There are 34 secret collectibles to find in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. These newspaper headlines, VHS tapes, diaries, bugs, crystals, and cameos are cleverly hidden away in most of the game's 16 story episodes. There are none in the auto-scroll levels, however. 

Each collectible is part of a set. Find all of the collectibles in a set, and you can turn them in to various NPCs as special requests for points if you unlock those NPCs in the story. All of these points go toward the character level for whichever character you're using when you find them or turn them in.

• Burne (3 Headlines): 50pts.
• Irma (5 Diaries): 75pts.
• Punk Frogs (8 Disgusting Bugs): 100pts.
• Vernon (5 VHS Tapes): 100pts.
• Dimension X (3 Crystals): 200pts. 

Alongside defeating enemies and completing level challenges, turning these in is a good way to get all characters to Level 10 for the No Need for Mutagen! trophy/achievement. A single playthrough on Chill difficulty only takes about three hours, and you can fully level one character and get another roughly halfway. You can carry character progress over when starting a new story playthrough while resetting all of the levels and secrets. 

Finally, getting all secret collectibles will give you the Biggest Fan! and Multitasker trophies/achievements for finding all cameos and completing all special requests. 

Episode 1: Jaw-Breaking News!

• 2 secret collectibles.

Burne Cameo: Go through the level until the four Foot Clan typing at computers at the top of the screen. Go right into the next area, and destroy the shaking door at the top of the screen. 

Classic Headline 1/3: Continue right until you reach a television newsroom with a foot clan symbol in the back and Weather 6 on the right. Just after, in the next area, destroy the box with the foot clan symbol at the top of the screen, to the left of a pizza. This is the same area as the boss room with Bebop, with Krang's head (and Vernon tied up) at the top of the screen. 

Episode 2: Big Apple, 3pm

• 3 secret collectibles.

Classic Headline 2/3: in front of TV Zone, past the sushi shop near the beginning of the stage, at the top of the screen in a trash can. If you hit the fire hydrant nearby, it will destroy the can, with the collectible on the ground. 

Irma Cameo: Go through the area after, past the car wash, and destroy the door at the top of the screen up the steps, between the two trash bags that are hiding Foot Clan. It's before you go down to continue the stage. 

Secret Diary 1/5: Continue down, and then right. Past the roll-up door where three Foot Clan jump out and there's a pizza, you'll see a blue mailbox at the top of the screen to the left of a parking deck and a blue car. Destroy the mailbox. 

Episode 4: Rumble in the Zoo

• 4 secret collectibles.

Secret Diary 2/5: Go right at the beginning of the stage, past the Shredder statues to where you first encounter the Foot Clan with whips. There will be a bench with a Toucan on it at the top of the screen near a Foot Clan member eating ice cream. There is a trashcan to the right of the bench. 

Atilla Cameo: Just after this area, you'll see two blue mailboxes at the top of the screen. Smash the second one. 

Disgusting Bug 1/8: After the first stampede, you'll fight some Roadkill Rodney's and shielded Foot Clan while going down. You'll then go through a second stampede and come to an area with Monkeys throwing bananas There will be a trashcan at the top of the screen by the cages. 

Classic Headline 3/3: Go two screens to the right (after Rocksteady gets pulled by the rope), and there will be more Monkeys throwing bananas, Roadkill Rodney's, and plenty of Foot Clan. Destroy the newsstand in the top right corner. 

Episode 5: King of the Spill

• 3 secret collectibles.

Secret Diary 3/5: At the beginning of the stage, on the second screen where you first encounter the pink foot clan throwing knives, there will be two newsstands, a recycling bin, and a vending machine. Destroy the newsstands. 

Genghis Cameo: After fighting the Mausers, you'll come to a sewer area. Continue right, past Krang's head, until you see a vault door at the top of the screen, then whack it. 

Disgusting Bug 2/8: After the next area with the Steam coming from the pipes, smash the Foot Clan symbol box in the top right corner. 

