Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) - Four heroes, plenty of action and Cowabunga!
Nowadays, games based on TV shows or movies don't usually stand out for their quality. It seems that the companies developing them are simply trying to take advantage of the characters' fame to sell these games. However, many years ago, things weren't always like this, as there were companies that truly put effort into creating outstanding titles, such as Konami with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
This game, originally released in 1989 for arcades, allowed players to choose any of the four Ninja Turtles and embark on an epic adventure, wielding their signature weapons just like in the popular animated series of the late '80s. Many children of the '90s, myself included, were amazed by its gameplay mechanics: a joystick for controlling the character's movement and only two action buttons, one to attack and the other to jump. By pressing both buttons simultaneously, players could also perform a special move. Additionally, it was possible to run, bounce off walls, and even use furniture as a weapon against the evil ninjas of the Foot Clan.
This game was particularly special because it allowed up to four players to participate in the action simultaneously. While this might not seem remarkable now, given the prevalence of online gaming, at the time it was an extraordinary novelty. It was amazing to see groups of friends gathering around this arcade machine, each taking control of their favorite turtle. I still remember the lines of kids that formed, all eagerly waiting for a turtle to be defeated so they could jump into the battle and help save the world.
Leonardo and Donatello were the characters with significant advantages due to the range of their weapons, while Raphael and Michelangelo were faster, requiring a bit more skill to play as them, especially when health was running low and the dangers and enemies on screen increased. Meanwhile, villains from the TV series, such as Rocksteady, Bebop, Granitor, and Krang, among others, appeared as the final bosses. The most challenging of them all was none other than Shredder.
TMNT also featured diverse scenarios, such as a burning building, the sewers, a highway, and even a parking area. In fact, the final battle takes place underground. Additionally, in each of these locations, enemies would appear unexpectedly, as well as pizza boxes, which were extremely helpful when your health was running low.
Regarding the soundtrack and sound effects, the game's introduction thrilled players with the original theme of the TV series, and the melodies that accompanied each level were outstanding. However, the highlight was that upon completing certain objectives in each stage, you could hear the four ninjas shout their iconic: Cowabunga!
In conclusion, given that local co-op is becoming a rarity in modern times, especially in triple-A titles, it’s worth looking back occasionally to enjoy a game like this, whether to reminisce about the old days or to discover its virtues for the first time.
Anyway, that’s all people, now I would like to know: what do you guys think? 😎
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I remember when I played many installments of the ninja turtles on the Nintendo NES console, they were very funny and when I played with friends was twice as much fun, because you can make a team with your friends to make your adventure in it much more fun and fast.
I agree, TMNT games are really fun, especially if you played them with friends.
The flavour of four-player co-op was something else! 🐢🎉 Especially when fighting Granitor, the chaos of the screen, everyone shouting at each other... Unforgettable memories. �🔄 The music was as iconic as the game, when we heard the theme song, we would directly get adrenaline. I wish games with the arcade spirit would come out today. This blog brought me back to the old days, thank you! 👾
!LUV !PIZZA
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Yeah, Online multiplayer isn't the same as playing with some friends in the same place. I'm glad to hear your liked my post. Best regards!
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@bemier(2/5) tipped @satoru-raiden
I remember the local Safeway getting this in their front area, where the carts were placed. Whomever was in charge of what was available there removed Shinobi (I missed that one) and a standup Afterburner (my brother missed that one the most).
A few friends of mine and me would drop tons of quarters into the the four player model there. Sadly, whomever was in charge upped the challenge to make it quite the quarter muncher and we quickly lost interest in playing it because of that.
When this got ported to the NES I had to get a copy but it took me a few months to save up for it. While not as graphically impressive, the home version did its best. I later got an SNES and Turtles in Time on that and that NES game was forever relegated to the closet till it all was gifted to a cousin getting into gaming.
What a story, that same thing happened to me in some amusement arcades, where the people in charge ridiculously thought that increasing the difficulty of the games would make them earn more money.
I also played the NES port of TMNT, it was really impressive despite the hardware limitation of the system. Turtles in Time is amazing, I played that one in Arcades and SNES.
Best regards!