Line #38 VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame


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4	A 1989 BeatEmUp by {{Creator/Konami}} based on [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles the adolescent humanoid shinobi terrapins]] [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird]]... more specifically, [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the 1987 cartoon]]. As the title suggests, this game was released in the arcades, though only as ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. Several ports renamed it ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game'' to disambiguate it from [[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1989 the first console game]] -- the Platform/{{Famicom}} version kept the original name, as its version of the previous game was [[MarketBasedTitle renamed]] ''Geki Kame Ninja Den'' (''Fierce Turtle Ninja Legend'').
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6	The plot is fairly simple: the four eponymous Turtles — Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael — must rescue their news reporter friend April O'Neil, and later their beloved Master Splinter, from the clutches of the Shredder and the Foot Clan. The action takes the Turtles from New York to the city's depths, where after saving their friends, the quartet heads into the Technodrome to defeat Krang and then the Shredder himself.
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8	The arcade version of this game was a milestone in the genre. Up to four players could play, and the Turtles varied a little from each other in terms of attack range and speed. Donatello possesses excellent range with his bo staff but hits the slowest. Michelangelo and Raphael hit the fastest, but their weapons — the nunchaku and sais respectively — provide limited range. Team leader Leonardo hits with average speed and range using his katanas.
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10	Many later games in and outside of the ''Ninja Turtles'' series, to say the least, have tried to emulate this one's style. Konami themselves would adapt and refine the game style for several later beat-'em-ups (''VideoGame/TheSimpsons'', ''VideoGame/XMen1992'', ''[[ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars Bucky O'Hare]]'', ''VideoGame/SunsetRiders'', ''VideoGame/ViolentStorm'', etc.) and years later would even attempt this for [[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the games]] based on [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]] with varying degrees of quality. Creator/{{Ubisoft}} applied the beat-'em-up formula to [[VideoGame/{{TMNT}} the Game Boy Advance game]] based on [[WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}} the 2007 animated film]]. A stand-alone 2013 game, ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows Out of the Shadows]]'' (no relation to [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows the 2014 movie]]), attempted to put a 3D spin on it. Raw Thrills did an arcade game of their own for [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 the 2012 series]] in a beat-'em-up fashion. Creator/PlatinumGames gleaned a bit from the arcade for inspiration and mixed it up with their signature character action fare for their own ''Ninja Turtle'' game, ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMutantsInManhattan Mutants in Manhattan]]''. Dotemu (''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage 4'', ''VideoGame/{{Windjammers}} 2'') and Creator/TributeGames took their own crack at a classic-style 1987 cartoon-based beat-'em-up in ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge Shredder's Revenge]]''.
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12	There were several ports of this game. The Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem version featured downgraded graphics and audio, and allowed only up to two players (obviously since the NES's hardware wasn't exactly arcade quality) and less different type of enemies onscreen simultaneously, but it did add two new stages and swapped the second fight vs. Rocksteady and Bebop with a fight against Baxter Stockman in his fly form, making it the best port one could find of the game until the arcade version was re-released in 2007 for Platform/XboxLiveArcade. The computer ports varied greatly in quality, from passable to underwhelming. A direct port of the original arcade game can also be unlocked in ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus]]'', but with altered music and the ability to put infinite credits into the game for unlimited lives.
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14	In 1991, the game would receive a sequel, ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'' (which for the SNES port, listed it as the fourth game in the series, after ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheManhattanProject'').
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16	In 2018 it got a [[https://arcade1up.com/products/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles?_pos=1&_sid=105702510&_ss=r home arcade release]] which came also bundled with ''Turtles In Time'' by Arcade 1Up, and in March 2022, both the arcade and NES games were announced to be a part of ''[[CompilationRerelease Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection]]'', which would be released for all platforms later that year. All the original music is present in this version, save for a new recording of the classic theme song.
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18	!! This game provides examples of:
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20	* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: One stage is such, but considering the source material...
21	* AdaptationalBadass:
22	** One of ''the'' most badass versions of Shredder in the franchise. While the cartoons generally depicted him as something of a joke and not really all that dangerous, (especially compared to later adaptations) the final battle against Shredder in the arcade game can verge on outright ThatOneBoss.
23	** Bebop and Rocksteady, while still early bosses, are far more competent than their cartoon counterparts.
24	* AdaptationExpansion: To compensate for the downgraded graphics and the lack of 4-Player support, the NES version adds two new stages (Snowy Central Park and the House of Shogun) and replaces the Bebop and Rocksteady DualBoss battle with a fight against Baxter's fly form.
25	* AdaptationalSkimpiness: In the arcade version, the female skateboarder in Scene 2 wore pants that reached the inside of her shoes. In the NES version, she instead wore a pair of shorts.
26	* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Averted, surprisingly. See the USA box art on the top page? That same cover was used for the EU and JP version of the game.
27	* {{Animorphism}}: In the NES version, ''immediately'' after you defeat Baxter in his human form, he reappears in a short scene as his fly form.