Episode 6: Mall Meltdown

• 5 secret collectibles.

Secret Diary 4/5: Smash the brick wall at the beginning of the level. On the other side, in the storeroom with vegetables, destroy the trash can at the top by the fridge, to the left of the taco restaurant.

VHS Tape 1/5: Go through the cafeteria and up the escalator. At your second encounter with the Mace-wielding ninja, there will be two planters and a trash can between them in the middle of the screen. Smash the trash can. 

Napoleon Cameo: Directly after the tape, you'll see a Punk Frogs cardboard cutout at the top of the screen. Hit that. 

Vernon Cameo: Go up the second escalator. After the mechs, you'll enter an arcade. Destroy the popcorn machine at the entrance. 

Disgusting Bug 3/8: Go one screen right from that popcorn machine to find another in the top right with cotton candy hanging above it, next to a desk with a computer and phone.

Episode 7: Roof Running Reptiles! 

• 3 secret collectibles.

Secret Diary 5/5: Smash the toolbox at the beginning of the stage, at the top of the second screen, before crossing the first wood bridge spanning the buildings. 

VHS Tape 2/5: Take the elevator up. You'll see Rocksteady and Bebop with part of Krang's android body, then fight white-clad Foot Clan with swords. The area just after has a rectangular hole in the middle. Destroy the toolbox on the top side. 

Disgusting Bug 4/8: Keep going right, past the crane, and you'll encounter some are Foot Clan. After, destroy the small red toolbox next to the large red toolbox at the top of the screen in the next area. 

Episode 9: Crisis at Coney Island! 

• 2 secret collectibles.

Rasputin Cameo: When you reach the boardwalk near the beginning, you'll quickly see a hot dog stand at the top of the screen. Destroy it. 

Disgusting Bug 5/8: After encountering the black-clad Foot Clan that throw Sai, you'll go right and down, but bust the trash can by the newsstand in the upper right corner first. 

Episode 10: A Few Screws Loose

• 2 secret collectibles.

Disgusting Bug 6/8: After the motorcycles at the beginning of the stage, the screen will shift to show a blue car and trash can at the top of the screen, to the right of a parked cargo truck at the top, as well. Smash the trash can. Three ninjas carrying crates will appear after the car leaves. 

VHS Tape 3/5: After fighting the three Mauser mechs with elastic arms, you'll enter a storage warehouse. Go to the top as soon as you enter and smash the top-most box with a red Foot Clan symbol on it. 

Episode 11: Dinosaur Stampede!

• 4 secret collectibles.

VHS Tape 4/5: You'll come to a trophy room early in the level with a giant moon skull and weapons on the wall. This is also where the first stampede is. Smash the newsstand at the top of the screen, to the right of the skull. 

Disgusting Bug 7/8: Not long after, you'll enter a storage room with dinosaur skeletons and other artifacts. Go up, then right, and you'll see an iron maiden at the top of the screen, with a destructible object near it with this inside. 

Crystal Shard 1/3: Go right, and some ninjas will burst out of a crate. Defeat the enemies and go down. Destroy the Foot Clan symbol box on the right wall for this one. 

Dask Cameo: Go right from there, and two triceratons will bust out of paintings. Defeat the enemies and head right. Destroy the Foot Clan crate at the top of the screen by the pink tent just after. 

Episode 12: It Won't Fly!

• 1 secret collectible.

Disgusting Bug 8/8: Eventually, you'll pass through a laboratory area with a control station and two chambers on either side. Just after, there will be an area with 9 "turrets" that pop out of the ground and freeze you. Smash the Foot Clan box at the bottom of the screen here.

Episode 13: Technodrome Redux

• 3 secret collectibles.

VHS Tape 5/5: Soon after starting the level, you'll come to an area with a moving turret on a pole and two mechs parked in the wall at the top of the screen. Smash the Foot Clan crate at the top of the screen behind the turret.

