Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magic: The Gathering Cards Capture the Essence of Classic Video Games

I was initially doubtful about Magic: The Gathering’s quick return to New York for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizza party. However, this new set has surprisingly rekindled my enthusiasm, showcasing a deep appreciation for the franchise’s rich video game heritage.

As a millennial who grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—watching the movies, playing the games, and collecting action figures—I’m the ideal audience for a TMNT Universes Beyond set. I’ve spent countless hours in arcades, eagerly watched Saturday morning cartoons, and reminisced about the toy aisles of the ’90s. So, as a fan of MTG, I was ready to dive into this crossover.

That said, I met the announcement of this expansion with a bit of reluctance. MTG fatigue has been creeping in, especially with the recent New York-themed Spider-Man set and the upcoming Marvel Super Heroes expansion. The rapid-fire release schedule has been overwhelming; it feels like just yesterday that Avatar: The Last Airbender and Lorwyn Eclipsed hit the scene.

The TMNT set, launching on March 6, adds to that sense of saturation. Yet, I find myself warming up to it, thanks to the clever ways the game designers are weaving in elements from various TMNT eras. Some cards pay homage to the animated series, while others draw from the comics and the latest movie, 2023’s Mutant Mayhem. Each aspect of the franchise gets its moment in the spotlight.

Rather than solely focusing on characters and storylines, this expansion serves as a tribute to the broader pop-culture phenomenon that is TMNT. Different cards will resonate with players’ nostalgia in unique ways. For me, it’s the video game legacy that has me eager to crack open packs with friends. The set cleverly references classic home console and arcade games, infusing that spirit into its mechanics.

One standout feature is the borderless pixel art cards, which look fantastic. The characters are rendered in pixel art, complete with 8-bit-style color symbols and text box designs. There are also video game-themed cards like Level Up, which grants double +1/+1 counters after an attack, and High Score, allowing you to draw cards for having the strongest creature on the battlefield. Arcade Cabinet embraces the +1/+1 counter strategy with a fun four-player twist.

Now, let’s dive into Commander. TMNT introduces an exciting new mechanic: cooperative play. You can have two Commander cards as long as one has the “Partner” ability. Pairing Leonardo and Donatello can create a token +1/+1 counter engine that will leave your opponents scrambling to keep up.

The set also features nods to specific TMNT moments from the games. Shredder, Shadow Master can create copies of himself, reminiscent of the final boss fight in the arcade game. Leatherhead’s art pays homage to his Wild West appearance in the SNES classic Turtles In Time. Perhaps the most iconic card is Electric Seaweed, a plant wall that will strike fear into anyone who remembers the bomb-defusing level from the NES game.

Wizards is clearly having a blast with this set, getting creative in unexpected ways. There are land cards featuring pizza art, with each slice representing a different color based on toppings. Dr. Baxter’s Mousers are some of the coolest token creature cards I’ve seen in a while. Krang, as a mythic robot, embodies the perfect stompy creature.

Would it have been better if TMNT was released a few months later? Sure. Would I have preferred just one Universes Beyond set each year? Absolutely.

But Wizards is delivering everything I could have hoped for from a Turtles set. In the meantime, I’m off to grab a pizza and a two-liter soda while I fire up the fantastic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.