If you’ve set foot in an arcade over the last two decades, you’ve probably encountered a game made by Raw Thrills.
The company was created by legendary arcade machine talent following the collapse and parting out of Midway years ago. They’ve carried the coin op torch where many other developers have fallen, continuing to put out a fun collection of racing games and action experiences. Their games are often themed around licensed IP that might draw you over to spend a few minutes before a movie or a round of laser tag.
Sometimes their games get home ports, such as the recent excellent Cruis'n Blast on the Nintendo Switch — but these conversions are rare enough to always make me wish for more. Any time one of their games gets a new audience, I think it’s worth celebrating…even if that game is super bizarre.
In 2017, Raw Thrills made an arcade machine based on 2012’s animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series called Wrath of the Mutants. A local nickel arcade in my area has one of these machines, and I’ve played through the whole thing in the past. The entire game lasts a whopping 35 minutes or so, and it’s in the style of the classic Konami Turtles brawlers. You run to the right, you bash out attacks, and then sometimes you hit a big button labeled “Turtle…
