PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 6 of 6

...and with this, we complete our adventure. 

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Stage 6

Map (by StarFighters76)

Believe it or not, the inside of the Technodrome isn't really that big. It shouldn't take you too long to find Shredder at all.

The jetpack guys aren't that hard at all. Just don't stand anywhere near them. When you see them in the narrow part of the yellow section, duck down so their lasers fly over your head, and attack any other enemy that comes your way. 

If Leonardo is at his last quarter of his health, his sword does double damage. I take advantage of this on purpose in order to heal Donatello on the way to Shredder.

The turrets stay destroyed even after you off-screen them.

In the blue section, I make my way down a little bit, then head left when I am able. Past the wall turret is a ladder leading down to full health.

Shredder is amazingly easy. Fight him off and make your way to the uppermost platform. If Shredder is at the bottom when you do this, you're golden. Hit him when he jumps towards you. Every time you hit him, you knock him back. He'll keep jumping towards you, but since you keep hitting him, he won't be able to do anything. 

Another thing you can do is hit Shredder from below with Don, then use any other turtle who has the scroll weapon equipped. Use the scroll weapon against Shredder and keep hitting him with it. He'll go down easily.

Shredder's only attack is his gun, which instantly kills your turtle if the projectile connects. Since he's strangely easy, the attack is never seen.

Congrats. You just completed one of the hardest NES games in existence.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 5 of 6

Well, I sure lucked out.

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Stage 5

Map (by StarFighters76)

Avoid the search lights of the planes in the overworld. If they spot you, you'll have to deal with some Foot Clan ninjas.

The crab-like robots that crawl on the walls are the worst. The boomerang sub-weapon as well as Donatello's bo will destroy them in one hit instead of two, which is a welcome sigh of relief because these things can be unmeasurably irritating.

The jellyfish split into four bubbles if you get too close to them, but (interestingly enough) you can hit the bubbles and actually destroy them.

The porcupines are really annoying, since they face away from you to attack and shoot needles at you when they do. After attacking twice, they'll run away.

Here's a problem that the Angry Video Game Nerd doesn't mention: you can only stand on the ladders on the walls when you climb all the way up on them. 

The underground parts are even worse, since you have cannons shooting at you from the ceiling and craning themselves up and down at the same time. You also have aliens that curl into balls and roll around like pillbugs on crack if they're not shooting sperm out of their mouths (I'm serious, that's actually what it looks like).

Anyway, the doors at the bottom of the underground areas are the possible places where you'll find the boss. You'll know that the boss isn't there if you enter the door and end up at a dead end room with absolutely nothing in it. Unfortunately, the building that houses the Technodrome is random each time you play. There is a chance that the empty room may contain a turtle that you may have lost.

When you finally meet up with the Technodrome, here's what you do: take out the Foot Clan ninjas as you wait for the electricity at the front of the Technodrome to stop sparking out, then head to the tank tread at the side and take out the turrets. Now that those are out of the way, attack the eye at the top of the Technodrome when it opens. You did it! Just one more stage to go!

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 4 of 6

...and the game gets harder again. This one took a few tries before I could finally get through it without losing a turtle.

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Stage 4

Map (by StarFighters76)

Enter the building and prepare to take on the maze.

The fastest path is 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17, 18. You can also substitute 5 and 7 with 3 and 6 respectively, then take 8, and head to 9 from there.

If you need to save one of your friends, enter 13, then get your friend and head back from where you came in. You can also exit 13 through the other side, go backwards into 12 and fully refill health for all your turtles. 

The first building you enter has a full health refill right off the bat. You'll also find some tightropes not long afterwards, and you'll need to use them very soon after. Just walk to the post where the rope is used and your Turtle will automatically tether up.

The robots that shoot lasers only attack when you do. 

Section 2 is really easy, just watch out for the lasers.

If you see any purple planes on the map, keep your distance. Those things are Shredder's bombers, and they can nuke you off of the map if you're not careful. It's best to stay away from them.

For Section 3, take short hops to get across the conveyor belts. At least the conveyor belts tell you off the bat where they're going to push you.

