TMNT II The Arcade Game - NES Review
A Successful NES Port of the Arcade Ninja Turtles Game
Oct 21, 2009
When the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released for the NES, all it had going for it was the fact that it was a Ninja Turtles game. The difficulty was cruel and the gameplay was flawed. When the Turtles appeared in arcades in 1989, though, they did so in what would be one of the most memorable beat ‘em ups ever created.
The arcade iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was not based on the original NES game in any way. Unlike its predecessor, the arcade game was a pure beat ‘em up with no platforming gameplay. It also allowed up to four players to play cooperatively. In 1990, the game was ported to the NES as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game.
Same TMNT Story, Different TMNT Game
Much like the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES, TMNT II revolves around the Turtles’ quest to save news reporter and close friend April O’Neil and Master Splinter, the Turtles’ father figure and teacher. The Shredder has taken them hostage once again, and it is up to Leonard, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael to go all across New York City and defeat the evil leader of the Foot Clan.
TMNT II Gameplay – Fun Beat ‘em Up Action
The platforming elements found in the first game have been scrapped, so players are left with a pure beat ‘em up game that has a decent level of challenge. While patrolling the streets of New York City, players must defeat enemies, which usually attack in groups, in order to get to a stage’s final boss. These boss encounters are exciting and keep the player engaged in the action.
In the arcade version of the game, up to four players could take part in the action cooperatively. The NES version doesn’t include four-player co-op for obvious reasons, but it does support two-player simultaneous play, which is good enough. Beat ‘em ups have always been more enjoyable to play with others, and TMNT II is no exception.
The combat in TMNT II, while fun, can get a bit repetitive. The Turtles have a small arsenal of moves at their disposal, so players will find themselves mashing buttons and using the same strategies throughout the game. Still, this is something very common in beat ‘em ups, and the lack of variety doesn’t take away too much from what is an otherwise fun-filled game.
Graphics and Sound
The first Ninja Turtles game on the NES featured good graphics. When the Turtles hit arcades that same year, however, the graphics received a major graphical overhaul. While the NES port of the arcade original may not have the outstanding graphics that its arcade machine counterpart has, it’s still a major update from the first game in the series. Levels are more detailed, there is a larger assortment of enemies, even backgrounds feature rich detail.
The retro NES sound from the first game has also been upgraded. Granted, the music in the game still sounds old-school, but there’s more variety, and each of the tracks sounds more polished and more refined than the songs heard in the first Turtles game. Also worth praising is the addition of the TMNT theme song, which was mysteriously left out of the first game.
Lasting Value
Despite only having seven stages, TMNT II lasts a decent amount of time. The game can be beaten in an afternoon, but beat ‘em ups have never been known for lasting long, so this comes as no surprise. The fun factor warrants subsequent play-throughs, though, and playing through the game's lengthy levels cooperatively with a friend bumps the game’s replay value up significantly.
TMNT II – A Far Better Game Than the First
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game for the NES is a successful port of the highly popular arcade beat ‘em up. The game is not only fan service for followers of the comic heroes-turned-movie protagonists, but also a title worth-playing for fans of classic NES games and any gamers who enjoy action-packed games.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II is nothing like the first game for the NES, and that’s a good thing. The game surpasses its predecessor in almost every way imaginable, and it is one of the many classics in the Nintendo Entertainment System library that’s as strong today as it was back in its heyday.
Score: 8/10
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