Cowabunga, friends! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate officially drops on the Nintendo Switch today. To celebrate, Jim Trinca and I jumped into a two-player co-op session for a 90-minute early look at the game, which you can catch in the video above.
While Splintered Fate has been an Apple Arcade staple for over a year—earning plenty of praise for its fast-paced action—the Switch release brings some notable upgrades. The visuals and audio have been polished for the console, and most importantly, couch co-op for up to four players has been added. It’s a huge improvement over the mobile version, unless you happen to have a massive phone and friends with very tiny fingers! [23:02]
A “Hades Clone” with a Turtle Twist
There’s no getting around it: Splintered Fate is a “Hades clone,” and it wears that inspiration proudly. From the procedural roguelike layouts to the signature dash mechanic, the gameplay feels immediately familiar. [03:25]
- Combat Flow: Playing as Donatello, I loved the rhythm of dashing behind enemies to deliver a few quick smacks with the Bo staff. [19:59]
- Progression: You’ll earn “Turtle Powers” that boost you during a single run, while “Dragon Coins” allow for permanent upgrades back at the lair. [05:30], [33:43]
- Multiplayer: The online co-op worked seamlessly during our test. It’s refreshing to see a multiplayer spin on the Hades formula, which definitely helps alleviate some of the repetition inherent in the genre. [22:21]
Is it Worth the “Shell-out”?
The real question is the price tag. At £26.99, the Switch version is significantly more expensive than a month of Apple Arcade, and even costs a few pounds more than the original Hades on the eShop. [02:55]
While the simplistic combat is undeniably fun, the power-ups don’t always feel impactful enough to keep every run feeling fresh. After the stream, I spent a few hours in handheld mode grinding for progression. While I unlocked new areas and enemy types, the feeling of repetition started to set in—especially that first sewer level, which can grow tiresome after multiple attempts. [01:06:41]
The Verdict
If you’re a die-hard Turtles fan, this is a must-play. The voice acting is top-notch, and the original story—penned by TMNT comic writer Tom Waltz—adds a lot of flavor to the experience. [48:02] However, if you’re coming purely from a Hades background, you might find this a slightly paler imitation of the BAFTA-winning masterpiece.
If the video player above isn’t working, you can check out our full 90-minute session (complete with plenty of random movie and TV chatter) over on YouTube. See ya later, alligator!
