There seems to be more love for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game (the 'designated sequel') than for this game that originally came out on the NES. Understandably, because The Arcade Game was fun, fast, straightforward, had slicker animation, and featured tons of cool baddies, bosses and elements that were taken straight from the beloved animated TV series. Then again, The Arcade Game was also sort of a no-brainer: pretty easy, very linear (just move to the right) and didn't offer that much of a challenge if you were able to master the special move (in fact, I had to quit the game several times to stop myself from finishing it in a few weeks).
Now, the first game may have been influenced more by the comic books rather than the TV series, which was a disappointment for many, but it is hard to deny that it offered a healthy challenge. It took me well over half a year to get through it, but in those days, frustration about a game's difficulty was all part of the deal. Failing over and over was generally a trigger to keep trying, rather than just quitting and proceeding with the next game. In fact, I wonder if a game like this would still have a chance these days, since our supply of games is so abundant that we have little patience for trial and error gameplay. I recently tried Zelda II: The Adventure of Link again, but after several days of side-scrolling horror, being relentlessly attacked by creatures from four sides and unable to defend with a sword not much longer than a knife, I decided this was not my game. The completionist that I am, it is not something I am proud of, but there are better wastes of time.
TMNT also has plenty of moments where the gameplay seems pretty unforgiving. Enemies with seemingly endless hitpoints lashing out from angles from which there is little defense, attacks that take a quarter of your health gauge, lava and spikes that cause one-hit-kills... Again, it was probably the lack of other games that made me continue. But in the time without on-line strategy guides, the help of of a gaming community made all the difference. I exchanged helpfull tips with my friends who also played the game, gaming magazines offered valid advice, and in some instances, we learned how to exploit the game's programming limitations (let the enemies fly off-screen and they may not come back). Finally finishing the Shredder gave an almost unparalleled satisfaction that is the hallmark of a good gaming experience.
Despite the hardships it offers, this game definitely has its strong points. The four Turtles each have their own strengths and weaknesses, so being able to switch between them during the game is an asset. There is a nice variation in scenery, from downtown areas to airfields, as well as in gameplay, with the occassional swimming level where you have to dismantle bombs, to the use of the Turtles' iconic van. Most stages are set up like a maze for an additional challenge, having to find the correct way to the boss fight, of which the battle with the Technodrome was the one I was always looking forward to. Once you were inside that thing during the ridiculously difficult final level, every mistake could mean death, and making it to Shredder was three parts skills and one part luck (sadly, no Krang). But still, this was a game where perseverance was rewarded. I recently found out that despite the insanely hard parts, the old tricks and strategies still worked, and me being able to finish it again was especially satisfying. Some games are definitely better in your memory than in reality, but this one still holds up quite well after almost 30 years.
Now, the first game may have been influenced more by the comic books rather than the TV series, which was a disappointment for many, but it is hard to deny that it offered a healthy challenge. It took me well over half a year to get through it, but in those days, frustration about a game's difficulty was all part of the deal. Failing over and over was generally a trigger to keep trying, rather than just quitting and proceeding with the next game. In fact, I wonder if a game like this would still have a chance these days, since our supply of games is so abundant that we have little patience for trial and error gameplay. I recently tried Zelda II: The Adventure of Link again, but after several days of side-scrolling horror, being relentlessly attacked by creatures from four sides and unable to defend with a sword not much longer than a knife, I decided this was not my game. The completionist that I am, it is not something I am proud of, but there are better wastes of time.
TMNT also has plenty of moments where the gameplay seems pretty unforgiving. Enemies with seemingly endless hitpoints lashing out from angles from which there is little defense, attacks that take a quarter of your health gauge, lava and spikes that cause one-hit-kills... Again, it was probably the lack of other games that made me continue. But in the time without on-line strategy guides, the help of of a gaming community made all the difference. I exchanged helpfull tips with my friends who also played the game, gaming magazines offered valid advice, and in some instances, we learned how to exploit the game's programming limitations (let the enemies fly off-screen and they may not come back). Finally finishing the Shredder gave an almost unparalleled satisfaction that is the hallmark of a good gaming experience.
Despite the hardships it offers, this game definitely has its strong points. The four Turtles each have their own strengths and weaknesses, so being able to switch between them during the game is an asset. There is a nice variation in scenery, from downtown areas to airfields, as well as in gameplay, with the occassional swimming level where you have to dismantle bombs, to the use of the Turtles' iconic van. Most stages are set up like a maze for an additional challenge, having to find the correct way to the boss fight, of which the battle with the Technodrome was the one I was always looking forward to. Once you were inside that thing during the ridiculously difficult final level, every mistake could mean death, and making it to Shredder was three parts skills and one part luck (sadly, no Krang). But still, this was a game where perseverance was rewarded. I recently found out that despite the insanely hard parts, the old tricks and strategies still worked, and me being able to finish it again was especially satisfying. Some games are definitely better in your memory than in reality, but this one still holds up quite well after almost 30 years.
