After re-releasing a slew of 4Kids TMNT DVDs over the past year, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Nickelodeon has just announced plans to release yet another familiar title from the 2k3 series. However, fans might be surprised to learn that this isn’t actually a re-release, although it is pretty much the same kind of package that had previously been given to fans in 2004.
Originally entitled Michelangelo’s Christmas Rescue, Funimation provided the first DVD release of this TMNT Christmas episode over a decade ago. At the time, they put the holiday special on a disc with three random episodes, giving the fans a little extra bang for their buck. Unfortunately, Nickelodeon has elected to skimp a little bit more on their re-release entitled Cowabunga Christmas, providing only two random episodes from the first season in addition to the Christmas special.
Oddly enough, these particular episodes aren’t even the same as those that you will find on the original release, thus making Cowabunga Christmas a bit different. If you don’t already own Michelangelo’s Christmas Rescue, it might be worth picking up this new release simply because it will be more affordable. At a suggested retail price of $9.99, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Christmas is much less expensive than the now out of print Funimation title, which could cost you as much as $20.
As I mentioned in my expose of Nickelodeon’s TMNT DVDs recently, fans of the 4Kids series are still eagerly awaiting a full release of each season, as the series was never fully produced on DVD. Although this is essentially just another repackaged release with a few random episodes, it’s probably a good sign that they are still producing TMNT 2k3 DVDs. It’s also nice to note that they are actually bringing out a re-release for a title that is harder to find in the wild rather than reproducing titles that are easier to find.
With a few different episodes in addition to The Christmas Aliens feature, Nickelodeon’s Cowabunga Christmas DVD might actually be a useful release for fans of the oft forgotten 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. If you don’t already own this TMNT holiday special in one form or another, this is a great way to finally pick it up. That being said, I’m sure I speak for a lot of fans when I say that I am still hopeful for some season sets in the coming years.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Christmas is set for release on October 13th, 2015.