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Mutants in Manhattan

Activision Removes Mutants in Manhattan From Digital Platforms

by Justin W January 4, 2017

written by Justin W

In a move that has baffled fans and gamers alike, Activision has removed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan from digital platforms such as Steam, PSN and Xbox Live. They have yet to make a statement about this decision, so we literally have no idea why this has happened. Considering that the game was released less than a year ago, its removal from the digital marketplace is even more bewildering. This wouldn’t be the first time that Activision removed licensed games from digital stores, but it’s still an odd move for a game this new.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan was released to mixed reviews early in 2016. Some fans loved it, but others found it boring and repetitive. I doubt anyone could deny that this is a fairly repetitive title, but it was still pretty fun in my opinion. Thankfully, you can still purchase a physical copy of Mutants in Manhattan, but prices might increase a bit now that this is the only way to purchase the game. Unfortunately, it would appear that this wasn’t the only TMNT game removed from digital platforms, as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows has also been removed from Steam.

Mutants in Manhattan DLC featuring the TMNT dressed as Samurai warriors

Screencap of the Ninja Turtles dressed as Samurai in Mutants in Manhattan DLC. Source: Activision, Platinum Games

In the case of Out of the Shadows, there’s a possibility that the title of the game conflicted with the title of Paramount’s newest film. However, in the case of Mutants in Manhattan, there doesn’t appear to be any reason to remove the game from digital stores. Ultimately, we won’t know what Activision is up to until they provide a definitive statement. Although these aren’t the only games that have been removed from digital platforms in the past week or so, it is concerning to see almost everything related to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles disappear without the slightest indication of a problem.

There are several potential reasons for this move, so it’s difficult to say exactly why Activision did it or what their plans are. For all we know, they have officially lost the license to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On the other hand, there’s also a possibility that we will see Mutants in Manhattan return to the digital marketplace sometime soon. After all, the Deadpool game was removed from platforms like Steam for several months only to eventually make a comeback. Unfortunately, we just won’t know the fate of this game until Activision decides to make a statement.

Until then, we recommend that you do not delete your game or any DLC you may have purchased for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. There’s a very good chance that you will lose your game and/or any content associated with it if you choose to delete the title from your digital inventory. Hopefully Activision will be quick to release a statement regarding this decision.

Does this news disappoint you? Are you hopeful that Activision will bring Mutants in Manhattan back to digital platforms? What about Out of the Shadows? Share your thoughts and feelings either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

January 4, 2017 8 comments

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is Now Under $25

by Justin W August 12, 2016

written by Justin W

Although it was just released a few months ago, the latest TMNT game from Activision has already dropped to an incredibly low price. Many fans enjoyed this game, but others found it lacking the depth and gameplay features they were hoping to experience. The ratings for Mutants in Manhattan reflected some of the comments we saw from the fan community, and it’s fair to say that the final product wasn’t necessarily all it was hyped up to be. That being said, this game was actually pretty fun, and the new price tag is definitely worth the 10-15 hours it will likely take to complete.

Yes, the game is short and repetitive, but it’s still a lot of fun. If you’ve been waiting for a lower price point, you’ll be glad to know that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is now under $25. I’m sure that some gamers are still looking for an even lower price tag, but I doubt many TMNT fans would deny that this game is more than worth the new figure. The discounts on this title will probably increase by the end of the year, but I doubt the next price drop will be very significant. Let’s just say that I would be surprised to see this game for less than $10 before next spring.

Bebop slices through the price of Mutants in Manhattan. Image Source: Activision, Platinum Games

Of course, I wasn’t necessarily expecting to see the valuation on Mutants in Manhattan drop this quickly. For all I know, the price tag could drastically change within the next few months. It’s kind of sad to see what became of this title, because fans were really excited for a new TMNT game to hit the market. In less than a year, we went from knowing barely anything about the game to the disappointment of its release and then its eventual tanking value. Thankfully, the lower price point allows for entirely new audiences to give it a shot.

UPDATE: Title and information have been altered to reflect recent price changes. Mutants in Manhattan is still available on multiple platforms for less than $20, but is now over $20 on PS4 and XB1. Expect price to fluctuate over the next short period.

Is this the price drop you’ve been waiting for, or are you going to wait for an even bigger discount? If you’ve already played the game, do you think Mutants in Manhattan is worth the sub $25 cost? Let us know your thoughts and opinions either in the comments section below or on Facebook/Twitter.

August 12, 2016 0 comment

Mikey and Raph seem a tad surprised in this screenshot from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Is Turtle Mania nearing its end once again? Source: Paramount Pictures.