Section 4 introduces a new enemy: a humanoid that splits into two. (This assumes you haven't seen it earlier in Stage 3 like I did.) When you hit its smaller counterparts again, you'll get them to split even further. Those miniature clones take multiple hits before they die, which can make them frustratingly annoying.

Section 5 introduces the magnets. When you're in the air, they'll instantly attract your Turtle, which carries the risk of pulling you into the spikes while you're fine-tuning your jump placement. Thankfully, touching the spikes does not cause instant death, but it's still something you should avoid.

The road to the end is really nasty. You'll be dropping down for a few screens, and while they all have the same pattern as the first room, the second one introduces spiked walls of instant death, so you'll have to be fast on the way down. The third room is just like the second, but it has a full pizza that you definitely won't be able to get at all. Thanks, game.

The fire pits are instant death, so you'll want to avoid those. This is especially true near the end of 15, where enemies can push you into the fire pit if you're not careful.

The room at the end is the boss - a giant Mouser. Wait for it to blink its eyes twice before jumping to avoid the laser. After that, it will open its mouth and expose hit its "tongue." Once the mouth opens, you can easily strike the weak point with Donatello. There is a glitch where you can pause and then unpause when the mouth is open so that you can always hit the weak point no matter what, but you can easily beat this boss without it.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 3 of 6

Thankfully, the third stage is mercifully easier than the second.

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Stage 3

Map (by StarFighters76)

The Turtle Van has two weapons: the normal gun with infinite ammo that fires straight in front of the van (fired with the A button) and the super missiles that do more damage but come in finite amounts and have to be found (fired with the B button). Walk into it to enter it; press Select to get out. Fun fact: if you see any of the Foot Clan's bulldozer vehicles and you leave the van, the enemy vehicles de-spawn. (thanks newfiebangaa)

The super missiles missiles can also destroy the barricades that block your path. From this point on, I'll actually be referring to the map, so you might want to have it open in a separate tab in case you actually want to know what I'm even talking about.

It should be noted that the Turtle Van's energy matches that of your current turtle. Yeah, that's right. It doesn't come with its own, separate energy bar. That's pretty lame.

First, enter the building immediately to the left of the starting point that you can enter (referred to as 1A on the map). As you make your way to the top, you can find a half pizza as well as a whole pizza that you can use to refresh your Turtles, and at the end you'll find Missiles. Walk over the pit to get over it and grab the Missiles. (Angry Video Game Nerd, anyone?)

Aside from the fleamen (who really do look like tiny astronauts) and the Foot Clan balloons that drop missiles when they're directly above, you also have robots that look like knights. These robots send their heads flying around the screen when you destroy them. Thankfully, the heads take only one hit to kill.

If you need more missiles, just exit and re-enter the building. Not only will the missiles be back, but so will the health power-ups. Bonus!

Now that you have some missiles, get back in the van and go to 4A and 4B from there. Stand near the center of the barricades in order to take out both halves in one shot with the missiles. Enter 4A, and pick up the icon at the upper-left corner that looks like some guy walking on a tightrope. This is the Rope, and you'll need it for later in the stage. Now enter 4B. If you have a Turtle down, this is where you'll be able to rescue him. Congrats, you've successfully regrouped. Now make your way to 6A.

If you need to refill health for any reason before heading to that area, or if you don't have a turtle to save, head to 3A. You're not only going to find health there, but you'll also find the Ninja Scroll as well as some tightropes. If you fall into the water in the sewer area, you'll end up on the other side of that area, but it'll just make it easier to get to the full heal pizza at the end.

When you're in the 6A area, don't fall into the water, because the Turtles can't swim. (Another first world problem brought to you by the Angry Video Game Nerd.) If you hit the drink, you'll have to start this whole area over. (Why they can't swim here when there was already a swimming level in the game before this is just inexplicable.) Let the robots with the detachable heads fall in the water, so you won't have to deal with them. Also, take short hops. That means "Don't do the somersault." 

