Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan[a]is a 2016hack and slash gamedeveloped byPlatinumGamesand published byActivision.It is inspired byIDW Publishing'sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescomic book series. It was released forPlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,Windows,Xbox 360,andXbox Onein May 2016. Less than eight months after its release, the game was removed from sale from all digital storefronts on January 3, 2017.[2]This was the lastNickelodeongame to be published by Activision, with the rights for theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesvideo game seriesbeing given toDotemu.
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | PlatinumGames |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Director(s) | Eiro Shirahama |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Eiro Shirahama |
| Programmer(s) | Masanori Kumakiri |
| Writer(s) | Tom Waltz[1] |
| Composer(s) | Masafumi Takada Naofumi Harada |
| Series | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Gameplay
editThe game is anactionhack and slashgame withcel-shadedartstyle, in which players control thetitle characters,including Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael, from athird-person perspective.With the exception of infiniteshurikens,each turtle has an individual style ofninjutsu.Each turtle also has four ultimate abilities, which are interchangeable and shared from a well-sized list. For example, Leonardo can slow down time, and Michelangelo can performcheerleading,which resets the cooldowns of other turtles' abilities. Players can shift between turtles at will in the single-player campaign. The turtles can perform successive attacks to create acombo.[3]The four turtles also have the ability toparkourand useparachuteswhile traveling around the game's world. Players encounter numerous green orbs in the game. These orbs, known as Battle Points can be spent to upgrade the turtles' abilities - as well as buying items (such asgrappling hooksandrocket launchers) from Master Splinter anytime during the game. April O' Neil provides assistance to players by giving hints and directions.[4]The turtles can also scan their surroundings and tag enemies.[5]
The game is divided into nine different stages. In each stage, players encounter random enemies before reaching aBoss.When the player character is defeated, other turtles (controlled byartificial intelligencein the campaign or by other players in the multiplayer) can help revive the players. If the turtles are not revived, they will be sent back to the subterranean lair. A mini-game will then begin, tasking the turtle to eat pizza as fast as possible.[5]The game supports four-player onlinecooperative multiplayer.[6]
Plot
editThe four Ninja Turtles find theFoot Clancausing trouble inNew York Cityonce again. After the streets are cleared, the turtles are told byAprilvia T-Glass thatBebopis robbing a bank and is well-armed with chainsaws, explosive bombs and guns. Working together, the turtles defeat Bebop, before learning that his partnerRocksteadyis also causing trouble, threatening to destroy the subway system withtime bombs.Upon defeating the hammer-swinging Rocksteady, the four turtle brothers are again contacted by April, who reveals that Slash is hiding deep in the sewers, so the turtles investigate, while watching out for Slash, who is constantly taunting them. The turtles are directed to a construction site high up in the skyscrapers, whereKaraihas placed explosives, which they defuse before fighting Karai, who then escapes via jet-pack.
The turtles next face off againstArmaggon,before also encountering Wingnut, whom they soon defeat. Afterwards, GeneralKrang,not impressed by the turtles defeating his minions, attacks New York himself, but is also ultimately defeated, though the turtles celebrate too early, as Krang then upgrades himself and becomes "Mega Krang." The turtles once again triumph over Krang, before being attacked byShredderhimself, who is annoyed with everyone else's failure to destroy them and attempts to do it himself. Shredder proves to be their biggest challenge yet, but through teamwork and their experience, the turtles prevail, saving New York from the Foot Clan, at least for the moment.
