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Better than the console version

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: October 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The late 80s and early 90s saw a massive mainstream hit in the form of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series. And Konami was there to scoop up the cash machine videogame license, producing action games on the NES and in the arcade, as well as bringing those arcade machines home in ports for the Super NES and Genesis. All good things must end, but the TMNT series has recently been given a surge of life thanks to a revision of the characters in the new Fox animated series. And once again, Konami's there to scarf the rights to produce videogame adventures. The Game Boy Advance version the company created is a satisfying little action game thanks to a nice variety of things to do, but it's over before it really gets started...and the lack of any multiplayer support so that multiple turtles can get in on the action is definitely obvious and sorely missing in this package. Anyone between the ages of three and thirty-three should know who and what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are. Honestly, you don't need to know anything other than the fact that these guys are kick-ass kung-fu amphibians with renaissance names: Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, with Leonardo leading the quartet. They hide out in their sewer home and train with a sensei that happens to be an anthropomorphic rat. It's been nearly a decade since these guys had their own videogame, and it would have made a lot of sense if Konami simply went back in its archive and produced a port or two of the existing TMNT games for the 2D-friendly Game Boy Advance system. Instead, though, we get a whole new adventure and gameplay design that shares very little with what the company created in the previous generation of the Turtles license. If anything, the Game Boy Advance version is more in line with what the company did, under the Ultra name, for its first game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Not the arcade ports, but the original side-scrolling adventure where the turtles work through the sewers and the streets against the footclan. The Game Boy Advance game is actually broken up into the four different characters, with players taking control of each turtle individually. Each turtle has his own set of four levels to complete, each based around an episode from the television series. All four have similar control schemes, but they're each balanced in strength and speed based upon their cartoon personality, and each feature unique fighting moves than. For example, Raphael can climb up walls by spearing his Sais into the concrete, and Michelangelo can reach higher platforms with a superskilled walljump. They each have their own attack animations because of their different combat styles and weaponry, but the gameplay boils down to using the A and B buttons with the D-pad in specific combinations to nail the endless wave of enemies as quickly and successfully as possible. Though a little skill is required to down the badguys (leaping out of the way of a firing laser gun or an attacking mouser), the combo system is a little on the rudimentary side...rapidly hitting the B button is enough to juggle most enemies out of the way. But the combat engine is at least satisfying since there's a lot of enemies to wipe out in the game's 17 different levels, and timing the attacks can net a nice, meaty five hit juggle in some cases. The game would get a little dull if all it had were these side-scrolling levels, but thankfully the developer implement an original, interim challenge for each of the four turtles. In Leonardo's levels, players will zoom through the sewers in their custom Sewer Slider in an Operation Wolf-style shooter. Moving through Michelangelo's challenges will give players the ability to ride through the sewers on a "shell board," grabbing gems without getting hit by oncoming sewer traffic. Raphael has a very challenging race against Casey Jones in a fun Shell Cycle challenge, and Donatello takes to the air with the Shell Glider for a little old-school shooter action. It's unfortunate that there's only one of these levels per character, as Konami could have definitely extended the playtime by adding one or two more.
And that's the biggest fault of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the length. The console versions stink because the action gets incredibly repetitive, but that's not the problem in the portable rendition: there's just not nearly enough on the Game Boy Advance. It's all over in just three hours, and even with the added element of hidden gems only adds on another half hour or so. And what falsely extends the game's length is the enormous amount of cutscenes between the missions...the yabber between turtles and bad guys just goes on and on and on and on with nothing much in the way of actual important substance. It's cool that the developer kept with the style of writing from the current animated show, but man...eventually you'll just be hitting the action button just to skip the near tons of scrolling text. The game's gaping omission: no multiplayer support. How can you have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game without any sort of cooperative or competitive challenges? Answer: you can't. The console version is very pretty, but it's also extremely dull and repetitive. This game never comes off boring because the developers inject a bit of variety in each of the characters abilities and challenges. The game isn't much more than your typical Final Fight or Double Dragon type of game, but it's a pretty satisfying gaming experience...especially for those who dig the Turtles. But you just can't ignore the fact that the game's irritatingly short. The game's over before it feels like it actually starts, and even with 17 levels to plow through, some missions end surprisingly quick. The game allows for unlimited continues (the only downside is that it also remembers the health bar at the last checkpoint), which definitely attributes to how easy the game is to win. As fun as it is to plow through this game, it definitely needs a little more Turtle Power.

