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Old 12-17-2016, 09:51 PM   #22
oldmanwinters
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Konami's Four for Four

I recently acquired the obscure Konami handheld "Four for Four." Most of the existing online information about it shows the U.K. "Hero Turtles" release, but my copy is evidence it probably received a U.S. release too.



Gameplay is among the simplest of all the Konami handheld TMNT games. The turtle character does not move forward or backward, but can only attack, jump, and turn around/attack, similar to the gameplay from the other Konami handhelds. There are only four enemies: Rocksteady, Bebop, Shredder, and Krang's Android. Playable characters are Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, although there are no differences in the sprites, so they might as well just be "4 lives" since you cycle through the Turtles until each lifebar is depleted. I'm guessing the lineup of heroes and villains is the basis of the "Four for Four" title.

And alternative title for this game could have been "Foot Clan Villain Decay," as the big bads have been reduced to the lowly status previously occupied by Foot Soldiers in other games. Levels consist of Rocksteady, Bebop, and Shredder attacking the player either individually or in combination waves. They are each felled by a single hit, but reappear constantly until the end of the round. R&B have the same attack patterns, but Shredder is craftier in that he will always enter in the opposite direction from which the player is facing. After a certain number of kills, Krang's Android will appear at the right side of the screen and fire off his rocket fist attack continually while the other enemies continue their own attack patterns.

Points are awarded for each successful kill: 10 points for Rocksteady or Bebop, 40 points for Shredder, and 80 points for Krang. I don't think points ever reward the player for anything other than the high-score memory. So far I've only made it as far as Level 9, when the action really speeds up. I think it's fun for what it is. Rounds are very short and fast paced, so the action doesn't get as dull and repetitive as it does in previous games like TMNTII: Splinter Speaks or TMNTIII: Shredder's Last Stand. Kudos to Konami for requiring only a single AA battery to play it.
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Last edited by oldmanwinters; 01-15-2020 at 12:28 PM.
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