Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan

"Not bad..."

Introduction:

I've been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since my early childhood. So when I received my first TMNT game for my Gameboy all those years back, I was ecstatic. But how does this game stack up in retrospective? Let's have a look.

Gameplay:

This is quite possibly the easiest game I've ever played. But does that make Fall of the Foot Clan a failure? Not necessarily. You can play as all four of the Ninja Turtles. The game consists of a few side-scrolling levels. You walk the character through the level, attack whatever comes at you. At the end of every level, you face a different boss from the television series. Each turtle attacks with their respective weapon with its own unique animation and sound effect. It's pretty hard to die in this game; all that is required is a simple grasp of attack timing with respect to the lack of control response.

Story:

Anyone who's ever watched the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoon will recognize this plot. The four mutant ninja turtles are the result of some lost pets getting drenched in some chemical by-product. They are trained by Splinter, a rat with ninja skills. The turtles are sent to fight the evil Shredder and his Foot Clan. Your job is to defeat this evil menace and bring about the Fall of the Foot Clan.

Graphics/Sound:

Considering this was Nintendo's first handheld TMNT game circa 1991, the graphics here aren't that bad. The backgrounds fit consistently with the old show. Also, you have the cast of old characters, such as Shredder, Krang, Baxter Stockman and Mousers, each having some decent detail. Also, the background music remain true to the television series. For any TMNT fan, the graphics and sound will bring back a wave of nostalgia.

Play Time/Replayability:

As I've said, this game is incredibly easy. Twenty minutes should be enough time for you to progress through the levels. As far as replay value goes, the best you can do is play through the game with all four characters. However, playing with the different characters offers no difference in this story, levels, and overall gameplay.

Final Recommendation:

Fall of the Foot Clan isn't exactly top notch, even by early Gameboy standards. But if you're a fan of the old series, give it a go. This game is probably worth a quarter by now, which is certainly worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/04