Gaming Memories: TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

One of the games I remember playing the most back on my physical NES. In part because I always wanted to see if I could go further than I did before.

The TMNT game for the NES home console is somewhat infamous for its high difficulty. Then again, a lot of games at the time were, though I always felt this one stood out in that discourse, as one of the examples being frequently given. The concept here is fairly simple: You play as Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Raphaello and Donatello as they attempt to stop another dastardly attack on New York City helmed by their forever enemy, Shredder, and his Foot Clan.

The Turtles wield their favorite weapons - katana, nunchakus, sai and bō, respectively. You can swap between brothers at will, but be careful - each one has a life bar and few ways to refill it. If a Turtle is down, good luck getting him back. There's also an obvious issue here regarding range; the turtles can only attack with their favorite weapon. Don and his bō are thus the best offensive option, just because you don't have to come into direct contact with an enemy to damage it. Next is Leo and his dual katana. Then come Mike and his pitiful nunchucks, and Raph and his even worse sai.

The game is famous for being difficult, but it bears noting that it's hard from the start. Sink or swim. Especially when the second mission comes around and there's the infamous underwater dam level with its electric seaweed. Every person who's played this game up to that point will rage, "Yes, the fucking seaweed level". And things don't let up in the third mission, a massive city with a labyrinthine sewer system and Foot tanks in the streets, which the Turtles' own tank cannot destroy except with missiles.

I remember eventually getting past that dam level, but never actually getting beyond the third mission. Its sheer length, coupled with the state my Turtles would normally be in by that point (again, DAM LEVEL), meant that I was never able to keep the four heroes alive long enough. Never saw what the fourth mission looked like. Not for lack of trying! But pizza slices (which heal the Turtles) get rare by then. On the plus side, it means Rocksteady and Bebop always got the beating they deserved. Shredder, that's a different story, alas.

Can't say TMNT is one of those franchises that I feel a lot for, but this game was a fine introduction. Probably would have enjoyed it more if I could have gotten further through. On the plus side, that I came back to it regularly to try and go a little further in means it did a couple of things right.