From here, enter 7A. Make your way to the top, and you'll deal with the Mecha Turtle. (If you fall into the water before the end, you'll end up back at the 6A door, which means you'll have to do more backtracking just to get back to the end.) The first form just acts exactly like Leonardo, meaning that he acts exactly like you do. The second one is a robot Turtle with a jetpack and rockets that fire out of its mouth. If you're close to dying, switch to another Turtle. The first form isn't too hard, but avoid the rocket attacks of the second form. If you have the Ninja Scroll projectiles, use them. You'll take out both forms very quickly. When you save Splinter, you'll see Shredder's helicopter fly away.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 2 of 6

This is where a lot of people have trouble with the game...a lot.

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Stage 2

Map

Well, there's nothing else here to do on the overworld map at this point except to enter the building in front of you...so why not?

As your make your way up to the roof of the building, you'll be fighting mini-bosses each time you reach a ladder. Thankfully, they're enemies you've beaten before. You'll need to be right at the edge to make the final jump to the door leading to the top of the dam itself.

When you're at the top, move to the right and move off the broken end of the building. This is the Hudson River bomb level, and it's pretty nasty.

First things first: if your current Turtle is in danger of dying, switch to another character immediately. If the timer (two minutes and 20 seconds) goes to zero, it's an instant game over. However, if you die, the timer resets but the bombs don't! Epic win!

You have 2 minutes and 20 seconds to defuse eight bombs. Thankfully, there's a map for this that really helps out. When you get near a bomb, press B repeatedly to defuse it. Special music will play if you have only 20 seconds left.

With the rotating spikes, stay near the center to make it easier to not get hit. 

Wait for the electric barriers to stop running before moving past them, as they can do a lot of damage.

The currents can really drag you down at times, and sometimes they won't work due to a glitch in the programming. Sometimes they'll drag you down into the coral below, which act as spikes or electric barriers and cause damage as a result. As for the very stringy looking things at the bottom of some areas, don't get near it; you'll be dragged in and you'll immediately lose a turtle if you get close enough.

When you defuse all eight bombs, don't even worry about getting back to the beginning. You'll automatically return to the Turtles' home only to find the place trashed. Shredder will show up on the screen wearing a red wifebeater instead of his usual purple gear and has the ability to point his hand through the TV screen. You'll find out that Splinter has been kidnapped, and that the Stage 3 map is freakin' huge compared to the first two.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 1 of 6

Here's another game that I never thought I would beat until I tried it for the Internet. Long live the YouTube channel!

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The game is known as Gekikame Ninja Den in Japan, and Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe.

Stage 1

Map

The game starts in an overworld map. If you pause, you can select between the four Ninja Turtles, which have a different weapon (that of course, works differently). You'll have four turtles: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello. Each Turtle has a different weapon (katana, nunchaku, sai and bo staff, respectively), each with a different range. They all have their own individual health bars, and you can switch between them on the pause screen in case you're in trouble.

From what I understand, the first level is supposed to be Fifth Avenue and Greenwich Village.

The map shows red and white squares. The red squares are all the places you can access, while the white squares are an entrance to an area. The flashing dot signifies where you are. You'll be able to get hints from Splinter and/or April O'Neil (when you rescue her) in the message box below.

You'll start near a manhole. Go into it. Moving south past this area leads to a purple tank that will instantly try to kill you if you run into it, so don't do that.

You'll take on what look like Mousers and Foot Clan Ninjas. As you progress, some of them will have mini-boss status. Take them down to empty their life bars and continue on with the game. 

Whenever you finish off a mini-boss, move left past the center of the screen and continue. That way, you'll be able to see what's ahead and deal with it more easily.

You'll find a pizza at the end. The more slices there are on the icon, the more health you'll refill. One slice refills two squares on the life bar, and you'll see anywhere from one to four slices on a pizza icon.

From here, enter the manhole to the right of where you've come out. Go to the right and you'll face Bebop. Stay away from him and hit him from medium range. If you're using Donatello and his Bo, this is a lot easier. If you touch Rocksteady, you also take damage (I found this out by screwing around, don't ask).