28	* AprilFoolsDay: Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly's first infamous joke involved playing this game as [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Simon Belmont]].
29	* AscendedExtra: Mousers, which initially only made a single appearance in the original comics and the cartoon, are enemies in a few levels. Same can be said of the Roadkill Rodneys, who only appeared in a single episode but were latched onto by game developers for their unique design, with both appearing as enemies in games all the way up through ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge Shredder's Revenge]]''.
30	* AsideGlance: On the NES version, each of the Turtles have this in their standing poses.
31	* BadassInDistress: As if having to save April wasn't enough, [[OldMaster Splinter]] is taken hostage too in one stage. (And given how Granitor appears when you find him, he was probably kidnapped to lure the Turtles into an ambush.)
32	* BattleAmongstTheFlames: The first boss battle against Rocksteady.
33	* BigNo: The same exact one is uttered by some of the bosses when they're defeated, such as Rocksteady and Bebop.
34	* BossOnlyLevel: The final stage is sort of like this, except you fight ''two'' bosses, one after another. First Krang, then Shredder, who's the FinalBoss.
35	* CanonForeigner: The beastly Tora and the robotic Shogun were two intergalactic bounty hunters added to the NES version.
36	* CherryTapping: The safest way to defeat most any enemy in the game, be it lowly Foot Soldier or boss, is to jump kick him, then jump away before he can recover from the hit. The jump kick does little damage, but its high mobility generally trumps the more powerful standard attacks which nearly guarantee taking damage in return.
37	** It is by far the safest tactic for bosses as most will quickly counterattack you if you hit them with the other attacks, and trying to stand toe to toe with most of them this way just results in you trading hits, and you ''will'' die in short order if you do this in a solo game. The very nature of utilizing the jump kicks allows you to avoid the vast majority of this. With good timing, you can even chain jump kicks into each other by jumping away from the enemies upon landing and using the jump kick on them again just as their hit-stun ends. [[GameBreaker Practice this enough, and you can defeat most of the enemies in the entire game with little to no damage taken just by spamming this attack]].
38	* ClassicCheatCode: In the NES version, there's button-pressing codes you can enter on the title screen for nine lives, stage select, or both. Oddly for the time period, ''none'' of them are the KonamiCode.
39	* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Leonardo (Player 1) is blue, Michelangelo (Player 2) is yellow, Donatello (Player 3) is purple, and Raphael (Player 4) is red.
40	* ConvectionSchmonvection: That burning building doesn't seem to actually be doing any ''harm'' to anyone. In fact, you can walk until you're chest deep in the flames with no ill effects.
41	* DamselInDistress: April. In Stage 1, she is in danger of being grilled to perfection. After beating the stage boss — Rocksteady — Shredder swoops out of nowhere and kidnaps April.
42	* DetachmentCombat: Shogun, the boss of the stage House of Shogun, which is unique to the NES version, has the ability to cause his head to detach and fly around the arena as you fight him. Upon defeat, Shogun explodes until only pair of robot legs remain, revealing he was some variety of robot.
43	* DifficultyByRegion: The Japanese Famicom version is actually easier than the US and EU counterparts. Due to pinball scoring, and easier methods of gaining lives. In the Japanese version too, enemies and bosses have less health and don't take as many hits compared to the other versions.in addition, the special move is much easier to pull off, as you can press jump while holding down the attack button, and the jump kick inflicts the same damage as the special move.
44	* DualBoss: Rocksteady and Bebop in the arcade version. Occasionally they both charge forward, only to miss and headbutt each other instead.
45	* ElevatorActionSequence: The Technodrome has a descending inclined elevator where giant marbles roll past trying to squash you.
46	* TheEndOrIsIt: The epilogue, which gushes about how the Technodrome has been destroyed, notes that Shredder may have survived. The NES version goes one step further, showing the Shredder laughing after the credits to indicate he'll be back.
47	* ExplodingBarrels: Some explosive barrels are found in some of the levels. After being damaged, they have a delay before exploding.
48	* FlunkyBoss:
49	** Baxter, the third Boss, attacks while throwing Mousers at you, but if you deplete his LifeMeter, they all blow up; however, if he throws them all, he leaves, and you have to destroy them all to win the fight.
50	** Shredder, the FinalBoss, can make duplicates of himself that do much less damage than he does (but can still hurt you).
51	* GameLobby: The Platform/XboxLiveArcade version works this way, requiring players to get together in a group if they wish to play together. While four-player play was part of the original game's appeal, this system makes it nearly impossible to get a four-player match going.
52	* GracefulLandingClumsyLanding: The first stage takes place in April's apartment while it's on fire. The turtles leap to it from a taller building, landing gracefully and ready for action, with the exception of Michelangelo, who slips and falls flat on his butt upon landing.
53	* HeroicFireRescue: The first stage is April O'Neil's apartment set ablaze, where your mission is to save April.
54	* KonamiCode: Uses a variant with the A and B buttons reversed. Allows you to choose which stage to start from, along with granting nine lives instead of the default three.