Pretty decent game, if not great.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 17 / 17
Date: November 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I had played the first game released under the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, a great side-scrolling fighter game in the early '90s. This game doesn't measure up to those standards, but it's a decent little action game for the Game Boy Advance.

The problems? This game is completely 2-D; your character can't move up or down without jumping a ledge. The auto-dash feature (your character dashes if you hold down left or right) is a primitive platform-game feature that that should've been dog-eared two game generations ago, but here it is -- an intensely annoying control problem that doesn't help the game at all, especially since the double-dash control in this game is very responsive. And the idea of splitting up one long plot into four character-specific subplots is interesting, but even given this, the game is pretty short. If they'd devoted more storage to add more levels rather than those boring dialogue scenes, the game would have been better.

The good points: Despite some of their questionable features, the inclusion of the mini-games nevertheless helps expand the game's horizons. Wish they could have balanced the gameplay on these games better. The characters have a pretty good array of moves for a Game Boy Advance fighting game, and controls are pretty smooth (despite the auto-dash problem). Konami games tend to have a fairly solid quality standard, and this game is no exception.

Not a great game, but certainly an entertaining and playable one. How quickly it wears out its welcome, though, remains to be seen. There just isn't much depth to the gameplay here, and I'm hoping the upcoming release of Double Dragon Advance will not disappoint.

Best GBA Game I've Ever Played....Seriously!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have played just about every GBA game that is out there and this one has to be the absolute best! The graphics are great, the sound is excellent and the gameplay and action are in top form as well. This game is so fun, it brought back so many memories of my childhood, I used to love the TMNT way back when and this game doesn't let you down!

no need for a title...or stars

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

My beef is not with the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for GBA", nay fine consumers, my beef is with these bumbling idiots writing reviews for said game. Gangstah, who do you think you are? You're obviusly oblivious to what has been going on in the world of video games in the past 20 years. Oh wait, did I hear you b****ing about the game being 2-D? oh yes, I think I did sweetyummins, I think I did. Traditionally when playing a game on the gameboy or gameboy advance you would expect a two dimensional title ; now a days everything has to be fancy and games are all about the graphics and sounds and..well, really, they lack any and all substance. There is no challenge. It's all about the money for these a**holes. The side scroller is a lost art. Why wouldn't the game be in 2-D hu?hu?hu? What's so bad about it? Does it really make the game that much better if its three dimensional, no jacka**, it doesn't. On the contrary the time and effort they usually put into making it look all fancy for p**** heads like you usually means that time is taken away from making the game challenging, or interesting for that matter. Wake up and smell the roses. It's not all about how the game looks buttercup. Oh and get a god damn life..pssh who the f*ck writes online reviews for gameboy advance games at target.com any how???

Halfway decent beat 'em up

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Back when I was a kid, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were everywhere, even in video games. There were plenty of them, but the best one, and many agree here, had to be Konami's TMNT 4: Turtles in Time. That game combined the license with a surprisingly addictive beat 'em up arcade game style a la Final Fight, a combination which surprisingly worked. Now, the TMNT license is becoming popular again, and Konami has released a new wave of TMNT games for the next-gen systems. This GBA version is pretty much a watered down side scrolling beat 'em up that could have been done much better if time and thought were put into it. The game is too easy, the generic looking enemies hardly fight back. All that aside though, TMNT has some things going for it. The character animation is smoothly animated, each of the four turtles has abilities unique to himself, there are mini-games to play which give you a break from the generic fighting, and long time turtle fans will admire various little features of the game. I might be a bit too generous in my review, but if you can overlook it's shortcomings, there is some fun to be had with TMNT, I just wish Konami would have considered re-making TMNT 4 for the GBA instead.