Kala Cameo: After the above, you'll quickly come across a room with a rocket engine and drill head at the top of the screen. Smash open the capsule to the right of those. 

Crystal Shard 2/3: Fight General Traag on the elevator, then continue through the areas with the electricity. You'll then need to jump a gap. Do so and destroy the Foot Clan crate at the top of the screen on the other side. 

Episode 14: The Lost Archenemies

• 1 secret collectible.

Zak Cameo: Eventually you'll enter a volcanic area. After a few screens, you'll see a gild Shredder bust on a rock outcropping at the top of the screen. Hit the plant to the right, just before the turrets pop out of the ground.

Episode 15: Outworld Strangeoids

• 1 secret collectible.

Crystal Shard 3/3: After the area with the Spike floors, you'll reach an area with crates and many exploding barrels on a rock precipice. Break the Foot Clan crate at the bottom of the screen here. 

And there you go: all of the collectibles and secrets in TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. For more, find out how to unlock Casey Jones or check out our review of Dotemu's bodacious brawler.

There are six available characters when you start Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. You can choose any of them from the start in story mode and arcade mode, but there's a seventh character to unlock: the hockey-stick-wielding vigilante, Casey Jones.

So how do you unlock Casey Jones? You unlock Casey Jones by simply beating the story mode with any of the six other characters. Difficulty doesn't matter, and there are no secret criteria to follow. Once you roll credits after Episode 16, you'll add him to the roster for future playthroughs in single-player or multiplayer, story and arcade.

You'll also get the Beware Lawbreakers trophy/achievement for doing so. You can also use him to get another trophy/achievement, Finally Getting Along!, for cheering up a teammate playing as Raphael, which is sure to make any TMNT fan smile. You'll also need to beat the game with Casey to get the Complete Cast! trophy/achievement for seeing all of the character endings in story mode.

Stats:

• Range: 3
• Speed: 2
• Power: 2

Casey Jones has some of the longest reach in TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and one of the better rising attacks compared to other characters like Raphael. However, unlike Donatello, another 3-star range character with great range throughout his basic combos, Casey's initial attack in a combo string is on the shorter side, both for a stationary attack and forward attack.

It can lead to some accidental hits if you're not careful. His rising and diving attacks are some of the best in the game, and they can move him around the screen quickly while hitting enemies far away.

He's slightly faster than Donatello at 2 stars compared to Donatello's 1-star speed.

Casey has a reasonably large, stationary AoE super, which is on par with Leonardo's and a bit bigger than Donatello's and Michelangelo's. It makes Casey a good choice for crowd control, though perhaps not decidedly so over other characters with similar AoEs. For the most part, those comfortable with Leonardo or Donatello will find success with this character. 

Now that you've kicked enough shell to unlock Casey Jones, it's time to find all of the secrets, cameos, and collectibles hidden throughout TMNT: Shredder's Revenge.

The classic arcade brawler hasn’t really aged well in this new millenium. These once ubiquitous games where one to six players picked their fighter and took to the streets to pound the living hell out of mostly faceless bad guys were huge in their day.

FInal Fight, Double Dragon, Bad Dudes, Ninja Warriors, X-Men and countless more ate our quarters like candy. Yet, for so many arcade dwellers of the late 80s and early 90s, Konami’s 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles still holds a special place in our blipping, pixelated hearts.

The bright, garish colors and cartoon-style graphics mesh perfectly with its zany characters and over-the-top action to create one of the best examples of four-player arcade action ever. Of course, nostalgia is a tricky thing and so many revamps, modern sequels, and reboots of those 80s games tend to fall flat in this strange modern timeline.

