Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown

The history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one that's inextricably tied to the rebirth of the gaming industry in North America, and the best games to utilize the license have always understood the core appeal of what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles such an iconic IP. The Turtles' combat prowess and place as martial arts experts always made them seem better suited to beat 'em ups than any other kind of game, but Tactical Takedown proves that the team is a perfect fit for the turn-based tactics genre thanks to a creative dash of board game-style movement and combat that blends the "tactics" in Tactical Takedown with the gameplay of classics like Turtles in Time or the more recent Shredder's Revenge. As a result, it feels like it's destined to be talked about in the same breath as one of the best games to feature the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Short, sweet, and smart, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown took me by surprise. It’s not just about how much I enjoyed it, but how intelligently Strange Scaffold came up with a gimmick that sounds bizarre on paper, but absolutely nailed it in practice. I never could have guessed what a turn-based beat-em-up could possibly be, but now I perfectly understand the concept. As someone who’s more keen on brawlers than being a general on the battlefield, this is an approach to tactics that lit up all the best parts of my brain, and kept on cooking until the credits rolled. And then some, because the song that plays at the end is a banger.

I never could have seen this coming, but it makes sense that such a talented indie studio would make an awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Fun and challenging battles combine perfectly with a unique tabletop-like art style and an excellent soundtrack, making this game feel like a new side street off memory lane.

This is an excellent showcase of what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so beloved, and as a fan, I’m so happy to see the turtles finally get the kinds of games they deserve.

TMNT: Tactically Takedown is a delightfully challenging game, once you get settled and accustomed to the pace. It does involve quite a bit of adjustment as the story gets started. I wish there was perhaps a bit more of an opportunity to be introduced to movesets or experiment as a result.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is an exciting take on the turn-based genre, aiming for quick and hard-hitting combat rather than the familiar and more methodical approach.

You may not be constantly smashing skulls with nunchucks and slicing through robots with katanas, but the game still doles out action in smaller chunks, move by move by move. It’s also fun to think strategically, figuring out how you can dance across the board without sustaining too much damage while also taking out key enemies along the way. Of course, I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a developer like Strange Scaffold. Whether it’s games about airports run by dogs, match-3 games based on a franchise that doesn’t exist, or a horror-infused homage to Max Payne, they know how to give their games a spark of originality. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown shows that even when they’re working with a more known quantity, they’re still adept at finding an approach that no one has ever taken before – and at making that work.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown really nails the pacing within the tactics genre, prioritizing a more aggressive combat style that feels like a dance when you’re able to quickly execute strategies and leverage each hero’s strengths. On the other hand, it’s a game that would benefit greatly from more polished visual details. It’s a highly experimental project that works well at its core but has plenty of room to grow.

Even as a brief game of only a few hours, I felt ready for things to wrap up by the time I hit the credits, but that’s not an indictment of how it all came together. Instead, this new tactical twist on the Turtles knows not to overstay its welcome. It’s a bite-sized chunk of strategic fun with an evident love of these classic characters that shines through, and that’s worth plenty.

Strange Scaffold have done it again and has made another wonderful romp that is well worth your time, this time adapting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles name and world. Dispel any doubt: the indie studio’s writing chops and style transfer well to the universe of the team of amphibian martial artists, bringing over so much charm and pizazz from the IP in its first-ever turn-based affair. With plenty of visual and audio flourishes and delights, you’re transported to the franchise’s heyday and better yet, while you’re at it, you’re engaging in some good old-fashioned tactics fun, using the turtle brother’s skillsets to take down wave after wave of thugs. It might not be the most mechanically deep or hardest of the genre, but it’s all worth it to see those lovable crime-fighting teens back in action.

TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a decent time if you love the turtles and aren’t expecting a revolutionary tactics game. It has heart, humor, and enough ninja action to keep fans entertained, truly my only issue is the writing in some areas but even its not enough to distract from how much fun this tactics game is; just like my first time trying pineapple on pizza, I was surprised with how much I really enjoyed this unique mash-up and wouldn’t mind another tactical Turtles game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown delivers on its promise with a fresh take on turn-based brawling, blending strategy and action, but falls short in content just when it starts to shine.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown makes turn-based tactics feel as fast-paced as a John Wick brawl.

TMNT: Tactical Takedown is more experimentally thrilling than you might expect from a licensed game, its solo strategy fights packing so much momentum it almost feels like a brawler. A lack of variety in objectives and environments, along with some balancing issues, leave me wanting more from this short but cheesy (complimentary) experience – but this is still a radically easy recommendation.

Imagine sitting on the floor in front of your TV watching the pilot episode for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 1990s, and that's how it feels to play TMNT: Tactical Takedown. All the elements are there, you had a great time while it lasted, but you can sense it's really the rock-solid foundation for something much grander. The game itself is a great distillation of some radical concepts, but it also feels like it's straining against its own limitations. Nonetheless, this is a great start to what I can only hope becomes another way to spend time with the turtles.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown cleverly pays homage to a decades-long legacy of both personality-filled cartoons and sharp beat-em-ups while making an impressive leap into a completely new genre for the team. Its clever, engaging movesets and solid TMNT story made up for its slim enemy variety and disappointing lack of bells and whistles. Even though that new coat of paint doesn’t always suit the sewer-dwelling teens, it still stands as a fun, quick tactics game reminiscent of the arcade classics that continue to define TMNT.