The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has really been on the rise lately, from the continued success of IDW’s TMNT comics to the imminent release of Netflix’s animated Mutant Mayhem movie. And now it turns out that another of his TMNT games is in the works, with a mysterious developer working on an adaptation of his 2020 comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Zara Stronin’.
This may be the best news yet. The Last Ronin is great source material to build your game on. Especially if the project manages to capture what makes other AAA titles like God of War work so well. But if you’re unfamiliar with The Last Ronin, now’s a good time to break the comic down and explain why it’s perfectly translatable to this new medium.
What is TMNT: The Last Ronin?
The Last Ronin is perhaps best described as the TMNT franchise’s answer to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The original comic is the first collaboration in many years between TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The duo actually tapped into his plans for an unused storyline that he had first developed during the original Turtle mania explosion of the 1980s.
Like The Dark Knight Returns, The Last Ronin is set in a futuristic world far darker and gnarlier than most TMNT stories. In this world, all but one of the four Turtles are killed fighting the Footclan, as is Master Splinter. Only one Turtle remains to carry the torch and end the battle with Oroku Hiroto, Shredder’s grandson.
I’m not trying to spoil the famous Last Ronin identity here. Its reveal is a major part of the first issue of the series, and I think revealing which of the four characters will survive this hellish future will make the game a big deal. If you want to know, we have a full breakdown of The Last Ronin’s first issue.
The Last Ronin has clearly resonated with TMNT fans over the last few years. The comic has already inspired multiple TMNT action figures of his, as well as his PVC statue for Diamond Select Toys. A follow-up comic called The Last Ronin: The Lost Years is also in the works. The Lost Years is both a prequel and a sequel. It aims to fill in many gaps in Ronin’s backstory, but also continues where the original book left off, introducing a whole new generation of Turtles.
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The Last Ronin Gameplay
A big part of the TMNT game is being able to control the turtle of your choice. In some cases, the differences in gameplay are negligible. Take, for example, the various classic arcade brawlers in TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection. Each turtle only differs slightly in relative attack power and weapon reach.
But some games, like 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, rely heavily on differences between Turtles. Each character in that game has its own ninjutsu style and special move, and the player can switch turtles at will.
Lastronin is an odd dude in that regard. This is a game built around just one turtle, which seems to eliminate the possibility of switching between characters or fighting styles. However, Ronin has all of his TMNT arsenal onboard. He wields Leonardo’s katana, Raphael’s sword, Donatello’s staff, Michelangelo’s nunchaku, and future Foot he becomes his one-man army to fight the clan.
It’s easy to see where the influence of God of War works. Kratos tends to use multiple weapon types in these games, whether Kratos is using his trademark Blades of Chaos, Leviathan’s battleaxe, or any other weapon in his arsenal. Using one of his mystical weapons dramatically changes the tone of the battle. Last Ronin can follow that formula and allow the player to switch between these four weapons of his on the fly.
Ronin is not entirely alone in his quest. April O’Neil is still alive in this future timeline, joined by her daughter Casey (named after her late father, Casey Jones). Casey is an up-and-coming ninja himself (reading Master Splinter’s book for reference). We don’t know if she’s in the game or not, but it’s possible that Casey will be a secondary playable her character in the game. In yet another nod to his return to 2016’s God of War, Casey could even be an Atreus figure – a semi-playable companion to his character who joins Ronin on his quest.
According to Paramount’s Doug Rosen, it wouldn’t be impossible for the other three Turtles to appear as playable characters in-game via flashback sequences. This is a convenient way to introduce players to new fighting styles. Oroku has him spend a few minutes going back in time and controlling these fallen turtles before his battle with Hiroto is over.
In short, there’s no reason why The Last Ronin is a carbon copy of a God of War game, but there are many ways God of War is a good choice of inspiration for this action game. If anyone on the battlefield can match Kratos’s ferocity and fury, it’s Ronin.
Adaptation of The Last Ronin story
The TMNT franchise has a pretty solid history of making the jump into gaming, but stories are rarely the real brilliance area of these games. Most of his TMNT games opt for the standard formula – Shredder is back, April is at stake, and it’s time to slaughter hundreds of Foot-his Soldiers. An adventure far off the beaten path, in terms of its plot.
This is one of the things that makes The Last Ronin stand out from many TMNT games. Its story is much darker and more emotional than most. The franchise’s usual cheery and humorous tone has been stripped away, leaving only the story of a lone survivor seeking revenge for his murdered father and brother.
If The Last Ronin was just dark for the sake of being dark, it might not be a story worth adapting. Fortunately, the series has an undercurrent of hope and optimism that offsets the grim and gritty elements. Or rather, learn to hope again and find a reason to live. That’s the arc we hope will unfold in the game’s adaptation.
That’s not to say the game can’t lean into the fatalistic darkness of its source material either. I’d love to see a punky, Judge Dredd-esque version brought to life in three dimensions.
You could also potentially make the most of the in-game flashback sequences (assuming you end up going that route). The game utilizes material introduced in The Last Ronin: The Lost Years, allowing players to explore the full scope of Ronin’s story, not just the climactic events documented in the original comic. The more he sees the missing years, from the death of the other Turtles to Ronin’s final battle with Hiroto, the more weight his journey carries.
The Last Ronin can also borrow a few pages from the Halo franchise here. Halo 3: ODST initially puts players in the shoes of a growling nicknamed “The Rookie,” but the game frequently Travel back in time and pivot to the perspective of other members of the ODST team. Perhaps the final Ronin could take a similar approach when flashing back to the other Turtles. struggles can be recorded.
The Last Ronin is almost certainly going to be a completely different experience than any Turtles game you’ve ever played, and that’s exactly what gets me so excited. I hope the developer in question can pull it off.
In other TMNT news, Netflix recently released the first trailer for the animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Jesse is IGN’s Gentle Staff Writer. Allow him to lend you a machete to your intellectual bush. Follow @jschedeen on Twitter.
