Difference between revisions of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade game)"

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'''''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''''' is a beat-em-up video game developed and published by [[Konami]] for the arcade in 1989. It was later ported to several home platforms. A modified version was published by [[Ultra]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] under the title, '''''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game'''''. The game is based on the characters and art style of the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|1987 TV series]].
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[[Image:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|US arcade cabinet.]]
  
I remember playing the game in arcades in the early 1990s. I was a big fan of the Ninja Turtles, and the game was really impressive looking to me at the time, although especially difficult. I think I first played it at a pool hall with my father, and I kept stealing more quarters from him to get further in the game. I also remember playing it in the arcade of one of those ridiculous Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park camp grounds. Another kid I met there and I would scour the trash cans for bottles to get refunds for quarters to play the game.
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'''''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''''' is a [[beat 'em up]] video game developed and published by [[Konami]] for the [[arcade]] in 1989 and was later ported to several home platforms. A modified version was published by [[Ultra (company)|Ultra]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] under the title, '''''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game'''''. The game is set in the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (universe)|''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' universe]], specifically the version from the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|1987 cartoon]].
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==Personal==
 +
I remember playing the game in arcades in the early 1990s. I was a big fan of the Ninja Turtles, and the game was really impressive looking to me at the time, although especially difficult. I think I first played it at a pool hall my father took me to, and I kept stealing more quarters from him to get further in the game. I also remember playing it in the arcade of one of those ridiculous Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park camp grounds. Another kid I met there and I would scour the trash cans for bottles to get refunds for quarters to play the game. At our best, we made it all the way to stage 6.
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 +
I bought the NES port as a child. I remember seeing the advertisement for a free personal pizza on the cover and, while I would have bought the game regardless, I was looking forward to getting a free pizza in the near future. My family never went to Pizza Hut (we always used cheaper takeout alternatives), but I figured, if I had a coupon, I could insist on having them take me. However, when I opened the game, I realized that the coupon had already expired, and I felt ripped off. I still got a lot of enjoyment out of the game though.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
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==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 5/10
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{{Video Game Review|5|5|7|8|3|Arcade}}
* '''Best Version:''' Arcade
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 +
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
 
* The graphics are very well drawn and animated for most of the ports with attractive cut-scenes.
 
* The graphics are very well drawn and animated for most of the ports with attractive cut-scenes.
* The game is closely tied to the TV series. All of the main characters are included and play their roles properly, and a lot of the characters are pulled over giving a lot of variety. Also, unlike the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video game)|home game]], there aren't a bunch of no-name characters thrown in the mix.
+
* The game is closely tied to the TV series. All of the main characters are included and play their roles properly, and a lot of the characters are pulled over giving a lot of variety. Also, unlike the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video game)|NES version]], there aren't a bunch of no-name characters thrown in the mix.
 
* The arcade game allows for four player simultaneous game play which adds to the fun.
 
* The arcade game allows for four player simultaneous game play which adds to the fun.
 
* The levels have various breakable objects that can be used as weapons against your opponents, which is pretty cool. There are also various hazards that must be avoided.
 
* The levels have various breakable objects that can be used as weapons against your opponents, which is pretty cool. There are also various hazards that must be avoided.
 
* I also love how the enemies interact with the environment. The foot soldiers have all sorts of interesting ways of entering the playing area like braking through doors, popping out of sewers, and jumping through glass windows. It's also hilarious to see thrown foot soldiers splat against walls and watch Bebop and Rocksteady smash into each other.
 
* I also love how the enemies interact with the environment. The foot soldiers have all sorts of interesting ways of entering the playing area like braking through doors, popping out of sewers, and jumping through glass windows. It's also hilarious to see thrown foot soldiers splat against walls and watch Bebop and Rocksteady smash into each other.
* The background music is upbeat and incorporates the theme song of the television show.
+
* The background music is upbeat and even incorporates a digital rendition of the first portion of the television show's theme song.
 
* The speech sounds like it's taken from the show because the voices match properly.
 
* The speech sounds like it's taken from the show because the voices match properly.
 
* The NES port adds two additional levels.
 