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Is Turtle Mania Headed For Another Collapse?

by Justin W June 14, 2016

written by Justin W

Before anyone gets the idea that I’m being a little too harsh on the film or the video game that just recently came out, please understand that I actually really enjoy both titles. I’m here to report the news as it happens, and the fact is that we’re not seeing a lot of love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right now. The Nickelodeon series isn’t seeing the same viewership as it once did and nothing else related to the franchise seems to be selling very well. Out of the Shadows wasn’t the only TMNT property that has flopped recently, and all of this could be indicative of a disturbing trend.

Image from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Source: Platinum Games, Activision

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were literally everywhere; they were in our comic books, television shows, movies, video games and more. Over the last few years, the brand has seen a remarkable resurgence thanks to Viacom’s purchase of the property. Once they bought the rights to the TMNT, they immediately began work on a brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series which was released alongside an entirely new line of toys in 2012. Shortly after both proved successful, we saw a film hit theaters in 2014. Dozens of toys and collectibles have lined the shelves in response to the resurgence of a craze that was once known as Turtle Mania.

Sadly, sales are beginning to dwindle and it would appear that the problem may be very similar to what happened in the mid 90’s. At some point during the original craze of Turtle Mania, the market had become saturated with so many Ninja Turtles products that they couldn’t all compete for shelf space or the consumer’s dollar. We’re starting to see that happening again now, and not just in the form of box office failure or poor reviews for the new video game. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s take a look at how the latest TMNT clothing line is doing in the market.

The TMNT X Melo clothing line isn’t doing too well, as it’s already hit the clearance rack. Source: NYP

Carmelo Anthony’s TMNT X Melo line was set to be the next hot product in Macy’s stores across the country. Mere weeks after its launch, the brand is already on the clearance rack for 40% off original retail price. Considering that these items were originally designed to be affordable in the first place, this doesn’t bode well for the clothing line and it is indicative of a problem we are seeing in several different places when it comes to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If Out of the Shadows can’t make bank at the theater and the new game Mutants in Manhattan can’t impress its audience, which TMNT property will be the next to fail?

Thankfully, Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series is still popular enough to bring in a lot of viewers and many of the toys still seem to be selling pretty well. However, we appear to be nearing that same saturation point that sent Turtle Mania spiraling into mediocrity late in the 1990’s, and that could spell disaster for the franchise. I’m genuinely hopeful that this won’t happen, but with so many new products hitting the market soon, it’s important to ask whether or not consumers are just getting sick and tired of the Ninja Turtles again.

Did the world really need these transforming turtles? I hate to be the Tom Hanks character in the classic movie Big, but I don’t get it. You know I’ll never tire of these heroes in a half shell, and I’m sure most of my readers feel the same way. That being said, it saddens me to see so much failure surrounding the turtles when they just as easily could have owned this summer. I sincerely hope that my fears are unfounded, because I definitely don’t want to see this collapse happen again any time soon.

Are you worried that we may be nearing the end of this latest resurgence of Turtle Mania? Have these latest failures been indicative of a turn in the market, or are we reading into these events too much? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

June 14, 2016 11 comments

Games Reviews

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan Review

by Justin W May 25, 2016

written by Justin W

With all of the excitement surrounding this title, you’d think that it was going to be the next great TMNT game. Unfortunately, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan fails to live up to the hype, with several smaller issues compounding into an experience that is far from perfect. This is not to say that the game isn’t fun to play, but there are a few notable concerns that keep Mutants in Manhattan from achieving the same level of excellence as its predecessors. With that said, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this Mutants in Manhattan review.

Plot and Characterization

The plot is far from bad, but there are certain elements that just don’t work very well. Mutants in Manhattan is based upon the IDW universe, so you should expect the art style and the story to fall in line with that iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the game actually failed to recreate the universe from the new IDW comics; Mikey stands out as literally the only comic relief, and every other turtle feels bland in comparison. One could even say that Michelangelo is a bit too goofy, while his brothers fail to really fit into their shells.

Image of Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Source: Activision, Platinum Games

Anyone who has experience with the new IDW TMNT comics might even feel a bit confused when they pick up a controller to play Mutants in Manhattan. It’s not that they did a terrible job of recreating the characters and giving the fans a plot that made some kind of sense within the context of this universe, but there are a few elements that simply don’t come across as they should. I’m not sure if this is due to the voice acting or the writing, but somewhere along the way they screwed up.

To be honest, it feels like some head honcho stepped in and said “Mikey needs to be funnier,” forcing the developer to change certain aspects of the game so that they would be more familiar to a crowd of Ninja Turtles fans that are nostalgic for the original animated series. I’m not saying that this is definitely what happened, but Mutants in Manhattan feels like something that was interrupted and altered in some way. Even if I’m wrong about that, the fact is that the characterization of the turtles is a tad off kilter. To be fair, I felt like the characterization of the enemies was quite impressive, and I really enjoyed their appearances in the game.

