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The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been making waves since it first aired in September of 2012.  Kids of all ages have fallen back in love with our "heroes in a half shell". 

That's why Activision and Nickelodeon have teamed up to bring a new video game for kids featuring the teenage turtles in all their ninja glory.

The game is rated E-10+ for "comic mischief and fantasy violence". Parents who might be concerned that their 7 year old wouldn't be able to play this game will be happy to know that the "fantasy violence" is much akin to that of the original Batman series of the 1960's, with punches and kicks being labeled in large, comic book fashion "pow!" and "bam!" style, as well as the go-to stars around the head.

Comic mischief lends itself mostly to things like enemies being flung at the screen and "sliding down the glass" (a move my young son mastered very quickly because of its comedic squeak) as well as various puns from both the turtles and their enemies. 

Controls are super easy for little hands, and are prominently displayed on the screen during gameplay. Movement is similar to a side-scroller, although there is the ability to move backwards in the world, and is controlled by the right stick. The d-pad allows a single player to switch between turtles during play, which allows the player to not only extend life but also to utilize the powers of the different turtles interchangeably. Each of the turtles has different skills: Michelangelo is quick, Donatello has the best and furthest reach, Raphael has the most power behind his strikes, and Leonardo has the most versatility.  

Players have several gameplay options. First, there are fifteen levels to complete in a "brawler" fashion, which is reminiscent of the original TMNT arcade game in the early '90s.

Players must defeat enemies and collect the "energy shards" that they drop in order to unlock new attacks and upgrades. Once several of those levels have been mastered and the secret "mutagen canisters" have been found, other gameplay options are unlocked: Time Attack Mode, in which levels must be completed in a set amount of time; Survival Attack Mode, in which waves of enemies are unleashed and the goal is to beat as many waves as possible, and Mini Games. 

Players can also invite up to three other local friends or family members to play the four-way co-op mode, and players can join or drop out during gameplay. 

More serious gamers will note that there are some pretty serious audio issues with the voiceover (although the show's voice actors are all included on the voice track), as they tend to overlap one another, as well as some volume and clarity issues. Parents may notice, too, that several of the quips by enemies are repeated, and repeated often, so that can be a little annoying.

The scenery and the gameplay, however, are both highly detailed and fluid. They really do fit well with the animation style of the show. However, cut scenes are bland and uninteresting in comparison, and tend to pop up without warning at times. Parents may find that they enjoy all of the character dialog being written in nice, bold lettering on the screen as it is said, helping younger players who might still be learning to read keep up with the story, while also reinforcing and encouraging reading skills.

The XBOX achievements are really quite easy to unlock, making it more encouraging for younger players who might not have the dexterity for other, more complex games. Also, for the most part, the levels are short, which is good for young attention spans. Levels can even be replayed as many times as needed to find all the secrets and extra collectibles. 

I will say that for a video game, I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of gameplay, especially for the younger audience at which the show is targeted. Kids will like how similar the game looks to the show and how easy and fun it is to just pick up and play. Overall, if you have a fan of the show in your household, young or old, this is a fun little way to expand their favorite characters' universe.