When Dotemu announced they were making a direct sequel to the original TMNT arcade game, we (as in, some of us older gamer types) got excited anyway.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Review – A New Blast from the Past 

There were a lot of reasons to trust Dotemu with our childhood memories. The publisher has a strong history of porting retro PC, console, and arcade games to modern platforms. Working with developer Tribute Games, this dynamic duo already proved they could handle the great weight of childhood expectations with their superb Streets of Rage 4 (seriously, it’s a fantastic classically-themed brawler. Go and get it). 

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge works so perfectly because it’s clear the developers not only love the source material, but understand intrinsically how to recreate that beloved sense of nostalgia in a way that feels both authentic and evolved. This really does come across as a game that could have actually existed in a 1990-era arcade.

Presentation-wise, TMNT is retro joy. The 2D pixelated graphics are pitch perfect to the past, while still looking great. The 16 levels take players all over Manhattan (along with in, under, above, and beyond) and mesh perfectly with the old cartoon. The characters are animated well enough to sport excellent personality and expressions. Controls are simple enough for anyone to just start bashing away, yet the more you play, the more depth you’ll find.

The soundtrack deserves special mention as well. While all the voice work and sound effects are spot on, the 80s-rock score, complete with custom vocal tracks for various levels, is almost enough to make you spontaneously grow big hair and starch your collars. In short, Shredder’s Revenge is a heaping pile of retro love.

TMNT initially lets you choose from six characters: the four turtles, Splinter the rat, and April O’Neil. Beating the game unlocks sports-equipment lover, Casey Jones. The turtles use their signature weapons, Splinter his staff, and April comes equipped with heavy-duty reporter gear (like a mic and camera for bashing heads). Each character has their own unique feel and slightly different basic stats, though are overall equally powered.

Controls are kept simple. Using four buttons, our heroes jump, dodge, basic attack, and super attack. Super attacks are powered by a combo energy bar and help clear packs of enemies, but the bar is reset if you’re hit. The basic attack button mixes things up based on directional and other movement inputs. So, there are an impressive number of potential moves and combos. Aerial bashes, slide attacks, rear strikes, and a variety of throws and fancy weapon play keep the action flowing and entertaining.

The game features a story and arcade mode, which basically use the same levels and plot. The arcade mode is focused entirely on old-school restraints. Limited lives, no ability to switch characters, and no saves make it as close to a classic coin-op experience as you’ll get. The story mode branches things out thanks to an overall world map, hidden secrets to find, minor item collection quests, and a modicum of character progression.

In story mode, your fighter will go up in level, earning more hit points and new moves. Progression is saved and this mode has a more cohesive and lasting appeal compared to the arcade mode. Neither mode is particularly lengthy or full of replay depth, but that was never the goal for this kind of thing. Both modes support drop-in multiplayer for up to six players, although specifics vary depending on platform.

For the PC, Switch, and Xbox versions, local play supports up to six, while PlayStation can handle four players on one console. All versions can handle six players online or some combination of local and online play (although here, the PS4/5 will only allow up to four). The game automatically scales the number of enemies with the number of players to keep the action constant. 

TMNT sports three difficulty levels in both game modes as well, so those that want a challenge on par with the original can go harder while casual players can pick easy. We would have liked the walking maps to not be completely scroll locked, as there were times we wanted to backtrack and explore more. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Review – The Bottom Line

Pros

• Up to six players can battle the forces of Shredder across a crazy array of landscapes.
• Controls are simply designed, responsive, and offer surprising depth.
• For fans of TMNT and classic 80s action, this sequel is nostalgic gold.

Cons

• We wish we could move around the large maps more freely to explore more.
• Like most arcade-style games, even with the secrets and extras, there’s a limited amount of play here.

If you have a soft spot for classic arcade brawlers of the 80s and 90s, Shredder’s Revenge is a damn near perfect homage and sequel to one of the best of the era. It doesn't get much better than this. 

[Note: Dotemu provided the copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge used for this review.]