the Ninja Turtles are back - GBA review - JKrahn

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ok, I'll tell you right of the bat. I'm a little biased here, since I'm a fan of the Ninja Turtles. But I'll try no to be. Personally, I enjoy games with different characters to choose from, and different strengths and weaknesses with each character. Of course the turtles each have their signature weapons. Donatello has the longest range with his staff. Michelangelo has his lightning-fast nunchaku. Leonardo has his powerful katana swords, and Raphael, his fury attacks with his sai blades. The moves look great, the graphics in this game are pretty good. The story line follows almost exactly that of the new Ninja Turtles tv series. But the game is way too short. The only levels that keep you from beating the game, are the final levels where you fight the Shredder. One thing they did that was unique to this game is that they split it up so that each of the turtles had 4 levels to beat. If you want to go according to the show, this was a good move for the makers of the game. But I kinda wish I could've done some of the levels with a different turtle. But some of the levels were designed in such a way that it would be impossible. For instance, in one of Mikey's level there is an area only Mikey would be able to get up, since he has a wall-jump move no one else has. Well... now that I think of it, Raph could do it too, since he can climb walls with his blades, but my point still stands. Anyways, despite the flaws in this game, it is very enjoyable. Each turtle has one level where they are on some kinda vehicle or something. Leo uses the Sewer Slider to destroy robots, Don dodges missles on his Hang Glider, Mikey collects crystals on his Skateboard, and Raph races Casey Jones on the Shell Cycle. The game also has 3 difficulty levels to choose from. So if its to easy for you, bring it up to hard. Its as simple as that. I give this game 4 stars. Any Ninja Turtles fan out there should check this game out.

THE BEST GAME EVER

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best and tightest fighting games ever made for gameboy advance. You can choose from 1 to four players, their are codes, and five levels for each turle.

Hey! This is actually fun.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Unlike most liscenced games, which would appeal more to fans than non-fans, this game is better suited for players that don't know or care who the Ninja Turtles are. Like "Fall of the Footclan," this title is a pretty straightforward kick-their-butts action video game. A = Jump, B = Attack, R is for a special move that depends on the situation, and I don't know what L does.
If you demand spice in your dish, I'm afraid all you'll get is the mild, in the form of a sewer vehicle, a motorcycle, a hang glider, and a skateboard.
What's the downside? Well, in my opinion, it would have been nice if April, Casey Jones, Splinter, and even Shredder were playable. Come to think of it, I don't think you even face Shredder. I also think the presence of Krang, Rocksteady, and Bebop would have been nice, but they're not in the newer cartoon series, so the only point would be to satisfy the nostalgia of older fans such as myself.
Well, I can't blame you if you're wondering whether this is really a game review or just self pity, so I'll get to the point: if you like lots of fighting and a little platform action, you'll probably like this game.

good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The game is very smooth and clean. But for this platform they should have made the game 3d compatible, meaning that you are able to scroll up and down the screen like you used to in the old games. Is a little short but is worth it for the ninja turtle fans of old and new.

TMNT are back... but are they as good as they once were?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Someone once told me that fashion and trends tend to repeat themselves every 20 years or so. He-Man is back, Pretty Pretty Princes is back, Rainbow Bright has returned, as has Care Bears (which has my wife very happy), and Strawberry Shortcake... and so too have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles returned with an updated look and style designated for a modern audience.
I remember watching the old cartoons as a kid, and playing the old Konami Ninja Turtle games in the arcade, and on my NES or Super NES and loving them. Then the fad fizzled out. I lost interest when I discovered X-Men, a story I've been following since I abandoned the Ninja turtles.
Having beaten all my GBA titles thus far my wife and I went searching for an inexpensive new addition to keep me occupied during slow time at work. That was Saturday... today I am rearranging my budget to look for a new game to keep me busy at work during down time.
Its not that this game is bad, far from it, its just ridiculously short. This game takes about three hours to clear completely, with next to nothing to extend the game play or encourage replay. Worse yet there's no two-player modes at all, and as far as I can tell no unlockable secrets. Also the stories seem to be based on episodes from the new series, which could explain why there seems to be such a minimally connected narrative between the games "chapters". Played even remotely out of order and it will make the story completely incoherent. (I recommend playing Leo, Raph, Mike, and then Don for the most coherent story). This game is a lot of fun, but there simply isn't enough of it. It was fun to relive a piece of my childhood, but overall I wish I had gotten Metroid Zero Mission instead, even if it did cost a bit more.

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