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Video Games

As if TMNT hasn’t made a big enough splash on TV and the silver screen, our lovable Turtle siblings have also starred in several video games. In 1989, an action/adventure over world/side-scrolling hybrid game (think Grand Theft Auto-type gameplay, but in pre-3D days of 8-bit gaming) was released on the NES. The same year also saw the release of a an arcade side-scrolling fighting game, which followed gameplay made popular by the Double Dragon series. 25 years later, we have been graced with several TMNT video games that span multiple platforms. Some of the more popular of which have been Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan.

While most of the early games were based on the 1987 TV series, many of the subsequent TMNT games would be based on the 2003 series. 2013 saw the release of TMNT: Out of the Shadows (many people found the following review helpful). The upcoming TMNT movie will likely inspire more TMNT video games, which we will be sure to review.

Although there have been several great beat 'em up TMNT game titles (such as the one featured in this image), it may be time for the turtles to switch genres. Image Source: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time.

The Next TMNT Game Should Totally Be An RPG

by Justin W August 23, 2016

written by Justin W

Over the years, shellheads have been eagerly awaiting the next good Ninja Turtles game. Depending on who you ask, opinions will range on how long it’s been since we saw a truly excellent TMNT game. Most of us were hopeful that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan would be the title we had all been waiting for, but sadly that wasn’t the case. As the years go by, we continue to wait – perhaps impatiently – for a developer to produce a truly excellent game that is worthy of the franchise lore. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Activision doesn’t seem to be handling the task very well.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness Role Playing Guidebook. Image Source: Palladium Books.

That all being said, I think it’s time to admit something: Although it may be possible for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to work in a modern beat ’em up title, the best TMNT games in that genre came out of the 8-bit and 16-bit era. It might be time to consider a different approach with this franchise, and make the move to an entirely different genre. Rather than do another hack and slash button mashing title that feels unoriginal and uninspired, why not try a game genre that will allow us to explore the actual lore behind the Ninja Turtles universe?

I think it’s time that developers consider making an RPG TMNT game.

There are probably some fans who don’t enjoy the RPG genre, but perhaps even they would like to see a change of pace for the turtles. Although there are a lot of different genres in which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could easily fit, the role-playing game might be the best option. For one thing, we’ve already enjoyed a fairly popular traditional RPG in the universe with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness. Sadly, that product came out several decades ago, but we recently saw signs that there may be a returning interest in this kind of traditional gaming.

Box Art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past Board Game. Image Source: IDW.

Earlier this year, IDW crowdfunded a new TMNT board game based on the comic book series. The project was an overwhelming success, blowing away expectations in every possible fashion. Dice Masters has also been making a few Ninja Turtles products as well, but we have yet to determine how popular those games will be. The point I’m trying to make here is that there is clearly a demand for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games that allow the fans to experience the lore surrounding the franchise and become a part of that universe. When it comes to video games, the most story driven titles out there are RPGs.

Imagine, if you will, a JRPG inspired TMNT game with 20-30 hours of pure story and adventure. The turtles would have a set of attacks that they could learn over the course of the game, and the typical potion would be replaced with pizza slices. Our heroes in a half shell would have the opportunity to face off against all kinds of enemies, with foot soldiers and mousers potentially being among the basic enemies they would find early on. This type of video game would allow for developers to focus more heavily on the story and create something truly epic that shellheads would really enjoy.

We really haven’t seen a game like this, and I think it may be time to consider moving away from the tried and true beat ’em ups of the past. The genre is growing a little stale for the turtles, and it would be nice to see them move on to – greener – pastures.

What do you think? is the role playing game the perfect genre for a TMNT game? Or would you rather see them tackle a different genre entirely? Let us know what you think in the comments below or via facebook/twitter.