Dotemu's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge will release on June 16 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch. The surprise news comes as part of the ongoing Summer Games Fest 2022. Previously, Shredder's Revenge was simply scheduled for a Summer 2022 launch. The game will retail for $24.99, but those who pre-order it will receive a 10% discount. 

A release wasn't all that was revealed during Summer Games Fest. Casey Jones will be a playable character in Shredder's Revenge, rounding the roster out to seven and fighting the Foot Clan alongside the eponymous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, April O' Neil, and Master Splinter. The trailer showing Casey in action, fully clad in hockey mask and wielding his iconic hockey stick, can be seen at the top of this article. 

Finally, Dotemu confirmed that Shredder's Revenge will feature up to 6-player co-op multiplayer, both online and local. The developer says that "enemy groups scale in size based on the number of players kicking shell, making 6-player multiplayer a totally intense showdown against Shredder’s minions."

At the time of this writing (June 10, 2022), the pre-order discount is only available for Nintendo Switch and the Microsoft Store. It will be available on Steam and PSN "in the coming days," according to a press release. 

We previewed Shredder's Revenge in May and came away excited for the retro, Turtles-in-Time-inspired throwback.

For fans of old school beat ‘em up action games, it’s hard to overlook the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From standup arcade cabinets to home consoles like the NES and Sega Genesis, the TMNT side-scrolling brawlers became beloved favorites that have remained popular decades later. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is bundling up many of these old-school experiences later this year, but Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4) and Tribute Games (with members that worked on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game) are set to release something entirely new for longtime fans of the Turtles and newcomers alike.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is slated for 2022, and it's set to channel every bit of that nostalgic action that made players fall in love with this genre decades ago. After sitting down with a demo featuring two levels and six playable characters, I’m happy to say the developers have captured the magic.

Shredder’s Revenge immediately catapults you into the 80s arcade scene. The game opens with a stylish animation featuring classic characters and a rocking title track that could have been pulled straight from a 1990s Saturday morning cartoon. That sets the tone for what's in store. Alongside a pixel art style, those highlights make the entire experience pop with classic flair, working together to pack the punch of a retro brawler with the quality-of-life improvements of modern titles.

Six different playable characters were available in our hands-on demo: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Master Splinter, and news reporter April O’Neil. Each character features their own weapon type and stats that slightly change traits like speed and power.

These tweaks over previous entries in the long running "series" seem small, but picking a character with abilities that match your specific playstyle can make a noticeable difference in the flow of things. I played as all six characters during my time with the demo, with each one delivering a unique spin on combat that adds just enough variety to the experience.

As you fight your way through rounds of Foot Clan, an attack meter builds up earning you ground, air, and kick special attacks that are distinctive to each character. While replaying levels as a different character might not fundamentally alter the overall experience, these special attacks offer a nice touch of variety to switch things up.

One of the biggest takeaways from my time with the demo was how well the game played. Where a something like Battletoads might feel a bit slow to respond at times, Shredder's Revenge feels accurate and tight from beginning to end. The controls are extremely accurate and responsive, giving you the opportunity to really nail the right moves to deliver devastating attacks on your opponents. 

The demo featured two levels, each following the same classic formula: drop-in, beat up some baddies, and find a boss fight. The first level, "Jaw-Breaking News," took place in an office building/TV studio, bringing plenty of opportunities to kick equipment at enemies and pick up pizza to replenish health or boost power before facing off against Bebop. The second level, "Big Apple, 3pm" followed the Turtles out of the studio and into the streets, chasing down Rocksteady and his crew as they stripped cars for parts along the way to their hideout.

"Jaw-Breaking News" featured cameras and set pieces like cameras scattered throughout the stage, providing the opportunity to give them a kick across the screen and send enemies tumbling. Lights on the ceiling could fall and crush anyone unfortunate enough to be below them while the Foot Clan could bust through a door with boxes and TVs ready to launch at the Turtles. 

