The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reached their peak popularity during the early 90s, and it became nearly impossible to avoid them after that point. After a successful line of comics, the series quickly branched off into an animated series, live-action movies, and a hit arcade game simply named Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The Turtles would continue to star in their own games throughout the 90s and it took over two decades for the heroes in a half shell to cameo elsewhere. While it's great seeing Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo pop in other places, the quality of these cameos varies depending on which universe they end up falling into.
Updated on August 21, 2023 by Kyle Chamaillard: Between critically acclaimed games like Shredder's Revenge and fantastic movies like Mutant Mayhem, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feel like they are truly back in the zeitgeist. The lovable heroes also appear in other games more frequently, so we've decided to update this list to include even more titles that include cameos from your favorite anthropomorphic reptiles.
7 Smite
Smite originally launched in 2014 and continues to receive new content and updates. In this popular MOBA, you get to play as mythological figures, working together with other players to achieve victory in its PvP modes. Smite is full of fascinating characters, compelling gameplay, and a slew of crossovers with franchises like Transformers, Stranger Things, and of course, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
This collaboration allows you to watch Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo take on gods like Zeus, Ares, and Tyr. Unfortunately, the Turtles are only skins for previous gods instead of being their own characters. It was fun having references to Krang and TMNT-inspired loading screens for a season, but it was quickly overshadowed by future crossovers.
6 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is often shunned by longtime fans of the series for its bland stages and abysmal gameplay. It felt like a hollow shell of the games that came before it, and Activision tried to remedy everyone's disappointment by including celebrity skaters like Tyler, the Creator, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles post-launch.
While the free update was nice, the addition of these characters didn't fix Pro Skater 5's deepest flaws. Sure, it's neat to control one of the Turtles as they skate around Los Angeles or Outer Space, but the joy immediately dissipates once you get stuck on a wall and can't move around anymore.
5 Street Fighter 6
The Ninja Turtles have appeared in countless fighting games, but none of them are as influential or mainstream as Street Fighter. With the popularity of both the Ninja Turtles and Street Fighter being at an all-time high in 2023, it made a ton of sense for the two series to collaborate to put Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo in Street Fighter 6.
While it would have been great to see them occupy their own character slots, the Turtles only act as costumes for your World Tour avatar and custom fighters and must be individually paid for. At $15 a turtle, you might have to pick and choose which ones to purchase to save some money. It's neat to see them here, but it would have been great to see them in a bigger and better spotlight.
4 Nickelodeon Kart Racers 1 - 3
While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released for the Switch in 2017, Nintendo hasn't published a new entry in the beloved series since 2014. The absence of Mario Kart 9 has allowed other properties, such as Final Fantasy, to re-enter the rally for the best kart racing game. Nickelodeon also joined the fray, releasing three different titles between 2018 and 2022.
All three games feature a ton of Nickelodeon characters, including all four of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The first entry was critically panned for its awful aesthetic, boring gameplay, and lack of voice acting. While most of these issues were resolved in the sequels, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway finally included voice acting, which allows the Ninja Turtles to showcase one of their greatest traits — their personalities.
3 Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to representing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Unlike other entries on this list, the whole crew is not available to choose from. Leonardo and Michelangelo — alongside April O'Neil and Shredder - are on the roster, while Donatello and Raphael don't even make a cameo appearance.
It's also one of the few games that features voice acting for the Ninja Turtles. It took a while to be added to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, but since its arrival in early June 2022, it's made playing as either Turtle much more immersive. It also contains multiple stages from TMNT that should make any fan jump off their couch with glee. All three of them — Rooftop Rumble, Sewers Slam, and Technodrome Takedown — are reminiscent of the original cartoon, and feature stellar background tracks.
2 Brawlhalla
Each Ninja Turtle is distinguished by the color of their mask and weapon of choice. If you prefer to keep a distance from enemies, you may be naturally drawn to Donatello's bō staff. Or, if you prefer to get up close for quick and powerful strikes, then Raphael's twin sai may win you over. These weapons make the Ninja Turtles perfect for fighting games, and Brawlhalla is one of many to feature them.
Like Smite, Brawlhalla is notorious for crossover events and cameos from different universes. Characters from Shovel Knight, The Walking Dead, and more have become available through special events, and the developers typically include a plethora of cosmetics and references alongside them. The Ninja Turtles copy other Brawlhalla characters' movesets, but they still express more personality and eat more pizza than they do in either Smite or Nickelodeon Kart Racers.
1 Injustice 2
Between Mortal Kombat and Injustice, NetherRealm Studios has consistently released DLC characters post-launch to keep you engaged with the title, while also extending the games' longevity in the competitive scene. The DLC characters for the original Injustice kept things within the DC universe, minus a cameo from Scorpion. Injustice 2 ambitiously introduced characters like Hellboy and all four Ninja Turtles to take on the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman, and it works way better than it should.
The Turtles act as one character slot on the fighter select screen, and you can swap between the four of them by changing the default weapon in the Customize Characters tab. They have their own fighting styles and work together to take down anyone in their way. They have hilarious intros and outros, banter with opponents, and if you play through the arcade mode with them, you get to witness an ending involving a radical pizza party with Harley Quinn.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may not be the best fighters in Injustice 2, but their humor and unique playstyles certainly make them an essential addition to its roster.