Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1992
Completed: 08 March 2015
There are few things more evocative of the 90s than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Though they debuted in the late 80s, the Heroes in a Half-Shell became a cultural phenomenon. Whether you were a fan of the darker comic books, which parodied many popular superhero comics, or the kid-friendly TV show, the Turtles appealed to just about everyone 15 and under thanks to the action, humor, and charming 90's 'tude.
When a property explodes, it's only natural it will find its way into the arcades. With its four heroes, TMNT seemed a no-brainer for an arcade co-operative beat 'em up. I still remember the huge crowds who would gather around the giant four-player cabinet, just waiting for their turn to play, and standing next to complete strangers with a load of quarters weighing down my pockets as we took on Shredder's Foot Clan soldiers. The amazing music, digitized voices, and simple but addictive gameplay made TMNT a smash hit.
By the time its sequel came out, arcades were already starting to give way to the home console market. Though it would be several years before they almost completely fizzled out, my local arcades got in less and less new games. Often, you'd have better luck seeing new titles in a movie theater lobby than your local pizza parlor. As a result, I have never (to this day) seen a Turtles in Time cabinet with my own eyes, but thanks to the flat-out incredible SNES port, I was still able to experience one of the greatest beat 'em ups ever.
Turtles in Time improves upon the original game in a number of very subtle ways. Though each turtle still plays very similarly, their strengths and weaknesses are a bit more pronounced. New moves have been added to help get you out of tight situations and increase the level of strategy while playing. Throwing enemy foot soliders, which now results in them flying towards the screen thanks to the SNES' Mode 7 graphics, is much easier to accomplish, which makes the game feel less cheap when surrounded by enemies.
It's still a beat 'em up, of course, but each little enhancement works wonders for the overall gameplay. The new dash attack can not only damage enemies, but it helps get you out of harm's way. A new power-up will also turn your turtle into a spinning tornado for a few seconds, allowing you to wipe the screen clear of enemies. Health recovery pizzas are placed in much more logical areas as well, usually near the halfway point and ends of the stages. Since this is a home game, no dependent on quarters, the SNES version also gives each turtle a longer life bar, and you can choose the number of lives you start with in the options menu.
The graphics in Turtles IV are absolutely top-notch, and still look fantastic today. The colors are extremely vivid and mimic the look of the cartoon perfectly. The scaling effects do get pixelated, but it's always satisfying to see a foot soldier flying towards you. Each level ends with one of the many instantly recognizable Turtles villains, including Baxter Stockman (in fly form), Slash, Rat King, Tokka and Rahzar (from the abominable second live action film), and Bebop and Rocksteady, who are exclusive to the SNES port and were not found in the arcade game. Naturally, Krang and The Shredder himself serve as the game's final bosses, and they all, without exception, look fantastic.
Sound and music fares just as well. Though it lacks the voice of the late James Avery as Shredder, which the first game had, voices are fairly clear. Sound effects are a little muffled, but still very decent. The music, however, is stupendous. It's mostly variants on the TMNT theme song, but each level's tune is upbeat and catchy as all hell. It really gets you in the mood to kick some shell...which is a phrase I never really understood, since that means they'd be beating up other turtles, but whatever.
I just can't say enough good things about this game. Turtles in Time was a SNES exclusive, and although the Genesis got its own exclusive game loosely based on it, this is arguably a better-than-arcade-perfect port. It'll cost collectors close to original retail price, if not more, just for a loose cart these days, but if you're a fan of beat 'em ups, it's well worth it. The only negative thing I can really say about it is that it lacks the four-player support of the arcade game, limiting you to only one buddy (sorry, other friends, you miss out).
Even as a single player experience, TMNT: Turtles in Time is a superb game. It's challenging without being unfair, looks and sounds fantastic, the control is spot-on and responsive, and infinitely replayable just because it's so much damn fun. This game is totally radical, dudes. Turtle power for life.
P.S. - Cowabunga.
Turtles in Time was completed on a real SNES with no cheat codes.