When you beat Bebop, Rocksteady runs off with April through the nearby door. Enter it, and you'll come out across from where you entered. If you need health, go into the nearby house and beat up all the bats and stone guys. The stone guys can only be damaged if they're moving. You'll find a slice of pizza midway, followed by a whole pie at the end, and if one of your Turtles somehow need energy at this point, switch to that Turtle, get the Pizza, then switch back. That way, that whole pizza pie won't be wasted. Also, the chainsaw guy (should he show up) is totally violent for a NES game from 1987. Just saying.

Leave the house the same way you came in, then go to the manholes northwest of that house. Watch out for the steamrollers, as they're instant death if you touch them. There are also Foot Clan ninjas you can attack with the B button, just like in the side scrolling sections, should they get near you.

Before entering the one that blocks your path, enter the one south of it. You might find some throwing stars, which you can select with the Select button if you want to go back to your default weapon. There are several projectile weapons that you can find in the game, and if you don't want to grab a projectile weapon without losing the one you have, you can switch to another turtle and have that turtle pick it up. Weapons include throwing stars (a single shot and a three-way shot variety), boomerangs that can be thrown and grabbed again, and scrolls that can shoot an energy wave, among others. You'll find these weapons at random, so look sharp and be ready to press Select to switch back to your melee weapon as well as manage who carries what, as that can be pretty important.

In the manhole that I don't enter, the Turtle logo is invincibility. With this, your current Ninja Turtle spins around and hits everything that he touches for a few seconds. This will take down the frog mini-boss at the end without taking damage. Since this is a dead end, go back and climb up the ladder at the start.

Now you can go into the manhole that blocks your path. There's a pizza at the beginning in case somebody needs some health rations. Continue to the left, take care of the frog mini-boss, then climb up the ladder at the end and you'll come across this isolated blue building.

There are three sets of enemies in a stage, and if you don't like the one that's in the current area, you can leave where you came in from and immediately re-enter to spawn a different set. Nice.

You'll face Rocksteady at the building at the end, and if you jump up to the top of the boxes at the right-hand side and keep striking downwards, you'll be able to beat him without taking damage. This works especially well if you're using Donatello, as it's pretty hard to miss while doing this with him. Just wait for him to jump (horribly) and then hit him. Whenever Rocksteady jumps near the boxes, his hitbox extends a little bit, and you can hit him more easily. You just saved April O'Neil! Congrats!

Controls

Control Pad: Move (Up enters doors)

A button: Jump (side-scrolling only)

B button: Attack (use Up and Down to strike upward and downward, respectively)

Start: Pause (lets you see the map and switch Turtles)

Select: Switch weapons (side-scrolling), leave the Turtle Van (overworld)

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 7 of 7

Here it is: the battle with Shredder! We finally meet the mastermind of this whole thing and take him on!

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Shredder

Regardless of which Ninja Turtle you pick, there is only one level and it will always be the same no matter who you pick.

Before the level, Splinter finally tells the Ninja Turtles - as well as April O'Neil and Casey Jones - about Oroku Saki, also known as Shredder. He also mentions that Hun was the one who set fire to Casey's father's home and store and that Baxter Stockman was ordered to make the Mousers by Oroku Saki.

He also talks about how Oroku Saki defeated and killed his master Yoshi - mentioning that he is only mentioning this now so to not have tainted their training with the poison of hatred - and tells them that it time for them to learn first-hand who Oroku Saki is.

The Ninja Turtles agree to take down Oroku Saki/Shredder once and for all. Donatello and April O'Neil crack the security, and the Ninja Turtles manage to break into the building. The Foot Clan prepare for battle, and Oroku Saki commands that the Ninja Turtles be crushed.

The first section has you fighting enemies and taking teleporters from one level to the next. To enter a teleporter, press Up in front of one. As you go, you'll also have to avoid lasers and ceiling turrets. The turrets can easily be destroyed if you're playing as Donatello and using your super jump followed by your jump attack.

Use charge attacks and dash attacks to take care of the guys with the blades. They'll keep teleporting, but you'll keep hitting them.

