Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4: Turtles In Time"

I have played a lot of side scroll games in my time and a lot of them have been fun. But as time goes on graphics get better and the games impact tends to go away. It becomes less fun and problems with the game start to show through. This game is rather different. I have beaten it a good thousand times it seems and I can still sit through it and enjoy myself.

Graphics:
Lets face it 3-D rendered images with kick butt ninja action sounds tempting but a good old fashion sprite can also crave your thirst for Turtles action. Now the graphics are not nearly as good as the arcade version but for a port they do justice. The moves look good and the sprites move across the screen with dazzling style.
4/5

Game play:
This is where we see the true colors of a game. In this game you battle your way through time for a final showdown against your arch-rival Shredder. To do this you must take down hordes of Foot Soldiers, Rock Soldiers, Road kill Rodney's and many more. Along with the legions Shredder has also elected a few stand out bad guys for you to face off against. Some of the few include Leatherhead, Rocksteady and Bebop, Slash, Rat King, and Baxter Stockman. The main point in the game is beat the baddies. The AI is great for the time period it was made in. Now it just seems simple where enemy's movements are easily predicted and attacks are easily avoided. There are a few different types of Foot Soldiers so you're not fighting the game enemy over and over. They are distinguished by color, the most annoying being Yellow wielding a spiked Frisbee. Along with these Foot Soldiers are the few others I mentioned above. Rock Soldiers can be a challenge when there are 4 of them on screen charging you or beating you to death with whatever weapon they are wielding. Road kill Rodney's are also a challenge when there are many present on screen at one. There are a few others such as Mousers and such. There are a few interactive things in the levels such as fire hydrants and sewer holes you can fall into. Some levels have unique qualities to them. Such as the Skull and Crossbones, where the planks can damage you and cannon balls are launched at you. As far as bosses go this game nails it. No two bosses are alike and it never feels like I'm fighting the same boss twice. The only boss I dislike is Slash since he can be difficult to hit. In the arcade version a giant blob of Mud replaces Slash, which in my opinion is much easier to smite then him. Super Shredder is a really cool last boss I might add. The level design in this game is also very good. I love the moving levels such as, Bury My Shell At Wounded Knee, that being my favorite level. I also enjoy the bonus levels. Lastly I get to our four green shell backed heroes. Each turtle from Leonardo to Raphael plays different. They all have unique attacks and stats. Mikey is who I'm best with so far he is a fast attack. Don is also fast, where Leo is strong like Raph. Variation makes things fun doesn't it? As far as comparing the arcade to the home version as far as game play goes, the home version does very well, considering its only two player. The game play is still just as fun as the arcade and you only have to pay for it once.
5/5

Game Modes:
Not many to play here. There's a two-player sparring mode, Time Attack, and the regular game. Two-player is rather useless unless you and your friends are pretty bored. Time attack just shows how fast you can clear an area also kind of useless. If you want to beat up your friend as a Ninja Turtle I suggest you play Tournament Fighters
4/5

Controls:
The controls on this game are perfect. You only use two buttons and that's all you need. Jump and attack! Mix that in with a little D-pad movement and you got yourself a Ninja Turtle. I say it has a learning curve of about 5 minutes.
5/5

Sound:
The sound is great! Sounds good for a retro game. I like the music as well though the arcade had better quality sound the home version does just fine. The sound effects are great and the turtles don't mouth off annoying catch phrases every 5 seconds
4/5

Extras:
Not much here as well the only extra/secret to get is the true ending, which can be achieved by beating the game on hard. Once you do that you have really done all you can with game. The little cast credits thing is fun to watch
4/5

Overall:
Now while it may not be a flawless game it still holds its own against the competition. Have a friend come over and play with you some time it's a great way to kill thirty minutes or so
5/5

Cowabunga Dudes

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/04