RPGs: Wanna Pretend to be a Mutant-Animal?! TMNT RPG & “After the Bomb”

On episode #323 of Coolest Alive, host Jesse Blaze Snider says, "If you want to pretend to be a mutant-animal, then you gotta play the TMNT RPG & 'After the Bomb' from Palladium Books!" The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG, released in 1985, was a groundbreaking tabletop game that captured the gritty, underground feel of the original TMNT comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Players could create their own mutant animals, from anthropomorphic reptiles to bizarre creatures, and adventure through a world filled with crime, danger, and the ever-present threat of authority. Utilizing Palladium’s Megaversal system, the game set the tone for a unique, darker take on the TMNT universe, deviating from the later, more kid-friendly cartoon. This RPG became a cult classic, influencing the way comic adaptations were approached in gaming and inspiring a wave of similar mutant-based RPGs, including its spiritual successor, After the Bomb.