TMNT: Smash Up is "Official" for Wii

Remember the good old days that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had in the video game world?  Though Ubisoft doesn't seem to have the same cherished memories as the rest of us, at least they've got a few things right.  Take, for instance, this announcement on Joystiq about TMNT: Smash Up coming to the Wii this fall, a game our panelists have talked about in a previous podcast.

As indicated by the post-colon part of the title, the Turtles will be fighting in a Smash Bros. fashion in Smash Bros. style-stages.  With the ability to take up any of the four fighters and several enemies and allies from the franchise, the game will take players in a direction we haven't seen the Turtles go in some time, a direction called "interesting."

The development team making the game, Game Arts, is made up of members of Team Ninja and developers from Smash Bros. Brawl, adding promise to the absurd concoction.  Mixed in further is the fact that the game is not being based off any cartoons, movies, or any other Turtles-related product.  In fact, the Turtles are even getting a slightly updated look:

The Turtles aren't their goofy-old selves, yet they aren't overly dark like the recent attempts.  They seem like teenagers now grown-up.  As seen in the above screenshot, each Turtle also glows to help players identify who they are controlling.

With a great development team and an excellent outlook on this Wii exclusive, what is left to be skeptical about?

Actually, plenty.  In the video game world, side-scrolling, arcade-style beat-em-ups are what made the Turtles popular.  In order to return them to glory, would it be appropriate to get something like the Subspace Emissary from Brawl, in a multiplayer fashion?  Or does nostalgia hinder our hopes for a new Turtles game?

Surely, Game Arts knows what they are doing with the TMNT franchise.  Here's to hoping they are preventing another well-known and respected brand from pulling a Sonic.

Source: Joystiq