Daniel AgiusI never really needed an excuse to jump back into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate – it’s a solid roguelike and hands down the best TMNT game in years, but the new Casey Jones & the Junkyard Jam DLC gave me a great one anyway. This franchise is as gloriously 90s as ever, and I’ve never been more excited to take a trip to the dump.
Super Evil Megacorp brings us back to the Turtles’ signature mix of gritty action and goofy fun, this time adding everyone’s favourite hockey-masked vigilante, Casey Jones, as a playable character. He popped up briefly in the main story, but now he finally gets his time to shine, complete with his own moveset and playstyle. The DLC also shakes things up with a new alternate version of the third chapter, keeping the roguelike runs fresh, along with a bunch of smaller updates to refine the experience. If you needed a reason to dive back in, this is it.
Casey shakes things up in Splintered Fate’s playable roster, standing out not just for being the only non-mutant human but also for bringing a unique ranged special attack to the mix. His devastating slapshot launches a hockey puck that ricochets between enemies, applying a guard break status that leaves them wide open for a follow-up. This pairs perfectly with his hard-hitting but methodical combos, allowing players to dash in and capitalise on the opening. To kick things off, Casey also starts each run with The Juice, a power-up tool that boosts his special attack charge rate and increases his overall damage.
His base kit is strong on its own, but where Casey really shines is in the roguelike randomness of Splintered Fate’s build system. Mixing and matching upgrades can take his already powerful playstyle to the next level. Personally, I’ll trade The Juice for Meteor Swarm the moment it drops, since it fits perfectly into my go-to flame-based loadout, but it’s a solid choice until RNG delivers something better. His slapshot quickly became my favourite ranged attack in the game, especially when paired with a fiery dash strategy that keeps enemies constantly on the back foot.
With Splintered Fate’s upgrade system, Junkyard Jam seamlessly weaves Casey’s abilities into the broader skill tree. The Turtles can pick up Casey’s Inspiration upgrades, letting them borrow his guard break ability or boost the critical hit chance on their Final Strikes. In return, Casey benefits massively from their Inspirations – Leonardo’s extra special charges and Donatello’s faster tool cooldowns are particularly handy. He blends into the roster’s synergy so well, you’d almost think he had a shell.
As for why Casey’s crashing the party, his pride and joy -the Slamboni -has gone missing in the chaos of Splintered Fate’s story. He ropes the Turtles into helping him track it down in a junkyard, which also happens to serve as an alternate, more streamlined path to Shredder’s domain on the Rooftops. Players can now choose to head to the Junkyard after defeating Karai in Chapter Two or stick with the original route through the Streets.
It takes several runs through the new Junkyard zone to fully wrap up Casey’s storyline. While the Junkyard has a distinct look and feel, the gameplay structure sticks to the familiar formula – waves of enemies, a miniboss, a full boss fight, and a quick stop at the shop along the way. The fresh boss encounters add variety and a welcome shake-up to the game’s pacing. That said, I would have preferred to swap out the now overplayed Leatherhead fight in Chapter One rather than losing the dynamic Bebop and Rocksteady showdown from the original Chapter Three. While the new boss is fun, it just doesn’t hit quite as hard as that chaotic double-header battle.
The Junkyard is home to the Punk Frogs, and Splintered Fate’s sharp writing once again delivers as the Turtles exchange quips with their oddball rivals. I’ll take any excuse to hear this voice cast and writing team in action, but the Frogs’ banter and puns were genuinely entertaining. I’ll admit they weren’t a major part of my childhood TMNT memories, so these kinds of video game appearances are my main exposure to them. Unlike some nostalgia-driven cameos, the Punk Frogs actually felt like worthwhile additions rather than just a quick nod for longtime fans.
That said, Casey Jones & the Junkyard Jam isn’t the longest DLC out there. You can technically jump into Casey’s storyline fairly early in the main game, though it’s still worth spending some time putting Bebop and Rocksteady in their place. Skipping the Streets stage is a welcome option when revisiting the game after finishing the main story, but for brand-new players, I’d recommend holding off on the Junkyard until later. The zone takes a few extra runs to fully wrap up, which works well for clearing challenges and farming upgrade materials.
Even though it’s on the shorter side, I can’t recommend this DLC enough. Splintered Fate is already a must-play for anyone who grew up on TMNT, thanks to its pitch-perfect take on the characters and lore. Adding Casey Jones to the playable roster is just another topping on an already flawless pizza. His unique playstyle and synergy with the Turtles make this DLC a worthwhile addition.
This review utilised a key provided by ICO Partners and Casey Jones & the Junkyard Jam DLC is out now for Nintendo Switch, Steam, Epic Games Store and the App Store
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Chris Inglis