Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

"An average game, with a few bright spots sprinkled in"

To make it clear now: the first Turtle game is nothing like the second or third ones. While the last two were side scrollers, this one is different, There is still plenty of side scrolling action, but there is also overhead action thrown into the mix, and the side scrolling stuff is not the same. Each of the five main levels in the game has a different objective, and this is done nicely. The first level simply requires you to rescue April O'Neil, your news reporter friend perpetually in distress. The second requires you to disarm eight underwater bombs in 150 seconds. In the third, you jump in the Turtle Van and blow up barricades, before scaling the buildings to the rooftop, until you meet the boss, Metalhead. Then it's on to an airport for the fourth level before meeting up with Shredder in the fifth. Rather than pick a Turtle and stick with him, you control all four during the course of the game. You can switch between Turtles at any time; when a Turtle loses his energy, he doesn't die, but is instead "captured", and can be rescued at designated spots of the game. Lose all your Turtles, and the game is over. Pizza restores energy; weapons include your own weapon (swords, nunchuks, sais or a bo), and ninja stars, scrolls and boomerangs, which can be found at various points in the game.

Graphics: 7/10

Not as good as the last two games, but decent for an NES game. The colors are average, as are the bosses. Some things can occasionally blend into the background.

Sound: 7/10

Tries to be upbeat and funky, does an adequate job. Nothing special concerning the effects.

Gameplay: 6/10

Control isn't great, but not terrible either. One extremely difficult task is to jump on a small platform from far away; chances are you won't do so your first time. This is a pretty hard game to finish; harder than the last two. Average players will get stuck around the fourth level. There is occassional confusion concerning where to go, but nothing major. No two player option here, or save feature. The game must be finished all at once. Some nice objectives; disarming the underwater bombs while being harrassed by electrical seaweed is unique.

Replay: 7/10

Disarming the bombs can be a little fun, and you might like driving the Turtle Van, but there's not much else to bring you back once you're done.

Overall: 7/10

A nice game from Ultra, though the last two are better. This game took some risks with its not-always-straightforward style, but it was a good risk. The result is a good game which you could very well add to your collection of NES games.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 01/18/01