I for one am overjoyed that Konami got this really cool
license. Considering how popular Kevin Eastman's mutant creations are the
potential for a cheap cash-in by a crappy company was enormous. Nobody walking
away from this title will be disappointed though. By combining solid platforming
action with some fun top down adventuring sections Konami has crafted a
challenging and engrossing game that you'll want to play to the end. There
isn't much of an overall storyline though, the Turtles simple do what they do
best, fight Shredder and his Foot-clan minions. One the first level for example
you'll fight to liberate their reporter friend April from the clutches of
Be-Bob and Rocksteady while later missions sees you defusing bombs underwater
against the clock or searching for your rat master, Splinter.
The levels look excellent and are packed with an amazing
amount of varied and detailed enemies. Mousers, ninjas and mutants are all out
to stop you as you battle through towns, sewers and underground bases. You'll
also face a few mean bosses from time to time to keep you on your toes.
The
game has an overhead view where the emphasis shifts more to exploration
than combat. This is where you'll be travelling between each of the subsections
of the six levels. The camera is far overhead giving you a big view of the
surrounding area and you even get to cruise around in the Turtle van at one
point. Not all of the locations you can enter is vital to complete the stage
but is worth seeking out for the rewards you can find inside. Since each level is
quite large, you get a nice map showing you where you are and where all the
locations you can enter is. This screen is also where you switch Turtles and
get advice from April or Splinter. The hordes of freaks you fight are
constantly respawning when you leave the screen which can be a bit annoying but
nothing too serious.
The audio is typically good Konami tunes with not one bad or
annoying track in the game. Controls can take some getting used to as the
Turtles are quite maneuverable and very responsive. Everything from a small hop
to a full blown somersault with every motion in-between is possible. You also
have full access to all four the Turtles and can switch between them at any
time. This makes for some strategy since two has long range weapons (Leonardo
and Donatello) and two short-range (Raphael and Michelangelo). Some are also
stronger than others or have weapons better suited to the task at hand. The
Turtles strengths and weapons seem a bit unbalanced though and I found myself
using some Turtles much more than others. Along the way you can pick up
power-ups like shurikens and boomerangs as well as the obligatory pizza for
health.
The six stages on offer are quite large and become very
challenging towards the end. You might think that having four Turtles makes
things too easy but each Turtle only have one life and when they lose all their
health is "captured" by the enemy. This leaves your remaining Turtles
to finish the level where they get no life refill at the end and have to go search
for the fallen Turtles on the next level as well. There is no battery backup or
password but you can continue when game over albeit from the very start of the
level.
While there are plenty of things that can annoy you in the
game there are no serious bugs or flaws to spoil the fun. It has to be said
that the game is very difficult and can be borderline unfair at times so stay
away if you are easily frustrated. There is the occasional bit of flickering or
slowdown when things get too hectic but this is not unusual when you see how
far the NES has been pushed. The dialogue in the game can also be a bit spotty
at times (hopefully they'll hire better translators next time) but nothing that
detracts from the overall experience. If you are a fan of the Turtles then I
can heartily recommend this entertaining and original game for your collection.
[9]
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