At the elevator, watch the floor, so you don't get by the laser cannons. When you stop hearing the laser fire, you can move past it. When you see the laser under you before it fires, that is when you move. The lasers wil have patterns, but they can be figured out.

To beat Hun, double jump over him, get behind him, and hit him while he is looking around. He does have an uppercut as well as a charge attack, but if you keep jumping around him, you won't see him attacking very much. He also has a grenade toss attack where he tosses grenades around him, but he doesn't do it unless he's near death.

After beating Hun, you'll face Shredder. There are two energy refills at the side of the room. You'll want to criss-cross him with dash attacks while he is in the center of the room, and you'll want to make it so that he doesn't get hit by his projectiles. He will eventually float in the air and fire projectiles when he flashes.

After you take down a third of his energy, he'll change his strategy. He'll try to hit you with his sword in addition to his projectiles, but every so often, he will split into four rainbow-creatures. If you can crowd them all together and smack them around, you can make dealing with them easier.

On the last third of his energy bar he will create bubbles that will move fast and home in on you. You'll want to stay on the move so the bubbles don't hit you, and while you can strike the bubbles out of existence in mid-air, it does leave you vulnerable.

Once you manage to beat Shredder, you'll see the ending. Splinter shows up and beats Oroku Saki to a pulp, knocking him off the top floor of his own hideout. After that, everyone heads home. You've won!

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 6 of 7

Now that we've gotten the first part of Michelangelo's story arc done, let's do the rest of it!

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Michelangelo - Act 2

You'll be riding down the pipe Mode 7-style. Left and Right move you around. B lets you ride upside down for a few seconds, while A lets you jump over things like pipes.

You don't have to collect all 100 crystal shards, but it is a nice challenge.

There is a point where you have to follow the crystal shards around the pipes. Shortly after this part, be ready to press B so you can grab the crystal on the ceiling. There is another crystal near the end that you'll also have to pick up the same way.

At the end of this act, the Ninja Turtles come across a series of caves. Michelangelo tries his best to keep his wits about him.

Michelangelo - Act 3

You'll have to carefully jump from one narrow platform to another. Watch out for the fireballs that jump in and out of the lava, which can do quite a bit of damage if you land in it.

Every once in a while, you'll have to fight those creatures. Watch out for their projectiles as well as their close range attacks. If they rear their arms back, be ready to back away. Also, use your charge attack. That's one mistake I made throughout the entire video.

The brown creatures will spit their projectiles upwards, but they still have the same melee attack.

In the second section, you'll have to watch out for the plumes of lava that drop down. It is always going to be left side, then right side, then both. There is a crystal to the left of the first moving platform. You'll have to use these platforms to get to the top.

The third section is more of the same as the first section, but some fireballs will leap to the side rather than straight up. As long as you stay still on the smaller platforms, you won't get hit.

The dark red monsters spit their projectiles directly at you, but their spit attack has limited ranges. Your charge attack works best against these guys, but you can also keep jumping over them to get some melee damage in..

At the end of the section, the Ninja Turtles will come across a strange laboratory, and begin to think that the lab may have something to do with the creation of the creatures they have seen. They soon meet a Foot Clan geneticist who is responsible for the creation of these creatures, and it's time for a boss battle.

Michelangelo - Act 4

In this boss battle, you'll have to defeat eight monsters one at a timeto get through the act. These are the same three creatures that you've seen in the previous act, so the same strategies that you used over After every two monsters, you'll fight two Foot Clan ninjas with bows and arrows.

There is some health at the top of the room, but you'll have to jump on top of a creature in order to get there.

Afterwards, the Foot Clan geneticist flees. Donatello hypothesizes that the Foot Clan could not control the monsters and quarantined them underground, with Foot Clan ninjas guarding the secret in case the monsters had a chance to escape.

By beating all four story arcs, you'll get one last battle where you can face Shredder as the turtle of your choice.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 5 of 7

Now that we've played as three turtles, we only have one left. You'll be spending a good amount of time in Act 1.

