[Expedientes GF] The Lost Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Video Game

Taking into account the popularity that all its incarnations have had, it is not surprising that there are dozens of games of TMNT in all kinds of genres. Some of the most popular were the ‘beat em’ ups’ for 8 and 16 bit arcades and consoles from the 1990s that we can now enjoy on modern platforms in the excellent compilation The Cowabunga Collection. But there is a ‘beat em’ up’ of the ninja turtles that we can no longer try because it is a video game literally lost in time: TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.

Doesn’t ring a bell? We don’t blame them. This game was only available for a short time and then it disappeared from the world. You can watch a trailer below.

As its name suggests, Re-Shelled it was a ‘remake’ of the much loved 1991 game for arcades and SNES TMNT: Turtles in Time. As in the original game, we went through various settings visiting the streets of New York and various historical periods—the age of dinosaurs, pirates, the old west, and the future—before confronting the Shredder and forcing him to return the stolen statue of freedom.

Re-Shelled It was the work of Ubisoft, which acquired the rights to the franchise to launch the games related to the 2007 animated film. It was developed by its studio in Singapore and sought to take advantage of the popularity that non-indie games had at the time. ‘, but smaller ones that were being released on the Xbox Live Arcade digital store.

When they announced this video game, the ninja turtles fans were very excited. TMNT: Turtles in Time It is one of the most loved and remembered games based on the series. It was an excellent opportunity to relive old glories and reconnect with Leo, Raph, Don and Mike at a time when there were no new works about them. Sadly, the game they received wasn’t quite up to nostalgia.

TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled It was released as a temporary Xbox Live Arcade exclusivity on August 5, 2009, and met with a rather lukewarm reception. The controls felt sluggish and a bit clunky, the music didn’t quite compare to the original game’s soundtrack, and it lacked the levels added in the SNES version. The graphics were mediocre and some visual elements were too simple. It wasn’t a bad game, but it was far less than what the fans expected.

In September 2009, the digital version for PS3 came out and less than two years later, in June 2011, it disappeared from both stores. Today it is impossible to find it for sale on any platform. The only way to play it is on someone’s Xbox 360 or PS3 console who bought it when it became available.

Why did the ninja turtles video game disappear? TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled?

There is no mystery about it. The game was pulled because Ubisoft’s license to publish Ninja Turtles games expired.. The control of TMNT in the world of video games, it passed into the hands of Activision, which began to publish games based on the excellent Nickelodeon series that began to be broadcast in 2012.

Re-Shelled It wasn’t much of a game, and many say “nothing of value was lost in its disappearance,” but we disagree. Completist fans of ninja turtles and those interested in the preservation and history of video games are interested in rescuing this title. It offers a very interesting insight into the state of video games released only in digital version in the first decade of this century and the constant interest in recreating and reliving the youthful experiences of ‘millennials’. if we succeed for Ubisoft to re-publish Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The GameWhy not this one too?

Fortunately, we ninja turtles fans have eaten very well in recent years. We could enjoy the animated movie Rise of the TMNTremember the old days with the aforementioned The Cowabunga Collectionenjoy the excellent game Shredder’s Revenge that will have a DLC soon and the recently released mutant chaos. Despite everything there is a small hole in our hearts for this title that, although it was not great, we simply cannot forget.

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