TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge – Dimension Shellshock DLC Review – Crystal Clash

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge-Dimension Shellshock DLC Review

I loved Shredder’s Revenge, but it felt somewhat incomplete. Once you did a couple of tours of various stages, it didn’t feel like there was much else to do. The Dimension Shellshock DLC attempts to flesh out the total Ninja Turtles experience with more characters, new music, and a new game mode. While I always enjoy messing around with different characters, the real meat of this thing is in Survival Mode. It’s there that your ninja skills will be truly tested.

Survival Mode pits you against endless waves of enemies, with a light dusting of boss fights thrown in as well. Right away I noticed how much harder this mode is than the rest of the game. You have, at most, two lives to work with. Health and powerups are rare occurrences. Bosses often come in pairs. Even the powerups can come with serious side effects. Worse yet, the battles only get harder. I found Survival Mode incredibly frustrating at first, but I gradually got into the rhythm of it.

A Shell Of A Gauntlet 

There’s an element of strategy to it that I got properly hooked on. Every completed stage lets you choose one of two rewards. Do you go for the health, the crystals, the powerups, or the villain skins? Through a grueling bout of trial and error, I eventually learned the right moves. Thankfully, character progression is retained between runs. This also alters your strategy. I often chose crystals, a hybrid progression/experience type of currency, over health. Your own calculus may lead you in a very different direction.

Dimension Shellshock comes with two new characters, Karai and Usagi Yojimbo. Although I’ve been in and out of the Turtles universe for decades, I’ve never encountered Karai before. She’s a member of the Foot clan who’s just itching to prove herself. Her super move is excellent, though her dodge roll is super clunky. Usagi is a more familiar face, in that I’ve played with this action figure before. His air attacks are stronger, and his dodge roll is decent. But beyond the mechanics, both characters are cool. This game makes me want action figures of all these characters.

Now In More Cool Colors

Speaking of cool, the DLC also comes with a ton of palette swap options for all the characters. The Ninja Turtles themselves can look all sorts of ways now. If you want that Game Boy look, you’ve got it. Same with NES, along with several other very familiar shades of green. It’s a small detail, but it pleases me nonetheless. Choosing the right nostalgic color scheme is one more way this game captures that perfect retro Turtles vibe. And yet, does this DLC do enough to flesh out the game? There’s basically no new story content to speak of, and a single extra game mode. Is Dimension Shellshock worth your time?

Story Mode and Arcade Mode are fun enough, yes. It’s cool seeing the parade of classic stages and scenes, it’s cool fighting all the old enemies. And I love the music and visuals. It all comes together to make a delightful Turtles experience. But Survival Mode is the first time I’ve felt properly compelled to keep playing. It’s deeply frustrating at times, but not in a discouraging way. I want to get better! I want to improve my last run, I want to power up all the characters. If Shredder’s Revenge felt light, then Dimension Shellshock adds significant weight. I highly recommend picking up this DLC.

***A Steam key was provided by the publisher***