All you need to know about recent TMNT console games

[Ninja Tiptup]

I am the proud owner of all the TMNT games for consoles (and Nintendo portable systems for that matter) from the first games up to the games based on the 2003 cartoon. I own the GBA version of the movie based TMNT game and it’s fun but short but I’m going to focus on the 3D console games. I’ve only rented the movie game for GCN but I beat it quite easily so I think I can judge that one just fine. So here you go… all you need to know about the GCN (PS2, Xbox and PC) TMNT games of the past 4 years. To be accurate I pulled out the memory card and replayed the first levels of each game to get a feel of how they start out, as it’s been a while since I played any of them thoroughly.

Let’s start at the beginning with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not to be confused with the arcade classic found on Xbox Live Arcade or the NES game you can get on the Virtual Console now on the cheap. Konami’s first TMNT game based on the 2003 cartoon was not highly rated by any means but in my opinion it gets the job done. The major flaw with this one is that it is only 2 players when 4 should have been a given. Despite this for a 2 player 3D brawler it is NOT (I repeat) not a bad game. Each turtle has their’ own set of combos which are easy enough to pull off but it would take a more seasoned player to get the right combo successfully. Initially you don’t have a jump attack but I’d gladly sacrifice that for the already decent combo set. As you’ll read when I talk about the sequel, the combo system in this game is a lot more newbie friendly.

Eventually you earn you jump attack and then you’re pretty good. You’ve got a dash move, which can be very useful at times, and an uppercut to juggle along with a weak attack and strong attack that can be used in combinations. All things considered that makes for a pretty good brawler and the game can be challenging as you progress though it starts out quite easy. However camera angles plague this game, as does the lack of a 4-player option. But it’s a satisfying 2 player experience overall and the game includes a nice VS mode which none of the other 2003 series based titles includes. However the locals are rather boring and the constant fighting becomes mundane in minutes so basically it becomes a chore to play unless you don’t mind endless beat downs. Its definitely better with 2 players but something about the game really feels boring. On top of that if you fail a stage you have to go back to the very beginning and while that adds challenge it adds far more frustration as well. This game’s shining quality is that it represents the style and story of the first season of the 2003 cartoon very well but it also adds a few characters and areas. You follow the story roughly until “Return to New York” when you have your final confrontation with The Shredder so it makes a decent story arc. The graphics aren’t “impressive” but they’re fitting and the comic sound effects are an interesting addition (which can be toggled). Overall if you want a 2 player game for GCN (dunno why you would though, not with great 4 player games available) it’s a decent game but nothing special… and you’ll probably want to turn off the sound to avoid the barrage of overused one-liners. I mean seriously you can only hear “Eat feet!” so many times before it haunts your nightmares.

On to TMNT II: The Battle Nexus. As expected they added 4-player (which I say again, should be a given with a TMNT brawler). However, they found the perfect ways to make 4-player TMNT a terrible experience for all. For one thing you share a life bar and if you’re playing with people who aren’t good at video games then you’re really screwed. Along with that there’s platforming areas where you are required to get yourself and your entourage across and as expected the camera and invisible walls present make this a living shell er… hell. Sounds pretty bad right? What if I told you at the beginning of the game your combo system is pathetic? Yeah… sad but true. Initially your combo system is a simplified version of the first games’ that you can build up to be better than the first games’ but before you build it up you might start throwing your controller at the screen out of frustration. On the bright side you get your jump attack from the get go. On the downside the combos are so pathetic you literally have to attack twice, run away and then attack again. No uppercut this time either but you do get a block which I guess can be helpful sometimes. While it’s bad you share a life bar its nice that you share health items so unlike most TMNT games you don’t have fight over who gets the next health item. Ah… that brings back memories of TMNT II: The Arcade game on the NES… such good memories.

If you manage to get your better combos by collecting crystals then you’re limitations will be far less and you’ll enjoy the game a lot more but the road to that point is enough to make most seasoned players give up on this game. It does not help a bit that the 4 player option is so tainted with the problems I mentioned but when it comes to levels without a lot of platforming the 4 player is a lot of fun when you have good combos and a nice addition is the ability to use other characters besides the turtles including Karai, Casey Jones, Master Splinter and an original character Konami made for the game. Too bad you can’t use Usagi Yojimbo but the character selection definitely isn’t lacking. Despite being called “The Battle Nexus” the game doesn’t focus at all on that story arc of the animated series. Instead if covers where you left off in the first game (sorta…) on to the Ultroms introduction, into space with the Fugitoid, Triceritons and the Republic, to Ancient Japan to have a history lesson on some key characters and then back to New York for some foot bashing. Covering basically all of the season but the Battle Nexus. However the Battle Nexus is a tournament feature to challenge players and if you’re successful you get to play against Usagi, Splinter’s Master Hamato Yoshi and other interesting characters. I find this feature to be quite difficult though so I did not get too far in it. Overall it’s a decent game with 1 to 2 maybe even 3 players but with 4 you’ll find the platforming will kill any enjoyment you have battling cronies together. It’s a perfect example of how NOT to make a 4-player TMNT game but it’s slightly less mundane than the first game and the variety in local is nice. Once again you may want to turn off the sound due to excessive one-liners but they have a bit more variety this time.

The inclusion of the original arcade game is nice but you wouldn’t believe how much losing the original music takes away from the fun of that one and with an endless supply of quarters it lacks any challenge besides cheap mechanics. However old skool TMNT players who think little of the newer TMNT series and games are more likely to play this with you at a group gathering and its still a fun 4-player game but the fun doesn’t last long as its really a very short game. Do not buy Battle Nexus just for the port. You’re much better off playing the version from Xbox Live Arcade if you are able to.