August 23, 2016 3 comments

Random Thoughts: Villain Casting

by Dan Spitaliere March 23, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

It’s time for another Random Thoughts Voice Casting, and man did we go overboard. We started this series with the premise that we were casting the upcoming Mutants in Manhattan video game, but we’ve moved on to a full fledged tv series based on the IDW continuity. And if you’re going to have a long form series, you need a good roster of villains. So Bryan has extended his casting out to include some old and new favorites from the comic run. He’s got my seal of approval on all but one, but I don’t want to spoil it. Take it away Bryan:

Alright, round 4… selection D… whatever. There was some super terrific response to this concept initiative launched last month so we figure why not keep going? To regroup: Dan and I covered our essential 4 turtles, Splinter and April, and the villains Shredder, Beebop, and Rocksteady. Dan effectively freshly cast everyone based on contemporary voice actor merit, while I used our premise of voice casting the Mutants in Manhattan video game as an excuse to assemble my dream team of prior TMNT portrayals… I.E. the voices I hear in my head when I read the IDW series which the game is obviously based upon.

To disclaim: I really cannot poo-poo upon anyone’s prior portrayal as I, as well as the majority of you I assume, are just die-hard TMNT fans and have some semblance of love for even the less savory endeavors (*cough* Holiday Special *cough* Next Mutation). There are so many tremendous portrayals spanning the generations and it really is hard picking a true favorite. That being said, my choices are just the ones that stuck to my ribs for whatever reason; a mish-mash of pie-in-the-sky potentials.

However, in the next batch we will be covering some characters that have either NEVER been portrayed before in live-action/CGI, or RARELY realized off the page, or simply in need of a refresh due to the characterization within the IDW books. Remember: the whole original concept that was in the back of my brain was “what if IDW made a new movie instead of Michael Bay”… so on that note, here we go again:

Koya – Katherine McPhee (American Idol, Scorpion)

A bird should be able to sing; this bird should also be a perfect combination of disciplined and unpredictably ruthless. Plus that timbre she has.. the slight rasp… its sultry and authoritative all at the same time.

Bludgeon – Danny Trejo (Machete Kills, From Dusk til Dawn)

Do I really need to explain this one? Both are men of few words, both unstoppable forces of nature, both brutally bone chilling, but not without a redeeming level of monk-like tranquility.

Karai – Jamie Chung (Hangover{s}, Sin City)

Shredder’s Chunin is not a conventional choice, but isn’t that kind of the point of Karai? She is supposed to have a lot more under the hood than her outward appearance would suggest. Granted, I believe she would need a severe amount of training to get up to speed, plus dial up the ‘ice-cold-bitch’ attitude, but this was a good start…

Kitsune – Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies)

I fell in love with her in TND, and while she wouldn’t really need to fight in character (…yet), her intensity yet motherly qualities would make her a strong candidate for this role. Not to mention her strength in bilingual dialogue and age-appropriateness to Ken Watanabe work well… plus the deepness of her voice gives her a really mysterious quality.

Hun – Tom Jane

Hun runs the streets, similar (yet very differently) to how the Punisher does. Yet the character isn’t without (albeit misguided) sympathy. Tom Jane deserves a good comic-book role, he’s proven he has the chops (it wasn’t his fault that the first Punisher wasn’t fantastic), however this little follow up proved his fortitude at least to me:

Rock soldiers, General Granitor & Captain Traag
Kevin Michael Richardson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers Prime)
Dee Bradley Baker (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Legends of the Hidden Temple)Two veteran voice actors playing two dominating and intimidating characters LONG overlooked in the TMNT realm. Kraang’s true right-hand men, one portrayed by the man currently responsible for the Shredder animated legacy and the other the voice of A GIANT STONE WARRIOR. Fate.

Rat King – Troy Baker (Uncharted, Bioshock, Arkham City)

The only man who could uphold the Mark Hammil Joker legacy, and a hard character to truly place in the mythos. The sinistry of the Rat-King would translate well via Troy Baker’s daunting versatility.

Baxter Stockman – Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Do the Right Thing)The man exudes poise and proper etiquette. It would not be hard to imagine Stockman’s pretentious conniving words passing through Gustav’s lips.

