Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus

"Still not up to par with the originals and a step back from the last title."

I will admit I didn't care for the first Ninja Turtles game based on the new series. I'm more of an old school Turtles fan but whatever, this title includes the original Turtles 2 arcade game so when Is aw this game for dirt cheap I had to buy it. I really wish I hadn't and since I finished the game it's going in the trade in pile where I'm sure I'll get every penny back since it truly was dirt cheap. Fans of the new show might love the game but I have many mixed feelings towards it.

The story is one major problem with the game. Now, the plot is told using cut scenes from the show, its second season actually. Basically, Splinter has been kidnapped, you need to save him, upon saving eh vanishes and you get sent to another planet. It goes on and on from there. It's a decent story and I'm sure it worked fine for the show. The problem with it in game form is that 90% of the plot has vanished and it's spliced into bits and pieces that make very little sense. Problems are resolved that never began ECT. The game had me confused from the beginning and it kept me that way the entire time.

The graphics in the game pretty much look the same as the last title. The levels are bland and boring looking. Very little color. Everything is cell shaded which is fine but I'm not a fine fan. Like I said above, the game uses clips from the show as its cut scenes. There's a problem though, the clips are very grainy most of the time. Another thing is that sometimes when there isn't a clip they use an in game type engine to create a cut scene. Oddly enough, they look really good and put the clips to shame.

The sound in the game is a mixed bag. The sound effects are very basic, almost generic. The music isn't half bad, much better than the last title but the stupid theme song still rears its ugly head. The voice acting is from the show, most of them sound good, I guess I'm just not use to these voices for the Turtles. The lame sound effects do take away from the game a tiny bit.

The control in the game is a major problem. Everyone controls fairly well except Don, he plays like a stick in dried up mud. It's annoying because he's my favorite and I found him unplayable. I also found the fighting to be very stiff and boring. The one two three combos are boring. The map and menus are easy to navigate. There is no control over the camera, this is a MAJOR problem. More on that in the game play.

Alright, this is where the game fails. The game play in the original Turtle games was simple but very fun. Now the last game and this one are in 3D and I just don't think it works. The camera can't be moved. There are times during boss fights where you can't see either character. It does move around but not well. I also found that the camera liked to change angles at the worst moments and rarely provided a good view.

The game has a map, with 11 areas. It ranges from 2 -9 or so for areas within each stages and one nice feature is that you don't have to play all of the worlds. Two or three can be skipped if you want to rush through the game. I found the map to be very easy to navigate but I found disk swapping to be a pain. Aprils store is only available on disc 1 which makes no sense since disc 1 is way shorter than disc 2 but whatever.... The stages themselves are very straight forward and rather kind of boring. Most are go from point A to point B. Some have time limits. Some are just boss fights and the whole final world has a boss at the end of each area. There are also some hover bike missions and a space mission but the problem is that they are insanely boring when played alone. They almost feel pointless.

The actually fighting in the game is a mixed bag. Attacks are limited with 2 punches, a dash, a block and a jump. You can also throw shurikens when you find them. Oh and you can throw enemies but that's hardly used. Up to four players can play at once but if playing solo you can switch between all four turtles. One problem with playing with friends is that everyone shares one health bar. That takes away some of the fun if someone really sucks at the game. Also, when playing with friends it slows the game done because the game stupidly has a ton of badly done jumping moments.

The game does offer some bonus stuff to do. There are 30 crystals of 4 types. Every ten upgrades a skill. They are hidden in boxes in the levels. There is also one antique hidden in a box in each level. The game also has a fighting mode but I found that less than entertaining. The Ninja Turtles arcade game is also available to play upon finding and unlocking. It plays only so-so on the Gamecube because to me the D-pad feels way too small. It's the same reason I found the first Mortal Kombat game for the Gamecube to be unplayable. The games major fault is one thing. My first time playing I beat it in 2 1/2 hours and had 69% of the stuff unlocked. That is VERY sad. The game also grades in each level so you can always go back and replay them for a better score.

Fans will love the game most likely but the bad camera, lacking fight moves, shortness and the disjointed story really take away from the game. By the end I did find myself enjoying it in some way but it was too little too late. The first few worlds are very badly done. They actually almost felt tacked on. Multiplayer is a plus though. So, if you have friends who will enjoy playing this and you find it cheap and enjoy the show then maybe, just maybe, you should check this game out. Other wise, just skip it.

Story - 4/10
Graphics - 6/10
Sound - 7/10
Control - 6/10
Game Play - 5/10
Replay value - 5/10

Final Score - 5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/14/05