In a recent revelation, Doug Rosen, senior VP for games and emerging media at Paramount Global, shared that the franchise will be adapting the comic into a God Of War-styled game for Playstation, Xbox and PC gamers. The game will be based on Eastman’s 2020 arc, The Last Ronin, built around the last of the mutant turtles seeking a battle finale with the arch-enemy, Shredder. Darker, grittier and more mature in its theme, it is a far cry from the fun, campy Saturday morning cartoons. We speak to TMNT fans and gamers to get to grips on the possible makeover.

Keep the humour alive

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Tejas Menon, 34, musician and comic fan
I was born in the generation when TMNT was a big deal. The comic was quite random, appealing and a colourful gateway to American, specifically New York, culture. I remember my brother hated pizza, till he saw the TMNT cartoons. I do know that Kevin Eastman conceptualised the Last Ronin arc quite like he wrote the original comic — a dark Japanese manga. Perhaps, now is the time to explore it because the audience has matured. But I still feel that the best version of the TMNT is when they are goofy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles only works as a premise when they are teenagers — awkward, funny and quirky. I like the Ronin arc with its darkness, but they will need to find a balance. The game is a very cool idea, but it is not the reason why I love TMNT. The humour is where they shine, in my opinion. 

Focus on the action

Raghu Muralidharan, 33, delivery head – IT and avid gamer
My best memories of the franchise date back to the TMNT console games from Nintendo. It was a fantastic two-player game with the promise of more to come. I particularly loved Leonardo, with his blue bandana — he was my favourite pick whenever I was playing. The idea of translating this ‘ninja’ arc into a God of War style-game is welcome. The God of War games have a mysterious undertone that offers a chance to explore the story. If they are building a game where you can be the hero exploring the TMNT universe, it would be fantastic. As a gamer, I would prefer that the focus remains on the action. For any gamer, the fights have to be the centrepiece along with animation, sound and the immersive experience. 

A panel from The Last Ronin. Pics Courtesy/IDWPublishing

The perfect take

Devesh Chhabria, 37, founder, Superhero Toy Store and comic book fan
I am excited because these are some of my favourite characters of all time. Being a fan of the comic series, I think it is a great take because the background story [of The Last Ronin] is brilliant. The gaming industry caters to an older age group. You need an on-the-edge thriller for such games. I understand the inhibitions of TMNT being a lighter comic in its tonality, but the Last Ronin has also done phenomenally well as a series. By that measure, the storyline is perfect. I loved that it gives Mikey a little more character beyond the light-headed guy. It is a comic about him growing up after experiencing loss. So, it is quite relatable as a fan of the genre.