Krang – Jim CummingsBelieve it or not, his portrayal of Winnie the Pooh was NOT my motivation for the choice, rather his bone-chillingly bi-polar take on Dr. Robotnik. A little warp and phasing effects to translate it through the android body and I think we have a truly frightening and memorable Krang that doesn’t drift toward the sillier ‘exorcized warlord’ territory.

BONUS: Frank Welker as Quanin (Krang’s father) and Pat Fraley (OG Krang) shows up as supporting Utrom voices.

Null – Rose McGowan

Now originally I was imagining Null being portrayed by Clancy Brown because of his Lex Luthor on Superman The Animated Series, however when I first imagined this list it was during the debut of The Mutanimals micro-series (just as Null is being teased in shadow). Learning that Null in this book was female took me a different direction. Her body language and look hinged the bulk of this casting, however this was also a factor:

Those are some impressive choices, right? Like I teased at the beginning, I have one exception to this list. Tom Jane as Hun. It’s not that I think he’d be bad, I just have the ultimate choice for TMNTs resident crazed strongman:

That’s right. Henry Rollins. The punk renaissance man is perfect for Hun. He’s visceral and aggressive. His quiet and tempered voice is scarier than his full volume scream. He can ooze menace but could totally find the core of Hun’s twisted sense of loyalty and family. His physicality is perfect. Plus it gives me the opportunity to post a clip of his work as Mad Stan from Batman Beyond and that’s just awesome.

There you have it. Another installment of voice casting from Bryan and myself. All of this talk of voices has been a lot of fun, especially with such a special episode of TMNT coming up this Sunday. It’s awesome that we’ll get the chance to hear the original voices reunite again. Plus, with another episode dependent on dimension hopping, it might inspire some more Random Thoughts! We’ll have to wait and see!

March 23, 2016 1 comment

Blog Video Games

Random Thoughts: Voice Casting Villains

by Dan Spitaliere February 29, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

No new episode of TMNT this week? No problem! Follow us as Bryan and I fall even deeper down the sewer hole that is fan voice casting. In this edition of Random Thoughts, we tackle some villains! And not just any villains, but none other than the Shredder and your two favorite henchmen, Beebop and Rocksteady. Bryan has also cooked up a special treat for you all that we’ll share at the end of his section! Take it away Bryan:

Shredder /Oroku Saki – Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins, Inception, Godzilla)

I know this seems tremendously cliche but there is no arguing that the minute we all saw the introduction of Ra’s Al Guhl we went “Holy cow that is Oroku Saki incarnate”… just me? Alright… but I don’t think it’d be a stretch to see this guy in some armor. His icy deliveries would be especially appropriate for the vengeful Saki, blinded by rage he speaks almost ominously rather than to any one subject as he carries on his mission to destroy Yoshi and his sons.

Bebop – Common (Terminator Salvation, Suicide Squad)

Rocksteady – Sean William Scott (American Pie, Goon)

No longer the big dumb oafs from 30 years ago, these two are a legitimate threat in the comics now. And thank god because theres no room for filler in such a well crafted book series. These two are smart (relatively) at the very least smart enough to be lethal. Common was on my brain because I had envisioned him taking up the mantle of Green Lantern with all this DC movie universe ramp up, and he would be the sleek blend of too-cool-for-school and conniving; whilst Scott would arguably be the dopier member of the duo… however have you seen Goon? Yeah, I’ll wait……… you done watching? Yeah he’d bed a brutal Rocksteady right? Head down, power through, wreak havoc and deal with the warpath consequences later.

Oh, and for kicks and giggles let’s pretend that the whole thing gets scored by Mitch Murder:

Side bar: Before I toss this over to Dan who I am sure has a much different take on the situation than mine, when we were originally conversing about this concept he had brought up the name Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and I don’t know why but I misinterpreted what he was saying and envisioned Charlie Day… from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and then this came to be….