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Michelangelo - Act 1

The story starts with something tripping a perimeter alarm in one of the old, abandoned subway tunnels. The culprit? Some sort of monster. Splinter proposes that the Ninja Turtles investigate the tunnels to see what is going on. When they do, they are surrounded by Foot Clan ninjas.

Michelangelo does not have a ducking attack. He can, however, perform a double jump. By charging the attack bar up, you can throw one of his nunchaku, and if you hold before you do that, you can throw it upwards at an angle.

By holding Up and pressing B repeatedly, you can perform a combo that knocks enemies into the air.

Michelangelo does a nifty backflip before running in the other direction if you switch directions while dashing.

The first part takes place on an abandoned subway car. You can fight on ground level, but shortly after the start, you can fight on top of the cars.

One of the crystals is hidden behind one of the columns in the foreground; the one to double jump behind is the first one you see when you see the subway cars.

The second section also has an upper level and a lower level to fight on. Here, you'll find out that Michelangelo can stick to walls if you jump into one. Keep jumping while sticking to the wall, and you'll be able to perform multiple wall jumps, which is something you'll need to do to get through the second section. If you stay on a wall for a few seconds, however, Michelangelo will slide off.

In the third section, there are pits. There are electronic force fields at the bottom of them that can zap you for a good amount of damage, One of them will have a crystal at the bottom, however, so you'll want to investigate all of them. Be sure to watch out for the bow and arrow ninjas and the guys with the guns along the way.

At the end of the act, the Ninja Turtles find a hole in a back wall. Donatello and Michelangelo find some weird tracks, and realize that the hole was made by something that probably isn't human. Michelangelo fears the worst, and Donatello notes that something made the hole in the wall by dissolving part of the wall somehow. There are also shards of crystals littered about. Donatello proposes riding the Shell Board into the hole, which Michelangelo takes Donatello up on.

CGR Undertow reviews Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for GBA

I forgot this review existed until I looked for one! It's CGR Undertow's review of the game!

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 4 of 7

With two story arcs down, we've got two more to go. This time, Raphael goes missing thanks to the Foot Clan, and Donatello has to go out and look for him.

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Donatello - Act 1

Stockman, now with one of his eyes removed, has created the Foot Tech Ninjas to get rid of the Ninja Turtles once and for all with their cybernetically enhanced abilities and cloaking devices. Oroku Saki asks Dr. Stockman to deliver the Ninja Turtles to him, and warns Stockman not to fail him again.

Raphael is quickly taken out by the Foot Tech Ninjas and is captured. Meanwhile, Donatello is investigating large-scale blackouts occurring throughout the city, and word is going around that the Foot Tech Ninjas may be involved. Suddenly, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael are met by the Purple Dragons.

Donatello has his own talents. You can do a low second hit by holding Down on the second hit of a standing combo. He cannot double jump, but if you hold Up and press A, you can do a high jump. Up + B does a multi-stab attack instead of a rising uppercut-style attack. Also, if you press A or B while running, you can do a diving attack, which makes it so that you can't do a running jump. It does help you get over some gaps and avoid the spiked balls in the pit below at the start of the act. As a matter of fact, you'll be using it to get over quite a few pits in Donatello's story arc.

You can climb up and down pipes with Up and Down. When you see the up arrow at the drainpipe, go down instead with Down. You'll find a Crystal. Now you can climb up with Up.

After getting out of the sewers, you're on the streets fighting more Purple Dragons.

After the Crazy Manny sign, go down and get on top of the crates to the right, then hold Up and press A to get a crystal.

Once you beat all the enemies, the Ninja Turtles will find out that Raphael dropped his sai, and Leonardo starts believing that Raphael was kidnapped. Donatello mentions a tracking device he planted in Raphael's shell, and finds out that Raphael is being held in Stocktronics' laboratory.

Meanwhile, at Stocktronics' laboratory, Hun interrogates Raphael, who gives him a lot of sass.

Donatello - Act 2

The goal is the door at the center where you start, but you'll have to explore the two doors at the left and right ends. You'll have to jump on platforms, avoid spike pits and lasers, and press Up at the computer terminals to open the locks on the center doors while fighting Foot Clan ninjas. Thankfully, the spikes can also kill enemies.

