TMNT: Turtles in Time
Arcade
Nostalgia Factor:
When I was a kid I was obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and all the various video games based on the series. I played the crap out of the original arcade game, and of course I owned the side-scrolling title for the NES, the arcade NES port, and the lesser played Manhattan Project that came out close to the end of the NES’s lifespan. I never had much of a chance to play Turtles in Time, however, as I did not have a Super Nintendo and none of the bowling alleys or arcades that I frequently visited had this game. I remember playing it one time in the back room of a restaurant called Organ Piper, but after that one visit our family didn’t come back to that restaurant until several years later – at which point they had completely removed the video game arcade.
Over time I’ve read many articles and online reviews that have praised Turtles in Time, calling it the best Turtle game and one of the best beat ‘em ups ever created. It made me want to play this game SO BAD, but I didn’t have the means to do so. Well, if you are a loyal follower of this blog you’ll know I’ve recently discovered video game emulation. Over the past few months I have played through a handful of other “must play” classics that I missed growing up, but soon enough the time came I decided I needed to check out this game. Would it live up to all the hype? Let’s find out!
Story:
Beat ‘em ups never have very involved stories, but Turtles in Time at least makes an attempt to keep things interesting. They could have just been lazy and made the game a simple “save April from Shredder” type thing, but they didn’t. Instead, Turtles in Time focuses on Krang and Shredder as they steal the Statue of Liberty and bring it back to their lair. Things start out simple enough with you fighting through waves of Foot Soldiers in an attempt to stop them, but they quickly go south when Shredder sends the Turtles back in time through a time warp. The rest of the game consists of the Turtles fighting through several time periods as they make their way back to the present day. Upon arriving back home, the Turtles defeat Shredder and save the day once again.
Gameplay:
If you’ve played the previous TMNT arcade game, you’ll know how this works. The mechanics are pretty much the same. You walk forward and you fight different-colored Foot Soldiers, each with their own unique abilities. You jump, you attack with your main weapon. I’m not exactly sure how they are triggered, but there are some special moves that are exclusive to this game, like the ability to throw your enemies at the camera or pound them into the ground back and forth like Hulk smashing Loki around in the first Avengers movie. Super cool stuff.
At the end of each stage you fight a boss. No Rocksteady and Bebop this time around, as this game has you squaring off with their live-action movie counterparts Tokka and Rahzar at the end of one of the levels. There are other lesser-known bosses unique to the cartoon that make appearances as well, like Cement Man and Leatherhead. There are some repeats, but I like how the bosses aren’t just all recycled from the first game. There’s a couple of surfboarding levels this time around too, one of them in the sewer and the other using hoverboards in the future.
I feel as if I don’t have much to say about this title’s gameplay. You walk forward and you fight things. This game doesn’t add much that wasn’t already seen in the first TMNT game. That’s not a bad thing though, as that game was a ton of fun, and this one is a blast as well. In fact, I’d say that technically this is probably the better of the two games.
I played on an emulator so I churned my way through this game pretty quickly. It’s amazing how easy this game is with an unlimited supply of virtual quarters. What was tough in the arcade is easy now. I’d say I beat this game in about 30 minutes, if that. The good news about this version of the game is that it is capable of four-player co-op. If you’ve got the friends and you’ve got a way to make this happen, I’d suggest going for it. This game is so much more fun when you’re playing it with someone else.
Graphics:
Man, I just love how this game looks. It is so true and authentic to the cartoon. I remember my eyes lighting up the first time I played this as a kid, and I have to say that the same thing probably happened this time around. It’s so bright and colorful. The characters look fantastic. The stages look fantastic. As I played this I was transported directly into the world of the cartoon, like it was the 1980s all over again.
Before I move on, kudos to the Wild West stage for giving me major Sunset Riders flashbacks, from the graphics to the music as well. Was that intentional on Konami’s part? I’d like to think so.
Sound:
Even better than the graphics may be this game’s music. As soon as this game started up, I was completely shocked and impressed that they used the “Pizza Power” song from the TMNT traveling rock tour as this game’s intro music.
SO.FREAKING.COOL.
I had that cassette tape as a kid, and I listened to the songs on it over and over again. I had no idea that music from that cassette tape had made its way into a video game. No idea. Hearing that song was an absolute blast from the past.
The game’s stage music is fantastic as well, as are the sound effects and the occasional bit of voice acting. When it comes to production values, this may be the closest any TMNT game has come to recreating (or even surpassing) the magic of the cartoon series.
Overall:
I was impressed by my time with this game. It is an improvement over the original TMNT arcade game, no doubt. Everything about that game was taken and improved upon, from the music to the graphics the bosses and the stage design. As far as gameplay goes, there is not much new to see here and that ultimately is my main knock on the game. It attempts to make a few changes here and there with the extra moves you pull off, but really this game feels like more of the same. That’s not really a bad thing, as the first game was freaking awesome too. But a little part of me just wanted a little bit more from this game.
I’m torn on what final score I am going to assign this game. I gave the original TMNT an A-, and I said that this game was an improvement over that one, so you’d think it should get a higher score. But I don’t know. I can’t say with certainty that this is an A or A+ title, improvements or not. Yes, this game does a lot better than its predecessor, but at its core it delivers virtually the same experience. So I feel I have to give it the same score. Bam, problem solved.
Side note before I wrap up this review – I have heard that the SNES version of this game is even better than the arcade version, so I plan to visit it soon. Keep your eyes open for that review!
Final Score:
A-
If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:
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