Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up
TMNT Smash-Up.jpg
Cover for the Wii version
Developer(s) Game Arts
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Director(s) Noriaki Kazama
Kazuhiro Irie
Designer(s) Miki Naruse
Programmer(s) Naoyuki Yamamoto
Masaru Toji
Katsuyuki Fukabori
Yasushi Sugiyama
Artist(s) Takahiro Shimura
Writer(s) Peter Laird
Matt Leunig
Composer(s) Takahiro Nishi
John Yi
Series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Platform(s) Wii, PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: September 22, 2009 [1]
  • EU: September 25, 2009 [2]
  • AU: October 1, 2009
Genre(s) Fighting, action
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a 2.5D fighting game for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles featuring characters from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It was developed by Game Arts in cooperation with Mirage Studios, and released by Ubisoft in September 2009 in celebration of the TMNT franchise's 25th anniversary.

Contents

Gameplay

A gameplay screenshot featuring April O'Neil fighting against Karai Smash-Up screenshot.jpg
A gameplay screenshot featuring April O'Neil fighting against Karai

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a four-player platform fighter. During battle, players attempt to KO opponents by depleting their life bar, knocking them off the stage or into traps. Each character has their own unique move set, with many able to perform additional techniques such as clinging to and leaping from walls. Characters are color-coded on-screen via an optional glow effect to help players keep track of their character. Like Super Smash Bros. , the game features many customizable options for battles.

The game stresses interaction with the environment, and stages in the game feature traps, changes to the stage itself and interactive elements. [3] Items will occasionally appear on the stage for players to collect, including life-restoring pizza and ninja skills that grant players special abilities like fire breathing and electrical shields.

In addition to standard Battle Royal multiplayer battles, Smash-Up offers several other gameplay modes. Arcade features a brief story with unique endings for each character. Survival challenges players to defeat 100 opponents before they lose three lives. Swap-Out allows players to choose two characters and switch between them at will in battle. Mission Mode requires players to complete certain objectives in 51 pre-set scenarios, such as attacking targets or defeating an opponent within a time limit. The game also features Tournament and Practice modes, as well as additional mini-games and online multiplayer features. [4] Players can collect 'shells' during battles or mini-games and use them to unlock special features, including additional character costumes, concept art from various TMNT media, and trophies that other players can win in online tournaments. [5]

Characters

Smash-Up features 12 playable characters, only seven of which can be used in the game's Arcade mode. The Wii version of the game features four additional characters, including three guest characters from Ubisoft's Rabbids franchise, for a total of 16.

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Playable in Arcade Mode
  2. 1 2 3 4 Wii-exclusive

Plot

As part of their training, Splinter announces that he and the turtles will compete against each other in a fighting tournament, inviting April and Casey to join them as well. He offers the winner a trophy and an item from his personal collection as a prize.

As the tournament concludes, the turtles receive an emergency communication from the Fugitoid, who has been captured by the Shredder. Before they can trace his location, Shredder cuts off Fugitoid's message. Karai appears and warns the turtles that Shredder intends to have Fugitoid build him a large-scale teleporter, allowing him and the Foot Clan to teleport anywhere in the world at will. Though they suspect a trap, the turtles agree to follow Karai.

The turtles reach Shredder's base and defeat him. Karai turns on the turtles, revealing she helped them as part of a plan to usurp Shredder and take control of the Foot. Shredder recovers and attacks, but Leonardo kicks him and Karai through the teleporter, sending them away. The turtles free Fugitoid and use the teleporter to return to their lair, where Splinter rewards the winner. Each character has a unique ending showing how they celebrate their victory.