* The NES port adds two additional levels.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* Like with most beat-em-ups, in order to survive in the game, you can't just walk up to enemies and attack them. Most of the time, you have to dance around enemies, evading them as much as possible while using a lot of jump attacks and the special attack to avoid getting trounced by your enemies. This makes the game look a little silly rather than cool.
+
* Like with most beat-em-ups, in order to survive in the game, you can't just walk up to enemies and attack them. Most of the time, you have to dance around enemies, evading them as much as possible while using a lot of jump attacks and the special attack to avoid getting trounced by your enemies. This makes the fighting look silly rather than cool.
 
* Despite the variety in levels, the game is still pretty monotonous because there is little in the way of player control, and you're basically just smashing the Foot Clan for a half hour.
 
* Despite the variety in levels, the game is still pretty monotonous because there is little in the way of player control, and you're basically just smashing the Foot Clan for a half hour.
 +
* April O'Neil looks awful on the arcade cabinet.
 
* The NES port has several graphic glitches.
 
* The NES port has several graphic glitches.
 
* The NES port has a lot of shameless Pizza Hut product placement.
 
* The NES port has a lot of shameless Pizza Hut product placement.
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==Media==
 
==Media==
 
===Box Art===
 
===Box Art===
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<gallery>
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA.jpg|Arcade cabinet, US.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA - Marquee.png|Arcade marquee, US. Shredder and April O'Neil look pretty stupid.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA - Control Board.jpg|Control board, US.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA - Control Stickers.jpg|Control stickers, US.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA - Side Art - Left.jpg|Side art, left, US. April's wig is a bit jacked, and she's standing in an awfully precarious manner.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - USA - Side Art - Right.jpg|Side art, right, US.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - NES - Japan.jpg|The Famicom box art. The four turtles are breaking through a brick wall like the Kool-Aid man and are riding skateboards while brandishing their weapons. Pretty awesome!
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - USA.jpg|The North American NES box art. It uses the same art as the Japanese release but adds the subtitle "The Arcade Game" to differentiate it from the other NES game. A large Pizza Hut advertisement obscures much of the art.
 +
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - EU.jpg|The European NES release didn't publish through [[Palcom]], the European equivalent of [[Ultra]], and instead used the Konami brand, which meant using the art-obscuring gray box layout.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Coin-Op!, The - AST - EU.jpg|All European home computer releases used this box layout. The turtles from the NES box are retained, but they're skating down a sewer pipe rather than bursting through a brick wall, which makes a lot more sense. This is my favorite art.
 +
</gallery>
  
 
===Documentation===
 
===Documentation===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - ARC - Manual.pdf|Arcade manual.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - USA - Manual.pdf|NES North American manual.
 +
</gallery>
  
 
===Maps===
 
===Maps===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 1.png|NES, stage 1.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 2.png|NES, stage 2.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 3.png|NES, stage 3.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 4.png|NES, stage 4.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 5.png|NES, stage 5.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 6.png|NES, stage 6.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 7.png|NES, stage 7.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 8.png|NES, stage 8.
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - Arcade Game, The - NES - Map - 9.png|NES, stage 9.
 +
</gallery>
  
 
===Videos===
 
===Videos===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqlECTcW61M youtube.com/watch?v=RqlECTcW61M] - Longplay, Amiga.
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{{#ev:youtube|s-xdZQSRSx0|256|inline|Longplay - Amiga.|frame}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyRIxVEpi3o youtube.com/watch?v=QyRIxVEpi3o] - Longplay, Arcade.
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{{#ev:youtube|QyRIxVEpi3o|256|inline|Longplay - Arcade.|frame}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR5nbWlW87U youtube.com/watch?v=aR5nbWlW87U] - Longplay, Commodore 64.
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{{#ev:youtube|aR5nbWlW87U|256|inline|Longplay - Commodore 64.|frame}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMm6NIhJFJ4 youtube.com/watch?v=QMm6NIhJFJ4] - Longplay, NES.
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{{#ev:youtube|QMm6NIhJFJ4|256|inline|Longplay - NES.|frame}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGRF5c_5_CI youtube.com/watch?v=GGRF5c_5_CI] - Longplay, ZX Spectrum.
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{{#ev:youtube|GGRF5c_5_CI|256|inline|Longplay - ZX Spectrum.|frame}}
  
 
==Titles==
 
==Titles==
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! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation
 
! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation
 
|-
 
|-
| English (Europe) || Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles || ||  
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| English (Europe) || Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: The Coin-Op! || ||  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| English (Europe, NES) || Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II: The Arcade Game || ||  
 
| English (Europe, NES) || Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II: The Arcade Game || ||  
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[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
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[[Category: 1989 Video Games]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Beat 'Em Up]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Tie-In]]
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[[Category: Media Theme - Martial Arts]]
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[[Category: Media Theme - Ninjas]]
 
[[Category: Amiga Games]]
 
[[Category: Amiga Games]]
 
[[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]]
 
[[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]]
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[[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]]
 
[[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
[[Category: Beat-Em-Up]]
 
 
[[Category: Super Hero]]
 
[[Category: Super Hero]]
 
[[Category: Science Fiction]]
 
[[Category: Science Fiction]]
[[Category: Ninja]]
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[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
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[[Category: Trope - Women As Reward]]
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[[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]]
 +
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]

Revision as of 15:33, 12 May 2020

US arcade cabinet.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a beat 'em up video game developed and published by Konami for the arcade in 1989 and was later ported to several home platforms. A modified version was published by Ultra for the NES under the title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. The game is set in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe, specifically the version from the 1987 cartoon.

Personal

I remember playing the game in arcades in the early 1990s. I was a big fan of the Ninja Turtles, and the game was really impressive looking to me at the time, although especially difficult. I think I first played it at a pool hall my father took me to, and I kept stealing more quarters from him to get further in the game. I also remember playing it in the arcade of one of those ridiculous Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park camp grounds. Another kid I met there and I would scour the trash cans for bottles to get refunds for quarters to play the game. At our best, we made it all the way to stage 6.

I bought the NES port as a child. I remember seeing the advertisement for a free personal pizza on the cover and, while I would have bought the game regardless, I was looking forward to getting a free pizza in the near future. My family never went to Pizza Hut (we always used cheaper takeout alternatives), but I figured, if I had a coupon, I could insist on having them take me. However, when I opened the game, I realized that the coupon had already expired, and I felt ripped off. I still got a lot of enjoyment out of the game though.

Status

I used to own the NES port, but I no longer do. I have beaten the NES port.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
5 5 7 8 3

Best Version: Arcade

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The graphics are very well drawn and animated for most of the ports with attractive cut-scenes.
  • The game is closely tied to the TV series. All of the main characters are included and play their roles properly, and a lot of the characters are pulled over giving a lot of variety. Also, unlike the NES version, there aren't a bunch of no-name characters thrown in the mix.
  • The arcade game allows for four player simultaneous game play which adds to the fun.
  • The levels have various breakable objects that can be used as weapons against your opponents, which is pretty cool. There are also various hazards that must be avoided.
  • I also love how the enemies interact with the environment. The foot soldiers have all sorts of interesting ways of entering the playing area like braking through doors, popping out of sewers, and jumping through glass windows. It's also hilarious to see thrown foot soldiers splat against walls and watch Bebop and Rocksteady smash into each other.
  • The background music is upbeat and even incorporates a digital rendition of the first portion of the television show's theme song.
  • The speech sounds like it's taken from the show because the voices match properly.
  • The NES port adds two additional levels.

Bad

  • Like with most beat-em-ups, in order to survive in the game, you can't just walk up to enemies and attack them. Most of the time, you have to dance around enemies, evading them as much as possible while using a lot of jump attacks and the special attack to avoid getting trounced by your enemies. This makes the fighting look silly rather than cool.
  • Despite the variety in levels, the game is still pretty monotonous because there is little in the way of player control, and you're basically just smashing the Foot Clan for a half hour.
  • April O'Neil looks awful on the arcade cabinet.
  • The NES port has several graphic glitches.
  • The NES port has a lot of shameless Pizza Hut product placement.

Ugly

  • The game is extremely difficult. It seems to be designed to drain quarters rather than be enjoyable.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

Longplay - Amiga.
Longplay - Arcade.
Longplay - Commodore 64.
Longplay - NES.
Longplay - ZX Spectrum.

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English (Europe) Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: The Coin-Op!
English (Europe, NES) Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II: The Arcade Game
English (North America) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
English (North America, NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Japanese スーパー亀忍者 Supa Kame Ninja Super Turtle Ninja
Japanese (Famicom) ティーンエージ ミュータント ニンジャ タートルズ Tineiji Myutanto Ninja Tatoruzu Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-TCRF.png  link={{{2}}}