AN ARCADEBOT SPECIAL · SIX CHAPTERS · 1989–2026
Four Turtles, a city full of trouble, and almost four decades of video games. The journey starts with two very different TMNT games in 1989, moves through the NES, arcades, Game Boy, SNES, and Sega Genesis, then branches into 3D, mobile games, and today’s platforms.
This ArcadeBot special tells that story in six separate chapters. Follow the entire timeline or jump straight to the era you remember. Along the way, you will find release dates, developers, platforms, and the distinctions that often get lost between an original game, an adaptation, and a compilation.
Choose an Era
01 · 1989–1993
The First Games and the Golden Age
NES, arcades, Game Boy, and the 16-bit classics that defined the Turtles.
02 · 1994–2006
The Transition and the Return in 3D
Tournament Fighters closes the classic era, and the 2003 animated series drives Konami’s comeback.
03 · 2007–2011
Movie Tie-Ins and Experiments
The 2007 movie, Ubisoft, Smash-Up, and a rebuilt Turtles in Time.
04 · 2012–2021
A Decade of Ups and Downs
Activision, PlatinumGames, mobile games, and crossovers send the Turtles down new paths.
05 · 2022–2025
The TMNT Revival
Shredder’s Revenge, The Cowabunga Collection, and Splintered Fate revisit and expand the series.
06 · 2026 AND BEYOND
2026 and Beyond
Empire City, Splintered Fate’s expansions, and the confirmed status of The Last Ronin.
The Timeline in Eight Stops
| Year | Milestone | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | TMNT on NES and in arcades | Two different designs open Konami’s run |
| 1991–1992 | Turtles in Time | The arcade game and SNES adaptation develop identities of their own |
| 1993–1994 | Tournament Fighters | Three distinct versions bring TMNT into fighting games |
| 2003 | Konami’s comeback | The new animated series provides a foundation for 3D action |
| 2007 | TMNT and the Ubisoft era | The movie inspires different adaptations across platforms |
| 2016 | Mutants in Manhattan | PlatinumGames explores online cooperative combat |
| 2022 | Shredder’s Revenge and The Cowabunga Collection | A new game and a compilation bring the retro tradition forward |
| 2026 | Empire City | A standalone adventure brings TMNT to modern VR headsets |
Five Games That Help Explain the Series
TMNT, 1989 arcade game. The place to start if you want to understand why sharing four controllers is part of the Turtles’ identity.
Turtles in Time, SNES. An adaptation worth playing as a game in its own right, with changes from the arcade release.
Radical Rescue, Game Boy. The exploratory branch that proves TMNT is about more than walking right and throwing punches.
Shredder’s Revenge. A modern continuation of the beat ’em up tradition, with new levels and combat.
Splintered Fate. Another way to play as a team: roguelite action, upgrades, and runs that change from one attempt to the next.
For the classics on modern platforms, The Cowabunga Collection gathers 13 Konami titles. Always check the specific version and its game modes: TMNT games do not all offer the same kind of co-op.
Keep Exploring ArcadeBot
The best free TMNT games offers another route into the Turtles’ gaming world. This special follows the history of the releases; that guide focuses on free games.
You can also explore Kevin Eastman’s story, discover the Usagi Yojimbo and TMNT crossover, and revisit Baxter Stockman’s history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Was the First Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Video Game?
Konami’s run began in 1989 with an NES adventure and an arcade beat ’em up. These are different games. Identifying the one you remember means specifying the platform and how it played.
Is Turtles in Time on SNES the Same as the Arcade Game?
No. The arcade game debuted in 1991, followed by the SNES adaptation in 1992. The home version changed content and was designed for two players. Chapter 1 explains the differences.
Is Shredder’s Revenge a Remake?
No. It is an original game from Tribute Games and Dotemu, first released in 2022. It draws on older visual and gameplay ideas without rebuilding a single Konami classic.
Does The Cowabunga Collection Include Every TMNT Game?
No. It gathers 13 Konami classics from arcades, NES, SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy. It does not cover the entire later history or every older computer release.
Do All the Games Support Four Players?
No. The series includes single-player adventures, two-player co-op, four-player games, and modern releases with other limits. Local multiplayer and online multiplayer are also different features. Each chapter identifies the relevant distinctions.
Which TMNT Game Came Out in 2026? Is The Last Ronin Available?
Empire City launched on April 30, 2026, for Meta Quest, Pico, and SteamVR. The Last Ronin is listed as in development at PlatinumGames, and the developer’s official page does not announce a release date. The final chapter separates released games from projects still in development.
Images: Digital Eclipse / Konami (classic archive); Ubisoft, distributed by Nintendo (TMNT 2007); PlatinumGames / Activision (Mutants in Manhattan); Tribute Games / Dotemu (Shredder’s Revenge); Cortopia / Beyond Frames (Empire City). Rights belong to their respective owners.