Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza is a beat ’em up fighting fangame based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, especially the beloved cartoon from the late 80s, its toy line and the Nintendo games. It was developed by Merso X and initially released on June 13, 2019.

In the game, Shredder celebrates the 30th anniversary of his rivalry with the Turtles by kidnapping all the secondary characters in this universe. His goal is to rescue them, which makes them playable, totaling 60 characters, including even lesser-known figures like Usagi Yojimbo.

The visuals of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza are incredibly pleasant and faithful to the original games, which guarantees a delightful retro style. It is also a work that reached a considerable audience, especially for a home game. Well, at least it’s worth downloading (it’s free) and seeing what it’s all about, especially for those who like NES, old-school beat ’em ups and TMNT.

Video

Gameplay

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza is a beat ’em up that draws direct inspiration from classic titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project, but with significant improvements.

The game stands out for its vast selection of playable characters—over 60—including not only the Turtles but also iconic friends and foes. Each character has distinct attributes like power, speed, health, and range, which directly impact their performance in the stages. There are also gameplay differences: while some characters use long-range attacks, others can fly or have special abilities.

The basic control scheme keeps the classic style, with buttons for attack and jump, plus a new running system. While the gameplay is less challenging than the original NES titles, it still offers a good level of difficulty, with stages requiring experimentation to find the ideal character for each situation. Pizza pickups restore health, and the mutagen can temporarily transform the character, increasing their size and making them invincible.

The enemies and bosses are based on characters from the official games and cartoon. Many bosses retain their attack patterns from the original games, but they are not as challenging as before, making the battles more accessible and less frustrating.

In summary, Rescue-Palooza is an updated version of the classic Turtles beat ’em ups, featuring a large variety of characters and a gameplay style that is accessible yet still challenging enough to keep even veteran players entertained.

Game modes

The game offers three main modes:

• Story Mode – Players progress through 17 different stages, unlocking new characters as they complete levels.
• Arcade Mode – A more straightforward mode that focuses on action without the map navigation from the story mode.
• Bonus Stage Practice Mode – Here, players can access bonus stages that provide a chance to earn extra lives.

Tips

• Experiment with different characters to find the one that best suits each stage. Some characters may have specific advantages, like flying or using long-range attacks, making certain challenges easier.
• Bonus stages are a great opportunity to earn extra lives, so try to access them whenever possible.
• The mutagen pickup can be a big help in critical moments, providing temporary invincibility.

About the game

It’s Pizza Time! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza is a free fan-made beat-em-up game based on the TMNT! An update and homage to the classic NES titles, with tons of characters playable for the first time!

Features

• 60 playable characters.
• 17 stages.
• 4 bonus stages.
• 4-player local coop.
• Improved graphics.
• Voice clips from the TV show.
• Rideable vehicles.
• Countless references to the original TMNT cartoon and toyline!

Screenshots

More info and TMNT

• TMNT: Rescue-Palooza @ Merso X – The game on the developer’s official website, with more information etc. Archived.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rescue-Palooza @ Gaming Room – Source, with more info and media. In Portuguese.
• Ninja Hack Attack 2
• Kickin’ it Old School
• TMNT: Monsters vs. Mutants
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Double Damage