It’s Always Sunny in the Sewer SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

Looks like Bryan finally stepped out of his nostalgia-tinted glasses for his villain casting! I personally would love to see Common and Sean William Scott work together on Beebop and Rocksteady. That would be a really interesting combo. But are those my choices for the Terrible Two? Of course not! Let’s get to it!

Shredder – Mark Hamill

Don’t tell me you’ve never thought this. Mark Hamill might be best known as Luke Skywalker to your average person, but to us animation fans he’s the best villain voice actor there is. And even though he’s brought life to such classic villains like The Joker and Fire Lord Ozai, I just don’t know what his Oroku Saki would sound like. That prospect is just thrilling to me.

Beebop – Big E

Rocksteady – D-Von Dudley

I don’t often say what I’m about to say, but Michael Bay got something right. Or whoever is in charge of casting for the current TMNT film franchise. I think casting a wrestler as one of these marauding mutants was a great idea. I’m not trying to take anything away from Sheamus by not casting him here. I think he’s great. He can be fierce and funny, and he’s certainly athletic. I just don’t hear Rocksteady with an Irish brogue. And honestly, a lot of wrestlers could have fit here. They’re larger than life personalities, and who is larger than Beebop and Rocksteady?

The IDW B&R are so different from the other iterations of the characters, that I would want to separate them even more. This version of Beebop and Rocksteady are vicious and there’s a certain intellect in the eyes of these characters that is absent from the original cartoon version. They are creative with their destruction and they enjoy it. That mix of creativity and destruction is exactly what I’m looking for, and Big E and D-Von have that in spades. Have you seen a tables match? Have you seen the matches these two have had against each other with their respective partners? There’s a place in their mind that just understands the impulses that rule Beebop and Rocksteady, and each have a personality to bring new life to these characters. Check out some of their promos, and now picture them taunting the Turtles instead. You’ll see what I mean.

There it is folks! Our choices for Shredder, Beebop, and Rocksteady. When we started this series, we had focused it on Mutants in Manhattan and had intended to limit it to characters that had been confirmed for the game. But would any of you be surprised if I told you we just kept going? As we worked on these articles, Bryan and I found ourselves thinking about how crazy it would be if there was a full animated adaptation of the IDW series; maybe an ongoing series like we currently have, or maybe a series of movies like DC has been doing with it’s New 52. That thought took root, and suddenly we were talking about classic characters like Baxter Stockman and Karai, all the way to newer characters like Koya and Bludgeon! So stay tuned, because our Villain series is far from over! And as always, let us know your picks in the comments!

February 29, 2016 1 comment

Video Games

Random Thoughts – Voice Casting Part 2

by Dan Spitaliere February 21, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

Welcome back to Random Thoughts voice casting, our recurring column where Bryan and I talk Turtle topics that pass the time on the train. Yesterday, Bryan took you on a nostalgia fueled trip down memory lane, picking an all-star cast of Turtle luminaries that he’d like to see reprise their roles. Today is my turn, but instead of looking at Turtle alumni, I looked for voices who have never portrayed a character from the Turtle-verse. My choices come from some of my favorite non-Turtle animated shows of the last decade. Not all of my choices will be obvious at first glance, but I think once you hear the elements I’m pulling out, the personality trait that each voice actor draws on, you’ll see where I’m coming from. Let’s get started.

Raphael – Benjamin Diskin (Eddie Brock/Venom from The Spectacular Spiderman)

Benjamin Diskin’s portrayal of Eddie Brock/Venom in Spectacular Spiderman is one of my favorite versions of the character. In this version, Peter and Eddie are best friends, to the point where they call each other brothers. This friendship is ruined, however, through a combination of Peter not coping with being a superhero, and the symbiote. Once Eddie becomes Venom, he drips with edge and sarcasm. The way he still calls Peter “bro”, in a mocking of their former friendship, is brutal and tragic. I can just see Diskin use this edge for Raph, highlighting both the attitude we’ve come to love, and the sometimes tragic nature of his feud with Leo. Even better, imagine that sharp edged “bro” being turned around on him when Leo gets brainwashed. danraph

