In order to break the Guinness World Record, 836 Ninja Turtles recently invaded the Mall of America.

Luckily, the confab of green creatures easily beat the previous 786, and the effort didn't require any radioactive waste. Instead, the Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello lookalikes also were among the first to ride Nickelodeon Universe's new ride, the soaring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock.

Through the ride, a new TV series and planned movie, a new generation will be introduced to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a superhero team that first became popular in the 1980s.

The event also brought out the first generation of fans. Brother and sister Evan and Sky Satterstrom of Minneapolis made shells from foam and FedEx boxes. They reminisced about their childhood memorabilia, including turtle bedsheets, figurines and a toilet-topped sewer mobile. "We don't have it any more -- we'll probably see it on 'Pawn Stars,'" Evan said.

As the Ninja Turtles would say, "Cowabunga!"

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177