Elevating TMNT: Splintered Fate Beyond a Simple Port

For over four decades, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has enthralled audiences across various forms of media, including comics, animated series, live-action films, and video games. Each generation has had its own iteration of the characters, with the latest being TMNT: Splintered Fate, developed by Super Evil Megacorp in partnership with Paramount Game Studios for iOS. According to Tom Westall, Super Evil's director of product management, collaborating with Paramount on such a significant IP has been creatively rewarding. Paramount has been supportive, investing heavily in the IP and keenly interested in Super Evil's work. Initially designed for Apple Arcade, the studio always envisioned Splintered Fate as more than just a platform-exclusive title, leading to its multiplatform release. The porting process to other platforms began in February, with the game launching on Switch in July and on PC earlier this month. Despite the relatively short timeframe, Westall notes that any pressure felt was internal, driven by the studio's high standards, especially since they self-published the game for these ports. Super Evil's lead game designer, Daniel Stansens, is particularly proud of the team's achievement in producing a successful cross-platform title, highlighting the adjustments made to the game's controls for each platform. Westall adds that they couldn't resist catering to each platform, ensuring that the game feels great on all of them. The team also worked closely with Tom Waltz, a senior editor and writer for IDW Publishing, who provided valuable insights as a consultant. Waltz's involvement helped alleviate any pressure, as his stamp of approval on their vision was a significant relief. With Waltz's input, the team drew inspiration from the IDW world of TMNT but aimed to create their own branch of the universe. They wanted to capture the essence of the franchise, which is about family, teamwork, and having fun, while also incorporating elements of silliness. The decision to make Splintered Fate a roguelike instead of a beat-em-up was driven by the story they wanted to tell and the multiplayer aspect. The team felt that the genre fit well with their vision, and they wanted to distinguish themselves from other TMNT games. Adding co-op to the game came with its own set of challenges, particularly since it was added towards the end of development. However, the team is pleased with the result, which they believe evokes an arcade brawler feel. Following the success of Splintered Fate, Super Evil Megacorp is committed to continuing to implement co-op and crossplay in their future games.