Leonardo – Jason Marsden (Huan in Legend of Korra, Impulse in Young Justice)

Jason Marsden’s Huan was a relatively small character in Legend of Korra, but his portrayal of the young passionate artist gave me everything I needed to cast him as Leo. The fact that he’s played several superheroes in his career was just an added bonus. His portrayal of Huan gave what I think is a perfect timbre and tone for Leo. The IDW Leo is more serious and emotional than his other interpretations. He’s more of a loner too; not in the way Raph is, but rather he often keeps his true feelings from his brothers unless he is pushed to open up.

Marsden brought this same “misunderstood” quality to Huan, and Impulse in Young Justice. For Impulse, he was literally a man out of time, since he traveled from the future. Sometimes the IDW Leo feels like he came from the past, far more in touch with his family’s historical roots than his brothers. I feel all of these qualities give Marsden a great frame of reference for Leo, the leader who isn’t always sure of himself; the brother who doesn’t always get along with his family; the one who always had his family, until it was ripped away from him, and now finds himself trying to readjust once he got them back.Meelo Voice Casting

Donatello – Josh Keaton (Peter Parker/Spiderman in Spectacular Spiderman)

This is another one that might seem out of place, but let me explain. One of the things I loved about Spectacular Spiderman (besides it being the best animated Spiderman series ever) was that it brought the scientific edge back to Pete. I’ve always thought that Peter’s brilliance was just as much a super power as his ability to stick to walls. So with Josh Keaton’s experience voicing a character of high intellect, but also has the adventurous spirit I feel Donnie shares, I think he’s a perfect fit for Donatello. It also has the added benefit of giving Donnie a voice that isn’t your stereotypical “nerd” voice. Keaton’s voice isn’t high pitched. He doesn’t come across as the know it all, but he can still articulate all the various experiments and theories that Donnie is known to spout. Keaton creates a character who is a normal teen in an extraordinary situation. Plus, nobody quips better than Spiderman, but Donnie is a close second. dandon

Michelangelo – Jason Ritter (Dipper Pines in Gravity Falls)

Ok, so Gravity Falls was one of the best cartoons on TV and I couldn’t resist throwing some love it’s way. But this isn’t just a throw away choice. When Bryan chose Robbie Rist, he said that everyone after Robbie just emulated him. And it’s true and honestly I’m hard pressed to think of a better voice than Mr. Rist for Michelangelo. But that’s why the next Mikey should be different than Rist.

It’s easy to think of Mikey as the surfer dude, but let’s face it, it’s not as prescient a reference as it was in the 90s. So I think we need someone who has the vocal range, exuberance, and youth of the modern youngest Turtle brother. Jason Ritter’s Dipper realizes these qualities. That’s not to say that Greg Cipes isn’t doing a great job. He is. It’s just that the ages of the Turtles are more important in the IDW comics, and Dipper Pines of Gravity Falls is a 13 year old trying to make sense of all the craziness that involves being a teenager, while also dealing with the craziness of his supernatural world. It’s perfect for Michelangelo, who in the IDW-verse is still the party dude and can come off as naive, but his ideals are uncompromising. Both of these characters share determination, and Jason Ritter would bring that to Mikey. danmike

Splinter – Greg Baldwin (Iroh in Legend of Korra, part of Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Listen, I understand that a rat having a Japanese accent doesn’t really make sense, but that connection to the Japanese lore of the Turtles is something I’ve always loved in Splinter. Because of this, my favorite versions of Splinter were Kevin Clash’s in the original movie, and Mako’s in the 2007 sequel. Mako brought gravitas to every character he voiced, and while I remember him fondly for his portrayal of Splinter (not to mention Aku from Samurai Jack), I believe the character his voice career will be most remembered for is Iroh, from Avatar: The Last Airbender. When Mako passed away, Greg Baldwin took over the part for him, and subsequently reprised the role in Legend of Korra.

