I’m a child of the nineties and one of the biggest franchises was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They were the coolest. The turtles all had the coolest names, not that we knew as children that they were taken from Renaissance figures. The turtles were everywhere, from toys to live action films, it was probably one of the first children’s properties to have a complete global takeover in media and merchandise.
Lately I’ve been feeling a pull back towards the franchise after not watching or following any of it since the original 80s cartoon. There’s been a lot that’s come out since, and I’ve heard it’s all pretty solid in the subsequent series that followed. So I started reading the comics by IDW with original creator Kevin Eastman. They’re actually pretty good, and feel like a good modern interpretation of the series. Just recently it was announced that there is going to be a triple A game adapting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, and so I read it.
Think Logan, or The Dark Knight Returns, and you understand the bleak dystopian nature of The Last Ronin. The premise around The Last Ronin is that only one of the turtles has survived. This turtle wears a black headband and utilises all four weapons the turtles had in his arsenal, thus creating a mystery around which turtle he is. After leaving to a mountain summit after his brothers died he returns many years later for revenge. The man he wants revenge against is the grandson of Shredder who now controls Manhattan. Between the endgame showdown there are flashbacks to how each turtle and Splinter died. One death is so devastating and the image of it lingers in the mind.
Reading the comic you can see how well this game would work like an Arkham/God of War type game. Effectively you would be playing two stories as the present and the past converge. This would allow for every turtle to be playable. There is also currently a second ongoing ‘The Last Ronin’ comic arc that fills in time between those two periods and would likely find it’s way to the game as well. This game could become one of the greats. With the upswing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles currently happening they could once again become a movement outside of the children’s shows and comics.
I’m excited to play the game in say, four to five years from now. In the meantime you should absolutely read Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin when you get the chance. It’s available for free on Kindle Unlimited HERE.
Robert Ring
KissTheGames 