Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

"(all together now) TEENAGE MUTANT NIJA TURTLES! TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!..."

Who doesn't remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? If you were alive at during the height of their popularity (late 80s, early 90s) you most likely can't help remembering and loving them. I'm just old enough to have caught their sensation, and this game is what I remember most.

If you're too young to remember the Ninja Turtles (or are a HEARTLESS BEING who forgot or didn't like them) they started out as a comic book, becoming an incredible sensation, spawning toys, movies, cartoons, and of course, video games. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael were normal adolescent turtles, until a wave of mysterious mutigen washed over them, turning them into human like beings who were taught ninjistsu by their half human/half rat mentor Master Splinter. They lived in the sewers and ate pizza. However, all was not right with the world. Splinter's old nemesis, Shredder, (the one who unleashed the mutigen in the first place) was determined to conquer the world, with the help of his alternate dimension friend Krang, an army of foot soliers, and several other animal themed mutants. The turtles battled Shredder to protect the world.

That is the basic story of the game, (and most other TMNT games) but this one has a time travel element. Still, the story really isn't important. Turtles in Time is a side scrolling fighter like most of its prequals. It was the first Turtles game on SNES, and was the best.

Graphics: 9/10
Great for the time period. Graphics look straight out of the cartoon or comic books. This game also had some great 3D effects for its time, like when you throw an enemy at the screen. The graphics are bright and detailed, very little detail was removed from the arcade version.

Sound: 9/10
The music in this game is fantastic. Each level has memorable music. The sound effects are clear. The voice is garbled, but there's lots of it.

Gameplay: 9/10
The gameplay admittedly isn't the most original in the world. It's in the standard ''walk to other side of screen, killing all in the way' 90s beat em' up fashion. But this familiar gameplay is done very well, you have quite a few moves, and there are varied locations and familiar bosses. There are also bonus levels, one of which is from a third person standpoint to break the monotony. Each level also has specific dangers in it, like dinosaur stampedes in the prehistoric level.

Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Overall (not an average): 9/10

Conclusion:
This is one of the best licensed games or scrolling fighters of all time. If you have nostalgia for the Turtles, or just want a high quality SNES game, pick up Turtles in Time.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/02, Updated 05/29/02