Dimension Shellshock adds two new characters to the game, in the form of Karai and Miyamoto Usagi, the latter coming from the Usagi Yojimbo series which has had multiple crossovers with the TMNT before, and they are playable throughout the main game. There is also a new mode as well, called Survival Mode, which sees the heroes helping the Neutrinos by travelling to different dimensions, taking out enemies and gathering shards. In true roguelike fashion, you get a bit stronger after each run, accomplished here by translating the main game’s levelling system, and you always want to keep trying.
Each run will take you to a variety of settings, such as the Edo period from Usagi Yojimbo, a retro-style setting, the Mirage comics setting and more. These are single-screen stages where you must take out all enemies and then proceed on to the next stage, but to do so, you must choose one of two rewards at the end of the screen. These can be health, infinite specials and more from the main game, as well as shards, but the main draw here is the mutations.
These mutations take a variety of forms and include taking double damage while giving double damage, taking constant damage but getting health back when you hit enemies and so on. The most interesting mutations, however, allow you to temporarily plan as the villains Bebop, Rocksteady and the Shredder himself, complete with their own special attacks. These temporary forms have their own life bars, and you will revert back to the original character when it runs out, but these are a blast to play when you have them.
It is not all great though, as some stages are a bit frustrating. Some stages, particularly one in Edo and one in Mirage have gaps that are easy to fall into when you are taking out enemies. This does not just happen when the challenge level increases either, and can happen very early on, which can get annoying. Fortunately, this is not a deal-breaking issue and the mode is still fun, with a wide variety of enemies beyond just the foot clan, including Stone Soldiers, and Triceratons, and there is a lot of variety with the different screens and settings.
One other touch is that the game now has multiple colour palettes, with many acting as shoutouts to other game incarnations of the turtles, including the 2003 series, Game Boy games and so on. Usagi even has a colour palette that is very similar to how he looked in the Usagi Yojimbo game on the Commodore 64. These are great to use and, the music in these new stages also shows a lot of creativity.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge: Dimension Shellshock is a great addition to a great game even with the issue I mentioned. This DLC definitely does call back to the Mr. X Nightmare DLC from Streets of Rage 4 also published by Dotemu, but the premise actually feels better realized here. If you enjoyed the game, then you will love the DLC.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
