4/10/09

TMNT Redux

Although TMNT week has already been left in the past like so much discarded ooze, I realized I have one more favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle "toy" that I completely forgot to mention:


This is the cover for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nintendo game by Ultra. Dig the standardized red mask/belt look! That all changed when the cartoon came out in order to give the turtles more distinct looks.


This game came out in 1989, which is pretty early in the TMNT merchandising juggernaut that we know today. Notice the blurb about the Playmates action figures.


The instructions are ironically (or maybe intentionally) black and white - reminiscent of the original turtle comics which were also published in black and white.


The pictures for the bios of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello look more like their action figure counterparts, with their initials on their belts and their different belts/straps.


"Enemies Galore" - you can tell which characters were from the TMNT comics/toons etc by their "TM" trademark indicators next to their names. I like "Fire Freak - an ex-pyromaniac from Brooklyn."


Mecaturtle's blurb is hilarious - "Appearing like your average turtle," oh yeah...I almost walked right past him he's so non-descript - what with those massive blade hands and all - just like an average turtle!

This Nintendo game really is fun but also extremely complex and difficult. It's not your average beat-em-up game either - with complex maze-like levels, difficult bosses and the ability to switch turtles mid stream for maximum weapon efficiency.

You can play the game directly on your computer at Virtual NES

And here's a video of the game's intro that I pulled off Youtube. Yay laziness!

3 comments:

  1. We had this game as well, we spent several Saturdays eating cheap pizza and playing this game.

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  2. I remember this game. I first playing it 'cause we had rented it by accident, thinking it was the NES version of the arcade game. But we ended up liking it anyway

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  3. I played a Nintendo TMNT back in 1991...I recall you can switch the turtle in the middle of the game for 1 player... is it this game? Or that was another?

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