Development

Smash-Up was developed by Japanese game developer Game Arts, who had previously worked on Super Smash Bros. Brawl , and by several former members of Team Ninja, who previously worked on Ninja Gaiden II and the Dead or Alive series. [6] The game's existence was teased in late 2008 before being officially revealed on January 26, 2009. [7] While Smash-Up is not specifically tied to any previous Ninja Turtles license, it bears a similar artistic style to the 2007 CGI animated film TMNT and features voice acting by the cast of the 2003 animated series. [7] Mirage Studios helped influence the game's character roster, which was said to include characters "you know well in addition to surprise characters you certainly wouldn't expect". [3] The game's arcade mode cutscenes were co-written by TMNT co-creator Peter Laird and illustrated by Mirage Studios artists Jim Lawson and Eric Talbot. [8]

Reception

The game received "average" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [9] [10]

IGN said of the Wii version, "It's a Smash Bros. clone, but it just makes you want to play Smash Bros., instead." [17] GameSpot said that the same console version "has good combat and solid content, but it lacks the refinement and razzle-dazzle to earn a title shot." [14] Even so, some fans reacted negatively to the roster, which is significantly smaller than that of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and contains characters only seen in the 2003 cartoon series and 2007 film, while characters from the 1987 series and other films were ignored. [21]

Related Research Articles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, commonly abbreviated as TMNT, is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. Supporting characters include the turtles' sensei, a rat called Splinter, their human friends April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and enemies such as Baxter Stockman, Krang, and their archenemy, the Shredder.

Donatello (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional character

Donatello, nicknamed Don or Donnie/Donny, is a superhero and one of the four main characters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. He is the smartest and often gentlest of his brothers, wearing a purple mask over his eyes. He wields a bō staff, his primary signature weapon in all media.

Shredder (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional villain in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise

The Shredder is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media franchise created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The character first appeared in the comic book Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 in May 1984, and has since endured as the archenemy of the turtles and their rat sensei/adoptive father, Splinter.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time</i> 1991 arcade game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Turtles in Time in Europe, is a beat 'em up arcade video game produced by Konami and released in 1991. A sequel to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, it is a scrolling beat 'em up type game based mainly on the 1987 TMNT animated series. Originally an arcade game, Turtles in Time was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992 under the title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, continuing the numbering from the earlier Turtles games released on the original NES. That same year, a game that borrowed many elements, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, was released for the Sega Genesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April O'Neil</span> Fictional character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe

April O'Neil is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. She is the first human ally of the Ninja Turtles.

Casey Jones (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional character

Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones is a fictional character that appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and related media. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, he first appeared in the one-shot, Raphael: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Like the turtles, Casey Jones is a vigilante, and was created as a parody of vigilante characters that were popular in comics at the time. Casey usually has long dark hair, wears an ice hockey mask and cut-off biking gloves, and carries his weapons in a golf bag over his shoulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bebop and Rocksteady</span> Comics character

Bebop and Rocksteady are a fictional duo of a mutant warthog and mutant rhinoceros that have made appearances as characters in various media releases of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The two characters are henchmen who follow the orders of the villain and the main antagonist of the franchise Shredder, the leader of the Foot Clan. Their names are both derived from genres of music: bebop is a style of jazz, while rocksteady is a Jamaican music style, a precursor to reggae.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters</i> 1993 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, or Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Tournament Fighters in Europe, is the title of three different fighting games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, produced by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Super NES and released during a period between 1993 and 1994. Konami produced a different fighting game based on the franchise each featuring a differing cast of characters for the platforms. All three versions of the game were re-released as part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection in 2022. with online play using rollback netcode for the SNES version of the game.

Karai (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Comics character

Karai is a fictional supporting character appearing in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and related media. She is usually a high-rank member of the Foot Clan outlaw ninja organization. She was originally introduced in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1992. Since then, she has appeared in several different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, television series, films, and video games. She is depicted as Shredder's second-in-command or adopted daughter in most versions and shares a rivalry with Leonardo and is at times considered his love interest. In one version of the comics, she is the granddaughter of the immortal Shredder, while in the 2012 series, she is Hamato Miwa, the daughter of Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi.

<i>TMNT</i> (film) 2007 film by Kevin Munroe

TMNT is a 2007 animated superhero film written and directed by Kevin Munroe in his feature directorial debut. It is the fourth theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. The first animated film in the franchise, it features an ensemble voice cast including Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, and Ziyi Zhang with narration by Laurence Fishburne. In the film, after having grown apart following the final defeat of their arch-enemy, the Shredder, the four Turtles — Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo — are set to reunite and overcome their faults to save the world from evil ancient creatures.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare</i> 2005 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare is a video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and Nintendo DS, based on the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series. This was also the final game in the series to be produced and distributed by Konami, until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection in 2022.

