For the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 2022 has been totally radical. We got the excellent beat ’em up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Netflix released Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, rumours are circulating about an AAA console title next year, and we have just been treated to a gnarly collection of the gang’s classic arcade outings in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection — which, coincidentally, we loved.
As lifetime fans of the Turtles, we are hoping for this hot streak to continue long into the future, and a recent Nintendo Everything interview with Charles Murakami might be hinting at just that as the Konami senior producer spoke of the potential for a Cowabunga Collection-esque sequel down the pipeline.
Speaking about how the team at Konami went about selecting the 13 games present in the Turtles’ recent collection, Murakami and Digital Eclipse editorial director Chris Kohler discussed the absence of the TMNT games released in the 2000s, being asked if they might receive a collection of their own in the future. While far from an official confirmation, Murakami gave the following positive response:
Never say never! I’ve waited decades for a TMNT Collection, and seeing other fans share my desire to see this project come together is one of the greatest moments in my career. Although sometimes the stars have to align for a project to come together, I’m encouraged when you see fans nudging those stars into place.
Based on Murakami’s comment, there’s potential for another collection — perhaps along the lines of Konami’s Castlevania Advance Collection, a ‘sequel’ collection to the original Castlevania Anniversary Collection — if there’s demand. The outpouring of love for the Turtles this year is surely moving those stars into optimum position, and for the chance to play the 2003 animated series’ games once again? We’re willing to push those stars even harder.
The interview also saw the pair discuss the challenges of bringing the classic arcade games into one cohesive collection, issues with music licensing, and the intricate differences between the games’ regional releases. For all this and more, be sure to head over to Nintendo Everything to read the full interview.
Until anything more comes of the potential for a 2000s turtle mash-up, we’re going to be heading back to the Cowabunga Collection while humming the killer theme song from the 2003 series. Hey, we’ve got to keep the hope alive somehow.
Further reading:
What has been your favourite TMNT game this year? Head on down to the sewers (or comment section, if you’d prefer) and let us know!