Gameplay

This is an area of the Mutants in Manhattan review where I expect a lot of fans will cry foul if I don’t immediately mention one of the biggest gripes about the game: the lack of local or couch multiplayer. A lot of TMNT fans long for the days of Konami’s classic TMNT Arcade games, titles that they could enjoy with their friends either at an arcade or in the comfort of their home. Unfortunately, this title only has online multiplayer options, which means that you’ll have to be satisfied with a much more separated and segmented multiplayer experience. This has proven to be something of a mood killer for quite a few fans, and it’s not difficult to see why when you play the game alone.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles take on Slash in Mutants in Manhattan. Source: Activision, Platinum Games

As you may have suspected, the single player campaign puts you in control of just one turtle, and you can switch out to other turtles whenever you see fit. Although the ability to switch out is nice, it isn’t quite as easy as it should probably be. Another problem with this approach to the game is that the AI turtles aren’t very smart, even if they do tend to get the job done eventually. You’ll notice this from the moment you start the game up, as your three brothers all run in unison toward one enemy, even when there are several enemies around that need to be defeated.

Get used to hearing “(your chosen turtle) is on the scene alone!” a lot from April, because your brothers will be attracted to any and all enemies as you essentially drag them toward your intended target. There are four different approaches to fighting that you can instruct the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to take, but none of them are very effective. If you tell them to go all out, they will attack anything in sight; if you tell them to follow you, they will do so – but they will also attack anything in sight, with the same “let’s all gang up on this one enemy” approach as before. Are you beginning to see the problem here?

These different approaches to fighting don’t really make enough of a difference for the player to have any incentive to actually use the feature. Ultimately, you’re likely to be the one turtle who takes out all of the baddies that the other turtles aren’t paying attention to. I suppose this is for the best when you consider that you’re trying to earn battle points for various reasons, but we’ll get into that later.

The last thing I want to touch on with gameplay is the fact that there aren’t really any combos or moves that aren’t also special attacks, and you really want to save those for your boss battles. When you aren’t using those special moves, battle comes down to the pressing of just a few buttons, and it really feels like you’re mashing those buttons on the arcade game. When it comes to this particular aspect of Mutants in Manhattan, I’m sure a lot of people will be disappointed about the functionality of the game, but I think it actually works to rekindle some of the memories we have of playing those TMNT arcade titles back in the day.

Special Moves, Special Items and Upgrades

Believe it or not, these are actually very important for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. If you don’t upgrade your special attacks and use your battle points to unlock even more attacks, the game can prove almost impossibly difficult. You really need to utilize this special attack system in order to be effective in the game. It’s a lot like playing an RPG – you will want to learn the right spells and know when to use them in order to effectively beat each boss.

Bebop slashes his way through this Mutants in Manhattan review. Source: Activision, Platinum Games

Heck, some moves are better used outside of boss battles, but that uses up a space that could have had a powerful attack, so you have to be careful about how you approach this system. To be honest, this is the main area where strategy plays a significant role in the game. I’ll give you an example:

There is a special move that allows you to ward off bombs from enemies, and there are foot soldiers who will do nothing but throw bombs at you. This becomes especially troublesome when you are trying to collect information from a data point or diffuse an even bigger bomb, because any interruption from bombs will cause the timer to reset. Using this move will give you a better chance of getting the task done easily, but that move is also fairly ineffective in boss fights, so you probably won’t use it for that. The wise decision would be to have a designated turtle who uses this move and to make sure that you switch out to a turtle with more powerful moves when you enter into a boss fight.

In addition to the special attack system in the game, there are also a lot of items you can use to help you in your fight. There is a bit of strategy involved with this as well, as you only have four slots for items. You can expect to find health items such as energy drinks and pizza slices, but there are also weapons such as heat seaking missiles and mines that you can use to deal a little extra damage to your enemies. If you have these weapons, they might be better used outside of boss battles, but they can still be effective during boss battles as well. Although you can purchase them from Master Splinter, the cost is slightly prohibitive and you’d be better off simply finding them in the wild.

Finally, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will pick up charms as they make their way through the game. These charms provide certain boosts, and you can equip one to each turtle in order to improve their stats. As you can tell, this is no ordinary fighting game and the strategies involved with playing it are far from average. That being said, I did have fun with this aspect of Mutants in Manhattan, and I believe it makes the title a much more enjoyable experience overall. Some may say that the RPG flavor doesn’t belong in a beat ’em up action game, but I think it works fairly well.

Final Verdict

When it comes right down to it, although I have to admit that Mutants in Manhattan wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be, it was still a very enjoyable experience. If I had to compare it to other titles, I’d say it’s probably the best game we’ve seen in the TMNT universe since Konami stopped producing titles for the franchise. Unfortunately, a few issues kept it from becoming as great as it could have been, so it wouldn’t be fair to say that it’s absolutely flawless.