This connection is why I’d like to see Greg Baldwin be the next Splinter. He has the presence that Splinter requires, and strikes the balance between age and ability.

April – Linda Cardellini (Wendy in Gravity Falls)

Aha! I got one more Gravity Falls actor in! April in the IDW comics is older than the Turtles, and Linda Cardellini knows how to play a character who for some reason is hanging out with people a lot younger than her in crazy situations. She’s got the voice of an April who is down to earth, strong, and big sisterly. Not much scares her, but even the stuff that does doesn’t make her back down. It’s a good juxtaposition to a voice cast that highlights voices for the Turtles that sound a little younger than what we’re used to. But I think one of the greatest appeals of the Turtles is that they’re young kids trying to make their way through extraordinary circumstances. Having an older friend who looks out for you, emotionally as well as physically, is something that many of us can relate to. April brings out the humanity in our turtle friends.

There you have it! Voice Casting: Hero’s Edition. What did you think of my choices versus Bryan’s? Did you like his nostalgia trip or my new wave? As always, let us know in the comments and stay tuned! We might just have a Villains Edition coming up soon…

February 21, 2016 2 comments

Artwork from the cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan

Blog Video Games

Random Thoughts: Voice Casting w/ Bryan VanGelder

by Dan Spitaliere February 20, 2016

written by Dan Spitaliere

Dudes and dudettes, welcome back to Random Thoughts ( Voice Casting2 ), our recurring column where Bryan and myself discuss some Turtle topics that have kept us up at night. Last time we covered what we thought would be on each turtle’s playlist, but this time, we’re going in a decidedly different direction. This time, we’re talking about Mutants in Manhattan and the voices behind it. Take it away Bryan:

Voice Casting2

So with the release of MUTANTS IN MANHATTAN right over the horizon, it got me to thinkin’ about a concept I was toying around with nearly a year ago. Following the release of the Michael Bay produced live action/CGI reboot of the TMNT film franchise, one which cherry picks elements from many different iterations of the Turtle-Lore though being heavily influenced by the 1980s/90s animated series, I personally was curious as to what a proper film adaptation of the current running IDW comic book arc would be like. Needless to say one of the most important parts of a venture like this would be the casting call. Figuring any likelihood of this coming to life would hinge strongly on the utilization of a mix of CG animation and live action, I started trying to consider who would fill these roles contemporarily. My original list is massive and hopefully I will go over more of it soon but for now we’ll focus on the characters confirmed for the Mutants in Manhattan video game, which at present seems like would be the largest scale ‘motion picture’ adaptation of IDW’s stories.

So where I originally started out is far from where I found myself. Essentially, I started to reassemble many original actors who had portrayed TMNT icons in the past… those voices were the ones I found myself ‘hearing’ in my head when I read an issue… much like we all hear Kevin Conroy and Mark Hammil whilst reading Batman. Here is the beginning of my idyllic ‘dream team’:

Raph – Nolan North (General Hospital, The Kraang, Uncharted, Raphael of 2k7’s TMNT)

As much as I am a child of the 80’s/90’s and adored both Rob Paulsen’s Raph (though I argue he’s a better Donnie), and was blown away by Josh Pais from the films, I thought they were perhaps too extreme and over the top. Nolan’s rendition felt more natural, more middle of the road, and came across as more legitimately teen-angsty. He SOUNDED age-appropriate and sounded like he was related to his brothers rather than the stereotypical ‘angry-old-man from Brooklyn (seriously, how come Raph was the only one who ever developed a Brooklynite accent?). The big 2k7 return to film was exciting to me as well as many others, and the raw emotional value of Nolan’s portrayal was brilliant and a key part of the film’s character and story development. This would translate perfectly into the damaged loner that Raph finds himself before developing his bitterness and rageful attitude in the current comics.

