal pan pizzas - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is the best way to experience these heroes in a half shell. This is more than just a collection; it’s a tribute of the highest order.
So in answer to the question in the headline, yes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES is eminently worth playing today — just maybe consider playing it as part of the Cowabunga Collection rather than on an original NES, and you’ll probably find yourself having a much better time than you might expect!
The important thing to note is that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game shouldn’t be written off just because it’s an NES port of a technically superior arcade game. Rather, it should be looked upon as a distinct experience that has its own value — and plenty of enjoyment to offer, even for a modern audience.
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is an enjoyable reunion which have gathered 13 classic games of the series. That being said, it's a little bit overpriced and I suggest you wait for it to go on sale and then you can purchase is with a more reasonable price
Review in Persian | Read full review
I’m genuinely impressed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project. It represents a solid evolution of the Turtles beat ’em up formula, and is a prime example of a late-era NES game that looks, sounds and plays great. If you, like me, have previously ignored it in favour of the arcade game on the basis that an 8-bit console game couldn’t possibly be as good, then take a bit of time to educate yourself. You will almost certainly be very pleasantly surprised.
The Cowabunga Collection becomes a new gold standard for this type of retro collections. It is loaded with games, bonus content and new features. There are some minor issues, and price tag is one of them, but it's still a must for every fan.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The arcade version of Turtles in Time is definitely worth playing, then — but, as we’ve previously noted, a lot of people actually hold the SNES version in even higher esteem than its source material. So we’ll take a look at that next time, and see if that’s an attitude still worth holding in 2022, now we have easy access to both versions via the Cowabunga Collection.
It’s great to preserve the original arcade experiences as much as possible, of course — particularly with real arcades being a dying breed, and physical arcade machines often sadly ending up discarded and unloved — but Turtles in Time shows us that there’s still a great deal of value in a game originally designed for the arcade being significantly reimagined for its home release.
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