Once you get through the center door, you'll have to fight more Foot Clan ninjas as well as soldiers. You'll then have to climb up a pipe while avoiding lasers. Make sure the lasers do not hit your shell, or else you're going all the way back down. There will be a box at the top. Use your dashing attack to it, then keep using jump attacks to hit the box and get a crystal. After that, you can drop down and fight your way to the door at the end.

After this act, Donatello will rescue Raphael and give him his sai back, then escapes via a hang glider. Meanwhile, Stockman chews out Hun, who says that he let Raphael escape so he could lead them to the others. Stockman takes advantage of the situation.

Donatello - Act 3

A lets you barrel roll, while B lets you shoot laser. You can hold the button to charge the laser up for a multi-shot blast.  Shoot down the lasers while avoiding the spiked balls. Thankfully, you can move the spiked balls with regular lasers if you need to. Thankfully, you can fly between some. Also, some spiked balls will move up and down.

Eventually, the stage will speed up. Be ready to fly between spiked balls.

During this act, there is are two sets of eight missiles that you will have to shoot down all at once. One is early in the stage, while the other one is near the end. Both of these salvos have their own individual crystals for when you shoot all eight in the set down.

After the act, Leonardo and Michelangelo find out that the Foot Tech Ninjas are following Raphael and Donatello in order to find the Ninja Turtles. Leonardo calls Donatello, who tells him that he left a sensor system in his room and asks Leonardo to assemble it. Donatello and Raphael plot a way to lure the Foot Tech Ninjas towards the sensors so they can see them and force them back.

Donatello - Act 4

To beat the Foot Tech Ninjas, go around the room and press UP at the consoles to set up the heat sensors. With most of the screen save for the center turned red, you'll be able to see the Foot Tech Ninjas, and you'll be able to damage them. Thankfully, the Foot Tech Ninjas do a good job of following you around, and you can still see them somewhat even with the heat sensor off; you just won't be able to hit them until you get the heat sensors up.

Thankfully, these guys share a health meter, and once you get that health meter to zero, both of them go down. Hit them at the same time if you can.

After the battle, the Ninja Turtles celebrate, while Stockman has his own Foot Tech Ninjas used against him.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 3 of 7

Now that Leonardo's story arc is done, it's time to play with the rest of the turtles, starting with Raphael. As you're about to see, each turtle plays differently.

First | Previous | Next | End

Raphael - Act 1

Michelangelo and Raphael are sparring when Michelangelo gets Raphael wound up to the point that he loses his temper and has to cool off after hitting Michelangelo. Meanwhile, the news reports on a vigilante attacking the Purple Dragon Gang, and we get to hear from the vigilante himself.

As Raphael steps out to cool down, two gangsters of the Purple Dragon Gang attack a woman to try to steal her purse. This starts Act 1, where all the enemies are the Purple Dragon gangsters that you've met in Act 1 of Leonardo's story.

Raphael plays a little differently from Leonardo. His charge kick is a lightning kick. He can perform a combo while crouching, but he can also climb walls if you hold towards a wall while jumping. From there, Up and Down climbs, while pressing the D-Pad away from the wall lets you jump backwards off the wall.

The sides of the cyan building hides two crystals that you can pick up. Just latch onto both sides of the building with Raphael's sai and climb all the way up to get both of them.

There are crates you can destroy, with some of them hiding health, but watch out, as some of them can hide dynamite that can blow up on you.

The second section of this area has you jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Thankfully, there are no bottomless pits. When you reach the red metal platforms, climb all the way up the wall to the far right to get a third crystal. Also, keep in mind that you can grab the underside of these platforms and walk on them, which is pretty cool and can help you get past enemies.

After you beat all the enemies in the second section, you'll meet the vigilante, Casey. Casey will soon meet Raphael, and the two of them come to blows over what they consider justice. This starts a fight.

