TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: TURTLES IN TIME
Original Release: Konami, 1991, Arcade
Other Releases: SNES (1992), PS2/Gamecube/Xbox/DS (in TMNT 3: Mutant Nightmare, 2005), Xbox 360/PS3 (2009), PC/Switch/PS4/PS5/Xbox (in Cowabunga Collection, 2022)
Oddly not designated as a sequel to the megahit original arcade game (possibly because of concurrent development of the NES series), Turtles in Time was an OK follow-up but remembered more for its "slam and throw through the screen" move and soundtrack than its gameplay
TMNT: Turtles in Time (Arcade, Konami, 1991)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
Consensus out there seems to be that this is the favorite of the two Turtles arcade games, but I really feel like it's kind of a lazy cranked-out sequel. It's more of a cheap quarter-sucker, and has much less polish, particularly the boss battles.
The Turtles roam through three levels in the Big Apple that are reminiscent of the original game, before Shredder just randomly becomes the Kwisatz Haderach or something and gains the ability to mind-warp the boys through time.
In terms of background detail, the game looks a bit better than the prequel ... also has another spiffy Kukeiha Club soundtrack. Other than that, though, it isn't really an improvement. The bosses are particularly laughable; their sprites tend to look awful, the fights are sometimes accompanied by equally bad "special effects" (like the super crummy lightning and rain during the Tokka and Razar fight), and they rely on cheap patterns and automatic counter-hits to suck those kiddie quarters down.
Aside from the bosses being quarter-sucking chokepoints, the game in general is tougher but feels a lot more cheap. The main issue is that the jump+attack swing has been nerfed considerably; this thing was key to both crowd control and hitting bosses without opening yourself up to counters in the original game. Here it's rarely useful. The Turtles have expanded regular attack abilities like hucking an enemy out through the screen, but the problem is that nearly all require you to focus on an enemy in front of you. All the enemies down to the most common foot soldiers are much more aggro in this one and quick to surround you, and you swiftly die a death of a thousand cuts as they sneak hits in up your shell.
TMNT II is a rare case of the console port (in this case, TMNT IV for SNES) being better than the arcade original. It really feels like Konami put more effort into the SNES version, like maybe they rushed the arcade game to market and properly finished it in the port. The SNES version has an extra boss at the end of the third level and an extra fourth level in the Technodrome to establish that Shredder didn't just get random inexplicable wizard powers, Krang and company just built a time machine there.
This one does offer four-player capability though, the SNES port was limited to two ... also the goofball "Pizza Power" song on the title screen.
If you ever get the chance I recommend checking out the new TMNT game Shredders Revenge. I played through the story mode with some friends and we had a blast the whole way through. It's also from the same devs as the Scott Pilgrim beat em up, which I haven't actually played myself but have heard a lot of good things about.
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