55	* LoadBearingBoss: Defeating Shredder at the end of the game caused the Technodrome to explode for... whatever reason. Naturally it's fine in subsequent games.
56	* MarketBasedTitle: The arcade game itself was simply titled ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. When it was ported to the NES, it was retitled ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game'' to distinguish it from the earlier unrelated NES game while at the same time making it clear to players that it was based on the arcade game.
57	** The Famicom version had no such issue, since the Famicom version of the first NES game actually had a [[CompletelyDifferentTitle different title in Japanese]].
58	The original Japanese arcade edition was ''T.M.N.T: Super Kame Ninja''.
59	** For French-speaking countries, the game was known as ''Tortues Ninja 2: Le Coin-Op!''
60	** For Europe, it was known as ''Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles II: The Arcade Game'' due to censors at the time of having "Ninja" in it.
61	* MadeOfExplodium: The Foot Soldiers explode when you kill them, and a few bosses (the two giant Rock Soldiers and Krang, plus Shogun in the NES version) go out in very ''dramatic'' explosions.
62	* OneHitKill: Shredder possesses an Anti-Mutagen Beam that can revert your Turtle back into a regular turtle if hit, resulting in an instant life loss. Possibly the cutest OneHitKill ever.
63	* PaletteSwap: Much like the Turtles themselves, the Foot Soldiers are color-coded to indicate their weapons of choice. Bosses on critical health will [[FlashOfPain flash red or yellow]] via "Konami seizure time", except Baxter Stockman who will rather flash red ''only'' when he gets hit.
64	* PinballScoring: Only in the Famicom version of the game. The others allot you exactly one point per defeated enemy.
65	* PowerUpFood: Pizza, naturally, used to replenish the LifeMeter.
66	* ProductPlacement: The NES version featured some instances of the Pizza Hut logo in-game, as well as Pizza Hut coupons in the manual. ''The Cowabunga Collection'' does away with this, however.
67	* RecurringBoss: Rocksteady and Bebop are both fought twice in the arcade version, first individually, then as a team. Baxter appears as two separate boss battles in the NES version, first as a human, then in his mutated fly form.
68	* ReReleaseSoundtrack: The version of the arcade game that can be unlocked in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus'' replaces every single song in the game, which led to it only having one song for every level, and one song for every boss. To a lesser extent, the initial [=Arcade1Up=] home cabinets and ''The Cowabunga Collection'' replace the original theme song with a CoverVersion of the same song, likely because it was less costly to make a cover than to pay for the use of the original.
69	* RewardingVandalism: Striking the skateboarding girl in the second stage yields a point for some bizarre reason.
70	* RoboticReveal: When the NES-exclusive boss Shogun is defeated, he explodes, which leaves a robotic endoskeleton lower body as his remains.
71	* SecondaryAdaptation: A 1989 single-to-four player BeatEmUp game based on ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'', which is based on ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage''. As its name implies, it was initially released as an arcade cabinet, but was also distributed on the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem console.
72	* SequentialBoss: The game ends with you fighting General Traag, Krang, and Shredder, all in a row -- though the latter two fights are fought in a final boss room that is actually considered a new stage on the NES version.
73	* SmoochOfVictory: April gives one to the Turtle with the highest score when she is rescued.
74	* SpringIsLate: In the NES version, Stage 4 is a snowy park. Upon defeating the boss, Tora, the turtles destroy a WeatherControlMachine and the setting immediately turns to spring, with the turtles announcing that "Spring is here."
75	* StealthPun: In the bonus dojo stage in the NES version, an illustration of a tiger painted on the paper wall comes to life and attacks the players. It's a literal paper tiger!
76	* TitleTheAdaptation: In the NES version, it was given both a sequel number (to the earlier game for the system) and ''The Arcade Game'' subtitle.
77	* TrashTalk:
78	-->'''Bebop''': You're dead, shellbrain!
79	-->'''Turtle''': [[DeadpanSnarker They ain't getting any prettier.]]
80	-->'''Bebop''': Watch your mouth, slime ball!
81	* TurnsRed: Possibly the TropeCodifier, for the genre at least.
82	** The helicopter enemies had a variation in [[color:green:turning green]], upon getting hit.
83	* UniqueEnemy: The NES version has three unique enemies in a single stage. Shogun's stage had Robot Gorilla Ninjas, Robot Scorpions, and Robot Tigers that come to life out of door paintings. There are also snowman-disguised robots in Stage 4.
84	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You have the option to attack the young woman who skateboards past in Stage 2, who will then scream and cower as she rides away, which yields a point for whatever reason. There's no penalty for doing this; it's just a little something extra to do if the player feels like being a jerk.
85	* WatchForRollingObjects: In the first stage, there is a section where rolling metal balls roll down from the stairs.
86	* XRaySparks: The Turtles suffer this effect when zapped by Roadkill Rodneys and laser cannons.

Context VideoGame / TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame