Video Games

Though the 2003 animated series was rolling along strong and showed no signs of slowing, Konami was nearing its end for TMNT video game merchandise.  2005 saw the addition of the final Konami title to the TMNT game franchise, based loosely on the third season of the animated show, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nightmare was released to audiences nationwide on the GameCube, Xbox, Playstation 2, and PC.

The story of Mutant Nightmare begins with the Triceratons coming to Earth in search of the Fugitoid, followed by the capture of Splinter by the Earth Protection Force and Agent Bishop.  Oroku Saki returns to rebuild his empire and hunt the Utrom, while Ultimate Drako sends the turtles on a journey across time and space into a nightmare of each brother before the boys can finish off their final enemy.  As a whole, the game only addresses a few of the arcs in the third season, but those particular arcs were the most important, and unlike the two previous games, Mutant Nightmare had the entirety of the third season to work with (coming out during the show’s fourth), whereas the other two were released during the seasons that they were based on.

Most unique about this particular game was the game play itself.  While the player could choose any of the turtles to use throughout the game, there was an interesting way to add abilities and extra power.  By collecting skill scrolls and experience points as levels are completed, the players can choose which turtles increase their levels, creating the perfect combination of skill and strength to take down any enemy that may come.  Additionally, the turtles can be transformed into either Dino Turtles or Ultimate Turtles; the Dino Turtles resembled ankylosaur hybrids that featured incredible strength, while the Ultimate Turtles are powered by the mystic might of the Ninja Tribunal.

Like Battle Nexus, Mutant Nightmare featured an Easter egg that could be unlocked through regular game play.  Instead of finding a special item, successful completion of the first episode unlocked a version of the Turtles in Time arcade game.  While mostly intact, the new version featured updated audio, including voice over work by the actors from the 2003 series in place of the original audio tracks.

The game did have its negatives, however.  First and foremost was the fact that the same formula as the previous games was still in place.  Though all four turtles were active at the same time on-screen, the player was still simply going through the storyline of the show.  Again, that was a step up from the older TMNT games, but it was a formula that had run its course in the first two.

Overall, the game received rather mediocre ratings.  IGN gave the game a final score of 5.5/10; Metacritic had a composite score of 57 based on 10 critic reviews; and GameSpot provided a 5.3/10.  The game received essentially the same scores as Battle Nexus, but that was still a big drop off from the first game, which was a real change in a good direction from the original games.

Konami’s last TMNT game was certainly not its best.  Though the game offered some new and interesting aspects that could have been adapted for later incarnations of the video game franchise, it was not in itself anything special.  Konami made many great attempts at bringing fun games to TMNT fans around the globe, and some were better received than others.  Though the games crossed platforms, had some sort of different game play, and featured a veritable cavalcade of characters from the various incarnations of the TMNT universe, they were still very simple, and the level of enjoyment varied depending on the game.  Mutant Nightmare was no different, but still provided some fun for fans.

As the 2003 animated series came into its own and continued to prove the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise was far from finished, a second video game based on the show was also released, breathing extended life into the interactive side of the turtles.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus was released for all major gaming platforms, bringing the second season of the new hit show into fans’ hands nationwide.

The game begins with the turtles learning of the Utrom at the T.C.R.I. building, and stumbling upon the Fugitoid, the Triceratons, and the intergalactic ninja Slashuur, all while being teleported around the galaxy.  After returning to Earth, the turtles learn about Shredder’s history with the Utrom and face down an angry alligator named Leatherhead.  Eventually, Slashuur appears to challenge Shredder, but he must face the turtles instead.  Once beaten, he remembers why he was after the villain, and becomes an ally of the heroes in green.  The turtles, Slashuur, Splinter, and their comrades must then team up to stop the remnants of Shredder’s army, including Hun, Baxter Stockman, and Karai.  With the enemies defeated, Slashuur leaves, but not before challenging the turtles to face him in the Battle Nexus.