<i>TMNT</i> (video game) 2007 video game

TMNT is an action video game featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable, as well as for Microsoft Windows on March 20, 2007. It is based on the 2007 film of the same name. Versions of the game for the original Xbox and PlayStation 3 were also planned but cancelled.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a superhero team created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, have appeared in seven theatrical feature-length films since their debut. The first film was released in 1990, at the height of the franchise's popularity. Despite mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success that garnered two direct sequels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, both of which were modest successes.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled</i> 2009 beat em up video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled is a beat 'em up video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It is an enhanced remake of Konami's 1991 arcade game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. It is mostly based on the 1987 animated series, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures and the second movie, like the original game.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (IDW Publishing) Ongoing American comic book series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an ongoing American comic book series published by IDW Publishing. Debuting in August 2011, the series is part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media franchise created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and was the first new comic incarnation of the Turtles to debut after the franchise's sale to Nickelodeon in October 2009. It is the fifth comic book series in the franchise's publication history, and serves as a reboot of the franchise's story and characters.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (2012 TV series) Animated series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, known as Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for its 2017 fifth and final season, is an American computer-animated television series developed by Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin, and Jennifer Ventimilia. It is the third animated series in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 28, 2012, to November 12, 2017. It was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and LowBar Productions. Bardel Entertainment handled layout and CG animation services. The series begins with the Turtles emerging from their sewer home for the first time, using their ninjutsu training to fight enemies in present-day New York City.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge</i> 2022 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a beat 'em up game developed by Tribute Games and published by Dotemu. It is inspired by and based on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series and borrows stylistically from the arcade and home console Turtles games developed by Konami during the 1980s and 1990s. The game was released for Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on June 16, 2022, and for PlayStation 5 on November 15, 2022. A version for iOS and Android was published by Netflix on January 10, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Ransom-Wiley, James (2009-06-01). "Shell out for TMNT: Smash-Up on September 22". Engadget (Joystiq). Yahoo. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  2. ↑ Orry, James (2009-06-15). "TMNT Smash-Up dated". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  3. 1 2 Bozon, Mark (2009-02-04). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Interview". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2023-08-08. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  4. 1 2 Hernandez, Pedro (2009-12-12). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up Review". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  5. ↑ Ubisoft (2009-09-21). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up - Online Multiplayer. YouTube . Google. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  6. ↑ Caoili, Eric (2009-01-26). "Ubisoft Announces Ninja Turtles Wii Fighting Game". Game Developer . Informa. Archived from the original on 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  7. 1 2 Bozon, Mark (2009-01-26). "TMNT Game Official". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  8. ↑ Ubisoft (2009-07-27). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up - Dev Diary. YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  9. 1 2 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  10. 1 2 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  11. ↑ Barnholt, Ray (2009-09-22). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up Review (Wii)". 1Up.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  12. ↑ Reeves, Ben (October 2009). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Review (Wii)". Game Informer . No. 198. GameStop. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  13. ↑ Morse, Blake (2009-09-23). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up Review (Wii)". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  14. 1 2 Watters, Chris (2009-09-23). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Review (Wii)". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  15. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up (Wii)". GameTrailers . Viacom. 2009-09-25. Archived from the original on 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  16. ↑ Buck, Derek (2009-09-25). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  17. 1 2 Harris, Craig (2009-09-22). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Review (Wii)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
  18. ↑ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up". Nintendo Power . Vol. 247. Future US. November 2009. p. 82.
  19. ↑ Scullion, Chris (November 2009). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up Review". Official Nintendo Magazine . Future plc. p. 72. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  20. ↑ Hargreaves, Roger (September 2009). "TMNT Smash-Up (Wii)". Teletext GameCentral. Teletext Ltd. Archived from the original on 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  21. ↑ Fletcher, JC (2009-09-21). "TMNT fans speak up against Smash-Up character selection". Engadget (Joystiq). Yahoo. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
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