Development
editAccording to developerPlatinumGames,the team developed licensed video games as creating newintellectual propertieswas difficult.[7]Mutants in Manhattanis the third licensed game developed by Platinum, after the company partnered withActivisionto createThe Legend of Korra(2014) andTransformers: Devastation(2015).[8]According to Platinum, they developed the game based on their own vision instead of the previous comics, films or games. According to game designer Eiro Shirahama, the team watched theTMNTanimated series and also played the oldTMNTgames for theSuper Famicomwhile working on the game so as to understand the universe and the characters.[5]Tom Waltz, who had previously writtenTMNTcomic booksforIDW Publishing,is the game's lead writer.[9]The game's artstyle was inspired by Mateus Santolouco, an artist of the series.[10]The game's existence was first leaked byXbox,Australian Classification Boardand a user onTwitter.[11]PlatinumGames later officially announced the title on January 26, 2016.[12]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattanwas released forPlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,Windows,Xbox 360,andXbox Onein May 2016.[13]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (XBO) 55/100[14] (PC) 51/100[15] (PS4) 44/100[16] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 4.5/10[17] |
| Edge | 3/5[18] |
| Game Informer | 6/10[19] |
| GameSpot | 4/10[20] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 2/5[21] |
| IGN | 4.9/10[22] |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattanreceived "mixed or average" reviews on the Xbox One and PC, and received "generally unfavorable" reviews on the PlayStation 4, according to video gamereview aggregatorMetacritic.[14][15][16]
Brett Makedonski ofDestructoidsaid of the Xbox One version, "it doesn't even necessarily succeed where Platinum Games usually excels."[17]Dave Rudden ofIGNcalled the PlayStation 4 version short, bland, and highly repetitive, while also expressing criticism at the lack of local co-op multiplayer.[22]Digital Foundry's John Linneman criticized the game for not reaching 60frames per secondon any platform, even though an Activision producer stated that local co-op multiplayer was omitted to reach it.[23]Game Informersaid of the PlayStation 4 version, "Controlling the turtles is fun, but the structure of the levels, missions, and Boss es leave much to be desired"[19]Hardcore Gamersaid of the same console version, "About the only real way one can recommendMutants in Manhattanis if you're a really die-hardNinja Turtlesfan and [you] have access to online multiplayer, and even then, the tedious level and mission design is sure to get grating after a while. In the end, sadly, not even an old-fashioned Ninja Rap could save this mess. "[21]GameSpotsaid of the same console version, "Without a doubt,Mutants In Manhattanis a disappointment, one multiplied several times over not just by its pedigree, but by the fact that the ingredients for a good game are present. "[20]Edgegave the same console version three out of ten, saying, "Platinum needs to take a little more care when it comes to picking its battles".[18]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^Carter, Chris (January 26, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan Officially Announced".Destructoid.Gamurs.Archivedfrom the original on May 31, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Yin-Poole, Wesley (January 4, 2017)."Platinum's Turtles game delisted from Steam, PSN and Xbox".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Tan, Nicholas (March 16, 2016)."TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan Deserves A Pizza-Twirling Cowabunga!".GameRevolution.Evolve Media.Archivedfrom the original on May 25, 2024.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^IGN staff (March 15, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan – Gameplay Walkthrough".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abcWebster, Andrew (March 17, 2016)."The new TMNT game feels like a proper successor to arcade classic Turtles in Time".The Verge.Vox Media.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (March 17, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan video takes a look at Boss es".VG247.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Hussain, Tamoor (February 5, 2016)."Bayonetta Dev Explains Why It Can't Focus Entirely on Original IP".GameSpot.Fandom.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Reilly, Luke (November 30, 2015)."Platinum Games Developing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Reiner, Andrew (March 14, 2016)."TMNT: Mutants In Manhattan Releases In May".Game Informer.GameStop.Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Cooper, Robert (January 26, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan announced for PS4 & PS3".PlayStation Blog.Sony Interactive Entertainment.Archivedfrom the original on May 13, 2021.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Schreier, Jason (May 1, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game Leaks So Much There's No Need To Announce It".Kotaku.G/O Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Osborn, Alex (January 26, 2016)."TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan Official Leaks Coming Tomorrow".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Matulef, Jeffery (March 14, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan release date confirmed".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^ab"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan critic reviews (XOne)".Metacritic.Fandom.Archivedfrom the original on August 5, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^ab"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan critic reviews (PC)".Metacritic.Fandom.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^ab"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan critic reviews (PS4)".Metacritic.Fandom.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abMakedonski, Brett (May 25, 2016)."Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (XOne)".Destructoid.Gamurs.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abEdge staff (August 2016). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (PS4)".Edge.No. 295. Future plc. p. 110.
- ^abHilliard, Kyle (May 27, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan Review (PS4)".Game Informer.GameStop. Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abClark, Justin (May 27, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (PS4)".GameSpot.Fandom.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2024.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abLeClair, Kyle (May 27, 2016)."Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (PS4)".Hardcore Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2016.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^abRudden, Dave (May 26, 2016)."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan Review (PS4)".IGN.Ziff Davis.Archivedfrom the original on December 10, 2023.RetrievedMay 25,2024.
- ^Linneman, John (May 26, 2016)."Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is Platinum's most disappointing game".Eurogamer.Gamer Network.Archivedfrom the original on October 2, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2024.