After unlocking the tournament section in the game, the turtles are able to participate in Battle Nexus Mode, where they must fight through four different tournaments, facing villains like Shredder’s Elite Guard, Karai, Miyamoto Usagi, and Slashuur, and even the Mega Shredder, with prizes available for each tournament victory.  Most villains can only be faced once their counterparts have been defeated in story mode.

Battle Nexus offered four players the chance to fight together through the story, with each player choosing a team when the game began.  These teams consisted of one turtle and one ally that could be switched in after being unlocked.  Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo were paired with Slashuur, Splinter, Casey Jones, and Karai, respectively.  The teams had unique abilities for battle, and all the teams playing had a shared health gauge, meaning when one took damage, everyone did.  Each level completed when a certain goal was met, whether that was killing all the enemies, defeating a boss, or just surviving a certain amount of time.  As an added bonus, finding a certain artifact in Stage 9-1 unlocked a very special version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game.

Like its predecessor, Battle Nexus had a much deeper story than the old Konami games.  But, this game too featured a story that was ripped directly from episodes of the 2003 show, which meant that it too did not offer much in the way of unique content for fans to play through.  The only inclusion that was not part of the show was the appearance of Slashuur.  He was a game-only character that never made any other appearances in the franchise.

Critically, Battle Nexus was panned across the board.  GameSpy gave the game a 1.5/5, while IGN rated it 6/10.  Both sources cited the repetition in game play, the bad controls, and the incompetent A.I. as reasons the game just couldn’t stand up on its own.  The game as a whole was weak on story, and other than one new character offered nearly nothing notable to either the franchise or to the game play.  Having the original arcade game available on the newest generation of consoles may have been the best part of the entire Battle Nexus experience, and certainly made fans that stuck with the franchise very happy.

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus was another game that appeased fans and had some very fun qualities, but was not a great gaming experience.  Between the controls, the shallowness of the story, and the ineffective game play, Battle Nexus was a remarkably forgettable game.  However, the franchise itself was still in full swing, and no amount of poor ratings for one element was going to stop the turtles from pushing forward for many years to come.

With the resurgence of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their brand new television series in 2003 came a whole new line of video games looking to bring the heroes in green back into the homes of old and new fans alike.  With more powerful consoles and deeper adventures to explore, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit the Xbox, Playstation 2,Nintendo GameCube, and PC in 2003.

With the power to finally make a turtle game that reflected true movements and abilities, Konami brought some of the best adventures from the first season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) to the game.  The destruction of the lair, Casey Jones’ arrival, the mouser attack, and the trip to the underground were included as levels before reaching Shredder himself.  Featuring countless villains, like Casey Jones, Giant Mouser, Mystic Foot Ninjas, Razorfist, Quarry, and Shredder, the game allowed players to pick their favorite turtle and battle through the sewer, the streets of New York, a junkyard, a museum, and Oroku Saki’s compound to take on evil everywhere.

Unlike former games, there were no special attacks similar to past games for each turtle.  However, because the characters were much more mobile, no particular turtle was overpowered or outweighed the use of the others.  In fact, to make sure that all had a fair shot of being used, particular turtles could unlock certain bosses in the various levels.  For instance, playing as Raphael could lead to a showdown with Casey Jones, while Donatello came with a Baxter Stockman battle.  Instead, the turtles could collect crystals that offered temporary boosts to speed, strength, and defense.

In addition to the main story mode, there were other game play aspects included as well.  During the story, there was co-op play for two players, as well as secret bonus and mini levels interspersed with the main levels.  After unlocking all the appropriate characters, players could go head-to-head as well in an all-out TMNT rumble.  Also included was a challenge mode unlocked after beating the game, and the four turtles could be outfitted in special alternate costumes.  These were reminiscent of some of the toys made during the 1987 toy line, as well as some of the costumes from the show, like Donatello in a trench coat and glasses or Michelangelo in his Turtle Titan suit.