"Big Apple, 3pm" delivers its own set of environmental tricks with exploding barrels scattered in key locations along with Foot-Clan-driven cars and motorcycles that can fly across the screen with one misstep. Between these two levels, opportunities to interact with the environment really made each one feel alive in its own way. 

It's something  I hope continues in the full game. There's plenty of replayability when all of these things combine, whether you’re jumping in for a solo session or using the drop-in co-op with a friend. 

As someone who didn’t grow up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, my expectations going into Shredder’s Revenge were low. Thankfully, it’s now become one of my most anticipated games of the year. The team’s goal was to use the 1987’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as inspiration for a new entry and so far, they’ve nailed every element.

Stellar graphics, music, gameplay, and level design all combine to create what looks to be a modern TMNT game that perfectly taps into its old-school roots. For fans of side-scrolling brawlers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is certainly one to keep your eye on when it launches later this summer. For hardcore fans of classic TMNT games, it should be on the very top of your list.

[Note: Dotemu provided the demo copy of TMNT: Shredder's Revenge used for this preview.]

April O' Neil is one of the most iconic characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so it's only fitting that the fearless reporter joins the heroes in a half-shell in the upcoming TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. 

Her inclusion was revealed by developer DotEmu by way of a new gameplay trailer for the beat em' up scheduled to release sometime in 2022 for PC and Nintendo Switch. Her inclusion is a welcome one considering the roster for TMNT games has been static for so long.

April uses a microphone and other TV broadcast gear to take down the Footclan alongside the Turtles, and she has what looks to be a fair few special attacks. She can also revive the Turtles by giving them pizza. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge looks a lot like Turtles in Time, perhaps the very best TMNT beat em' ever made (and what some would argue as the best beat em' up of all time, ahem). But no matter where you stand on the spectrum in that regard, Shredder's Revenge does look good, something reinforced by the great job DotEmu did on Streets of Rage 4.

Shredder's Revenge doesn't yet have a firm release date outside of the broad 2022 window, so let's hope there's more news on the immediate horizon. Stay tuned.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is coming to the Nintendo Switch. It's a move that makes more than a lot of sense considering some of the best games in the TMNT franchise are those found on Nintendo systems. It also makes sense because Shredder's Revenge seems like the perfect game to play on the go. 

The news was revealed during the latest Nintendo Indie World Showcase on April 14, and it came alongside a new gameplay trailer. While the reveal trailer that dropped back in March showed our heroes in a half shell taking on the Foot Clan and Bebop, the trailer below highlights each turtle and shows them taking on more of Shredder's minions and Rocksteady. 

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is being developed by Dotemu, the same team behind the stellar Streets of Rage 4, and Tribute Games, who have previously worked on games like Mercenary Kings. Members of Tribute have also worked on Scott Pilgrim v. The World and the 2007 Ubisoft-published TMNT game for the Game Boy Advance. 

There's still no word on when TMNT: Shredder's Revenge will release, though it will also launch on PC when it does. It would be a shame if this beat-em-up didn't make its way to PlayStation and Xbox platforms, so here's to hoping there are more announcements to come. 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming back in a big way, dude. Dotemu announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, a pixel-art, arcade-style brawler developed by Dotemu in partnership with Tribute Games and Nickelodeon. 

Shredder's Revenge is still under development and doesn't have a release window yet. Evoking strong parallels to Turtles in Time, the best game to ever feature the heroes in a half shell, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a side-scrolling brawler with support for up to four players either through local co-op or online play.

The action unfolds across a number of classic Turtles environments, such as the New York sewers and Dimension X, though Dotemu hasn't mentioned what playable characters we can expect outside the Turtles themselves.

Shredder's Revenge draws on classics including Turtles in Time and blends the modern and retro together. Among other, as-yet-unannounced features, Shredder's Revenge introduces new skills for the Turtles built on "classic brawler mechanics." 

The trailer didn't mention platforms, but Shredder's Revenge is available for wishlisting on Steam now.