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Coming in as a sequel to Iron Fury. Phantom Fury allows players to take gameplay to the third dimension as 3D gameplay is how players experience this title. Phantom Fury was a game that I was pretty interested in trying out for myself, mostly because of its visuals which reminded me a lot of the PC and PlayStation games that I had played during my adolescence. Unfortunately, Phantom Fury seems to not only emulate those visuals but also the dated gameplay.
In all honesty, this title looks great. Though it has jagged aesthetics that go along with most of its visuals, it pulls off adding more modern lighting and enhancements that make the game feel wholly unique and fresh. But where Phantom Fury flat-out loses me is with its stilted and frankly unoptimized-feeling gameplay.
Enemies are super fast and basically rollerskate around you as you too slide around and try to aim their way to kill them. The only problem is, that most of the weapons in this game are just either annoyingly slow or incredibly underpowered. There’s just not much fun to be had. And while I can kind of see the idea with the combat that they were aiming for, it just really feels too uneven. This one needed some more time in the oven for me.
Though there can be fun here, thanks to its puzzles, varied gameplay, and differing enemies. There’s definitely a market for a game like this. Another area where its visuals shined for me was in its environment. There are a lot of great places to look at and experience with these low-poly graphics.
On the flip side of that review, we have TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants, a title that was originally an arcade cabinet now coming back around on home gaming platforms. It’s a title that I wish got a bit more of a visual update, as it can be downright difficult to see any detail from any character on-screen. But what I will say about this title is that it’s fun.
Playing as each of the different turtles is a fun idea that lands on two feet thanks to their cool super attacks and the fact that you can tap a new one in once you’ve expended the lifespan of your current one. Additionally, there’s quite a bit of content to enjoy here. Not only do players get the content that they would have experienced when this was sitting in arcades, but there are three new levels and six new bosses to fight.
The couch co-op and various difficult settings can make this a fun game to play with your kids or friends too. I always played TMNT games in the arcades as a kid, and it’s cool to be able to continue playing them with my kids. Its fun factor and the fact that it’s still a colorful and eye-catching game, regardless of modern visuals, is a testament to this iteration of the Ninja Turtles that continues to live on to this day.