Despite being the first console TMNT game in almost a decade, the 2003 installment was met with only mixed reviews.  Critics enjoyed the great improvement in graphics, and the voice acting as well.  But the dialogue during battle was bland, fighting took no skill or tactics, enemies were unable to do anything advanced, stage design was off, and only two players could be involved, despite the GameCube and Xbox allowing four players to use the systems at once.  GameRankings gave the game 61.99%, Metacritic rated it 59/100, 1Up.com graded it a B-, and IGN gave it a 5.3/10.  Overall, the game was not received well by critics, as either a game in general, or a TMNT installment.

For fans, though, this was a huge step forward for TMNT games.  While nothing ever would or could compete with titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II or Turtles in Time, this game was leaps and bounds above other games in the franchise.  It finally allowed players to battle freely with enemies, and there was a story that attempted more than just “April’s been kidnapped, go save her.”  While the plot for the game wasn’t unique, it was still fun to play through what was being seen on TV during the same time.

Overall, the 2003 TMNT game was not anything special, but it was much better looking than its predecessors, and it put the turtles back where they belonged.  Fans could enjoy the battles once again, and really get immersed in something more resembling a story than ever before.  New villains, new fighters, and plenty of new game play made this a game worth checking out for all TMNT fans.

With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles still rolling in popularity (even though the animated series was beginning to wane), Konami wanted to make full use of the characters it had access to, and that meant even more totally turtle games being brought to fans and players everywhere.  1993 saw another addition to the handheld universe, giving everyone a new adventure for the heroes in green – and one they could take on the go.

A sequel to Back from the Sewers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue saw the return of Shredder’s horrid hijniks, with a brand new cavalcade of villains to keep the turtles at bay.  The game begins with Michelangelo out for pizza, and the others impatiently waiting back at the lair.  So when April O’Neil’s newscast is interrupted yet again, the three brothers go to her rescue without Mikey.  When the youngest turtle returns, he finds the others gone, and an evil voice says that he must come save them if he wants them back.

The game gets underway with the player controlling Michelangelo, which is a marked departure from previous games.  In all other games (both handheld and platform), players are able to pick whichever turtle they want from the very beginning.  Here, however, the choice is made for them, and then as Michelangelo the player must rescue the other turtles to use them.  Once accomplished, each turtle has his own signature move: Leonardo has the spinning katana drill; Donatello can stick to and climb walls; Raphael is able to enter small passages by hiding in his shell; and Michelangelo has the spinning nunchaku helicopter.

As players proceed through the levels and save the turtles, they will face down numerous villains, including Scratch, Dirtbag, a Triceraton, Scale Tail, and Shredder/Cyber Shredder.  While Dirtbag appeared in other games and the Triceratons were mentioned, this was the first appearance for Scratch and Scale Tail in the TMNT video game franchise.  Notably missing are staples such as Bebop, Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, and Krang (who were still in jail from bad acts prior).  Instead, the game let the players experience brand new villains, making this game truly unique in yet another level.Also showing considerable departure from previous games, Radical Rescue was made as a side-scrolling game, much like successes such as Metroid, Castlevania, and others.  The game received overall positive reviews after its release, with AllGame giving it a 3/5, and GamePro giving it 4.5/5.

While Radical Rescue was not amazing on its own, it was a great step up from previous handheld games.  Fall of the Foot Clan and Back from the Sewers were both very simple in terms of story, playability, and entertainment value.  There were so many new elements that had not been used or even present in past games (like a real story), and that alone made this one far and away better than its predecessors.  However, the number of levels was still small, and that meant the game could be completed rather quickly.  Of course, having special techniques for each turtle that were actually special and could be used in various situations added real depth to the game’s strategy.  Before, the only decision a player had to make was whether or not to use Donatello the whole time.

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue showed amazing progress for its genre and its franchise.  It addressed a lot of the issues with previous games, and made sure to include some new and unique aspects to keep fans interested even after the game was beaten.  If not for these improvements, the handheld TMNT games as a whole may have never amounted to much of anything.  However, Radical Rescue made sure that for any fan, these games were worth playing and remembering.