All four turtles are ready to face the harsh reality of this Mutants in Manhattan review. Source: Activision, Platinum Games

If you love the IDW turtles and you don’t mind seeing a slightly different take on them, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan could be a lot of fun. Just keep in mind that the game is fairly difficult and the strategy comes not from the combinations you will learn, but from the special movies you will unlock and how you will use them. Some fans will get a kick out of this approach to the Ninja Turtles, while others will be very unhappy. Keep that in mind before making an immediate purchase and you should be fine. With all of that said, I will finish off this Mutants in Manhattan review by giving it a score of…

7/10

Have you played the game yet? If so, what did you think? If not, did this Mutants in Manhattan review convince you to pick up the game? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments or on facebook/twitter.

May 25, 2016 3 comments

Could Turtle Fever be back thanks to projects like Mutants in Manhattan? Image Source: IGN, Platinum Games

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Turtle Fever Will Be Back in Action This Summer

by Justin W April 28, 2016

written by Justin W

The past few years have been a pretty amazing time to be a Ninja Turtles fan. Thanks to the popularity of the animated series on Nickelodeon, Paramount decided to make a new movie for the turtles that proved to be quite successful. As if that weren’t awesome enough, we’ve also seen a lot of new toys hitting store shelves over the course of that period. However, it wasn’t until now what we have really begun to see the return of Turtle Fever as it once was back in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Don’t believe me? Well, let’s take a look at what was going on back then and compare it to recent events.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Animated Series. Source: Fred Wolf Films

After the comic debuted and became a run away hit in 1984, the concept was eventually developed into an animated series in 1987. It wasn’t until 1989 that they began developing video games for the property, and then in 1990 the first film was released. At that point, the market had been saturated with tons of TMNT merchandise and entertainment including comic books, video games, films, toys and an animated series. Most of these entertainment products were of a high quality, and they sold well to fans of all ages. We’re about to reach that level of popularity once again.

Okay, so there’s an argument to be made that we’ve already been experiencing this level of popularity for several years now, but I don’t necessarily agree. Yes, we’ve seen a lot of younger fans (and some older fans) enjoying the new animated series from Nickelodeon; yes, we’ve seen a few mediocre TMNT video games; yes, we got one new movie that some fans enjoyed; yes, the toys are back on store shelves and selling like hotcakes. All of this is true, but we’re still not seeing the same level of popularity as we saw back when it all began.

Poster artwork for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Source: Paramount Pictures.

For one thing, a lot of fans didn’t like the new movie. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was critically panned and many fans have decried its lack of focus on developing the characteristics of each turtle. In addition to this, many fans haven’t really found much of anything to love about the video games that Activision has been pumping out. Combine these issues with some reluctance from retro fans to watch what has truly become one of the greatest TMNT animated series of all time, and it’s easy to see that we haven’t exactly been experiencing the same kind of hype as we once did when Turtle Fever was in full swing.

I believe that could all change this summer.

With a new film and video game coming out in just a month, it’s very likely that the Ninja Turtles are about to take center stage once again and make a resurgence in the market. The reception to both Out of the Shadows and Mutants in Manhattan has been generally favorable, suggesting that many formerly reluctant shellheads are ready to take another chance on the franchise. The movie sequel appears to have many of the elements that fans were requesting after the release of the first film, and the filmmakers themselves have talked about how they spent more time focusing on the turtles this time around. Meanwhile, the latest TMNT game from Platinum Games looks like it could be one of the best Ninja Turtles titles in decades.

Screencap from a trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Source: Paramount Pictures.

If the movie and the game both live up to the hype surrounding them, chances are that a lot more people are going to be enjoying some time with our heroes in a half shell this summer. It seems like we’re learning about new promotions and TMNT products just about every day, and the excitement just continues to build as we get closer to June. With all of this excitement surrounding the Ninja Turtles, it’s hard to see how we wouldn’t be in for another awesome return of Turtle Fever!

Will this summer bring back the joy of Turtle Fever, or are we in for another let down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

April 28, 2016 2 comments

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Does this news disappoint you? Are you hopeful that Activision will bring Mutants in Manhattan back to digital platforms? What about Out of the Shadows? Share your thoughts and feelings either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

Are you worried that we may be nearing the end of this latest resurgence of Turtle Mania? Have these latest failures been indicative of a turn in the market, or are we reading into these events too much? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

Plot and Characterization

Gameplay

Special Moves, Special Items and Upgrades

Final Verdict

7/10

Have you played the game yet? If so, what did you think? If not, did this Mutants in Manhattan review convince you to pick up the game? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments or on facebook/twitter.

Will this summer bring back the joy of Turtle Fever, or are we in for another let down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via facebook/twitter.

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