Leo – Brian Tochi (Dexters Lab, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Revenge of the Nerds, Leonardo from 1990’s films)

He was gentle, he was sincere, he was confident yet relatively challenged by the environment around him and could even find himself in over his head – and the voice conveyed all of this. Movie Leo certainly took some cues from cartoon Leo but at the same time set a new precedent; namely one that wasn’t so… well…cartoony. This is the kind of Leonardo who you believe can fall, but you also believe will always recover. The kind of Leo who will struggle on the farm in Northampton after he realizes he’s not actually as strong as he once believed. A Leo that is cautious but also will not hesitate to call the shots when necessary. And couldn’t you just picture the tides turning and Tochi’s sinister ‘Dark Leo’ screaming out to Splinter “YOU LIE!”

Leo

Donnie – Sam Riegel (Naruto, Adventures of Pete and Pete, like… every video game ever, and Donatello 2k3 animated series)

I thought this exceptionally meeker version of Donatello was particularly endearing. Donnie in virtually every iteration would be perfectly happy as the pacifist and never raise a fist, but Riegel’s version arguably went out of his way to reduce conflict if not avoid it altogether. All the more reason to expand this character with the justifiably vindictive return to form after being ‘killed’/stuck in a robot body. I think that is what I would like to hear the most; Riegel’s Metalhead, running off all the scientific jargon with Harold. I don’t know, to me he’d come off as very C-3PO and that’d be just fine.

DON

Mikey – Robbie Rist (Brady Bunch, CHiPs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie [1990])

Come on… this guy set the bar. Yes ‘Cousin Oliver’ himself forever trapped Mike in a realm of relative West-Coast-ian gnarly, crunchy surfer-dom. But really, could you picture it any other way? Always at the forefront of every generation of turtles fans, ready to reprise at a moments notice. Heck he is Mondo Gecko currently in the 2012 cartoon… he has the market cornered. Everybody else ever since has emulated what Robbie simply is. Yes Townsend Coleman came first but, Robbie had better pitch, better timbre – he was better, that simple. However, to work in the IDW version I’d have to imagine that Robbie would have to mellow his Mikey out a bit, make him more sweet and innocent. Can’t imagine it being a problem though, the guy has already proven he can cover a broad scope of attitudes in his acting.

MIKE

Splinter/Hamato Yoshi – Kevin Clash (Sesame Street, Muppets, Splinter from 1990 movie)

Shocking I know – another pull from the OG film. But hear me out. We know Kevin can handle the accent which will be essential to the reincarnation aspect of the plot, but we also know that Kevin has a tremendous range, citing Elmo as an obvious benchmark. His voice is distinguished and grating – he is not the young warrior he once was. IDW’s Hamato Yoshi falls somewhere between the old and decrepit version from the films and the more young and spry version from the current cartoon. Again, simply wanna hear my favorite from yesteryear take a stab at a new bout. Bonus – much like the ‘honor’ speech from the finale of the 1990 film, who better to deliver the poignant farewell to Oroku Saki before executing him in issue 50?

April ONeil- Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim, The Thing, 10 Cloverfield Lane)

COME ON. THIS IS A GIVEN. Her look is effortless, her demeanor is sweet with a touch of snarky, she can make you melt or put you to shame – perfect leading lady material, just like April. Regardless of interpretation April has 3 main components: she is maternal, she is independent if not headstrong, and she is smart. Outside of looking like she was born for this role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has demonstrated all of these qualities, often simultaneously in virtually all of her previous roles.

Lets watch some April V April if you don’t mind:

That’s Bryan’s Dream Team, collecting many voices from all over the Turtle’s history. What do you think? Come back tomorrow for part 2 of Voice Casting, where I’ll get to lay out my choices for the Turtles, Splinter, and April! Needless to say, I take a slightly different approach. In the meantime, why not leave us your casting choices in the comments? Or, tell us your Random Thoughts. We may feature them in a future article!

February 20, 2016 2 comments

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What do you think? is the role playing game the perfect genre for a TMNT game? Or would you rather see them tackle a different genre entirely? Let us know what you think in the comments below or via facebook/twitter.

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