Goongala! Goongala!
After sinking well over 30 hours into Splintered Fate, and returning for its implementation of online matchmaking, I was eager to check out the new DLC add-on: Junkyard Jam. While the added new location provides some engaging bosses, it's the hockey stick wielding badass in Casey Jones that makes this DLC an absolute no-brainer.
Casey Jones has always been a fun addition to the lore: Stephen Amell’s portrayal aside. While I had fully expected to enjoy his time alongside the turtles here, I hadn't expected him to be the best character here by a sewer tunnel mile. By giving him a ranged attack with firing off a ricocheting hockey puck, especially with the right upgrades, I was able to get to and down Shredder faster than I ever had before. Casey Jones is a beast.
Casey has a few abilities that make him a real threat. His starting ability, “The Juice” has his puck attack recharge on its own and grants a boost to his overall damage. Combine pickups that increase his damage or duration, and he is nigh unstoppable. Being able to fire off a puck and have it down three to four foes as it bounces off their collective domes is a blast.
The added new area in the Junkyard is accessible when you have defeated Karai. Casey points out to the turtles that this is a supposed shortcut to Shredder. In actuality, Casey is tracking down his car which has been stolen by the Punk Frogs. Instead of directly asking the turtles for help, he cons them into this path to seek justice for his precious Slamboni.
While the area is what you expect, complete with fun bosses in Gigi and a giant mech, piloted by one of the punk frogs, it serves as a nice alternative to Bebop and Rocksteady, who I've grown rather tired of fighting. This addition freshens up the loop, and I hope we get more of these distractions to bring a much-needed variety to the game.
With a decent chunk of dialogue through around 5 or 6 visits to the Junkyard, there is a good amount of content here for the small DLC expansion that this is. Whether we see new additions down the road is yet to be seen, but I would love to see other characters added to the roster, especially given the vast roster of guest characters the series is known for.
If Super Evil Megacorp continues to add new areas and new characters, especially to the quality that is here with Casey Jones and the new area in the Junkyard, then I certainly have high hopes for added variety and replayability to a game that desperately needs it.
Developer - Viacom International. Publisher - Super Evil Mega Corp. Released - July 17th, 2024. (Apple Arcade 2023) Junkyard Jam DLC - Feb 5th, 2025. Available On - Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, Steam, Epic. Rated - (E 10+) Fantasy Violence. Platform Reviewed - Nintendo Switch. Review Access - Junkyard Jam review code was provided by the publisher.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.