I don’t get to play as many video games as I used to, but every once in a while, a Co-Optimus review code gets sent my way. I was tasked with writing a review for the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game. It’s called Mutants in Manhattan, and while it isn’t a direct movie tie-in, the timing is all about the marketing.

Some of the older TMNT video games are among my favorites of all time. The screenshots looked great, and it was a beat ’em up, so I was rather excited to play. Turns out my anticipation was unjustified. Here’s a relevant excerpt:

Unfortunately, there are many problems that pop up as you make your way throughMutants in Manhattan. In a nutshell (turtle shell?), the game is uneven and unpolished. The difficulty spikes dramatically, then levels off, leaving you angry and confused. Some levels are brief and simple, while others feel artificially long and frustrating. There’s the core of a decent brawler here, but too many bugs and bad design choices to make it fun for most people, and particularly for the younger audience for which it was presumably intended.

You can check out the whole review at Co-Optimus. Cowabunga!