I got my NES up and running (YES!
) so a couple'a days ago I took a swing at TMNT 2: The Arcade Game and TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project for the first time in, I'unno, maybe 15 years. More than ten, for sure. Really been looking forward to it, glad I finally got the chance. TO clarify, I do have the actual arcade game (or rather, its Xbox Live counterpart) on my Xbox 360 and have played that one several times in recent years, it's specifically my NES games I haven't had a chance to get to for a long time.
I still like both games a lot, but it's an interesting perspective given how much time has passed but also how many other games I've played since then. As beat-'em-ups go, they are decidedly kinda average, although definitely upper-tier compared to what was available on the NES at that time. TMNT 2 is more iconic, mostly due to that awesome opening level, but the gameplay itself is rather busted. Basically, doing anything except the jump kick is a waste of time and you're going to take a hit. I'm used to busting out multi-hit combos in these types of games now, so it was quite an adjustment going back to the second TMNT game and discovering that trying to hit anyone more than once in a row was a huge mistake. You'd assume that you'd have a reach advantage, but no; if you try and hit anyone twice in a row, they'll get a hit in on you while your second shot goes right through them harmlessly. Pretty annoying. I was able to adjust to it again, but I'd forgotten just how over-reliant on the jump kick that game was. You can pretty much go through the entire game without getting hit if that's the ONLY move you do, but that's pretty wack.
Manhattan Project isn't as fondly remembered - I assume it's because, unlike TMNT 2 or Turtles In Time it never had an arcade release - but it does quite a bit better than either of those other games. First and foremost, they fixed the gameplay by a ton so that ALL your moves are useful, and most of all they fixed the problem of trying to get multiple hits in without taking one yourself. That alone, along with the new flip move, improves the entire experience tremendously. It just plays SO much better than the second game. Adding mid-level bosses and much longer levels also made it a lot of fun and gives it some decent length. It doesn't overstay its welcome but it gives you a lot of "meat" compared to the other two TMNT beat-'em-ups in that series.
Altogether, it's like, TMNT 2 has some of the more memorable levels and moments, but the gameplay is sort of busted. Turtles In Time has the best graphics and gameplay by far, but is frustratingly short compared to 2 or 3. And then 3 has the best overall design as far as length, lots of bosses, enemy variety, etc., and sits right in the middle as far as gameplay - better than 2, but not as smooth as IV.
This is how I felt a few years ago, too, but it's nice to have it confirmed.
They're all good games but I feel like people only really remember 2 so fondly because of nostalgia. Neither the NES or actual arcade version were fantastic as far as gameplay, but the arcade game specifically had incredible presentation that I feel is what people remember more than actually playing it.
Really wish they'd like, maybe added a few more levels borrowed from or "inspired by" Manhattan Project to the first half of Turtles In Time and back-loaded the time travel levels. Then it would at least feel like a complete game. I think it took me an hour and a half or so to finish Manhattan Project, compared to 23 minutes for TMNT IV. That's just f*cking goofy no matter how good the game is. But if they'd taken some of those levels from TMNT 3 (or similar) and stuck 'em on TMNT IV, then it's a whole different conversation.
I also played the NES version of Bad Dudes for laughs, and yeah, the TMNT beat-'em-ups on NES were light years ahead of most.
I also don't think I'm gonna try the first NES game again because f*ck that f*cking game.