Raphael - Act 2

Hit Casey with full standing combos and charge attacks. If you knock Casey down, get away from him so he doesn't hit you on the way back up. When you get Casey down to half health, he'll drop the hockey stick and throw bats at you. Thankfully, there's energy at the roof.

After the boss battle, Casey gets a cheap shot on Raphael and challenges him to a fight at Central Park Friday night.

That night, the Ninja Turtles look for Casey. When they catch Casey on his motorbike, Raphael gives chase on the Shell Cycle, something that Donatello has ready for a chase situation.

Raphael - Act 3

Up and Down moves, A accelerates, and B jumps. Make sure to pick up fuel cans to ensure you make it to the end. Dirt slows you down. Chevrons speed you up. Ramps let you jump. Be sure not to run into tires, barrels and spike barricades. Cones are okay.

At the beginning, stay up top for a crystal hidden in a cone. Stay in the middle of the first big ramp and jump over the ramp to hit the cone for another crystal. After this, stay at the bottom, hit the chevrons and jump over the spike barricades.

It may take a few tries to get this short course memorized, but once you do, you can easily get past Casey while getting both crystals at the same time. You'll have to beat Casey to Central Park in order to beat the act.

After the race, Raphael gets to know Casey a little better. Casey talks about how his father's business was destroyed by the Purple Dragons when he refused to pay them protection money. After they have a good laugh, they are soon met by Dragon Face. This starts the final act of Raphael's storyline.

Raphael - Act 4

This time, you'll be fighting regular enemies with Casey. Let Casey do some of the work, as you'll need the help. Eventually, Dragon Face will show up once you take them all out. He'll follow Raphael, and he has a spinning punch and the ability to call for some minions. Use your crouching kick combo to get through him and the minions, and let Casey do some of the work just like earlier.

After the fight, everyone celebrates, then Casey and Raphael have another laugh before accidentally hitting each other so hard that they both lose their tempers.

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 2 of 7

In this entry, we complete Leonardo's story arc, then go for the crystals that we missed.

First | Next | End

Leonardo: Act 3

You'll face Foot Clan ninjas at the beginning, as well as Foot Clan soldiers. The Foot Clan ninjas will sometimes use swords. The Foot Clan soldiers will have melee weapons such as explosive cylinders and energy swords, but they can also carry laser guns that can be used to attack you from a distance. You will never see Foot Clan ninjas and Stocktronics guards intermingle with one another at any enemy-ridden stopovers.

After taking a path through the ducts that involves facing Mousers, you'll face more human enemies. At the beginning of the third section, double jump tot he top. You'll have to seemingly forsake a health pick-up, but if you make it to the end of the upper section, you can find a crystal. From here, go left as soon as you drop down and you can refill some health.

Once you beat all the enemies at the last stop-over, press Up at the red-and-yellow Stocktronics door to end the act. The Ninja Turtles will finally meet Dr. Stockman, and you'll face your first boss.

Leonardo: Act 4

Perform jumping slashes while avoiding the boss' attacks. If the boss has one arm up and one arm down, it will perform a double windmill punch. If both arms are up, it will crush anything in front of it. If it ducks down, it will either punch what it is in front of it or fire a set of four homing missiles that you can destroy.

When the boss is low on health, it will leap around. Now would be a good time to take the health refill in the top center of the room. Once the boss goes down, the heroes celebrate while Baxter Stockman has to answer to Oroku Saki, who has Hun deal with him while he meditates on the existence of the Ninja Turtles.

Leonardo: Act 1 Crystals

For the first crystal, go left after the first section. From here, head right. Take out the enemies here, then enter the doorway at the end. Double jump your way to the top and take the left opening. Take out the enemies and missiles in the crawlspace. The crystal will be to the right. Don't forget that you have to play through the entire level to get credit for the crystal; pausing and exiting the level will undo all your work.

For the second and third crystals, go right after the first section. From here, you can go left for one crystal, and to get this one, you'll have to continue left as you take on human enemies, Mousers and missiles. You'll get the left path crystal on the way out of the crawlspace. The other crystal will be on the right path of the second fork, and if you take that path, there will be a third fork. Go right on the third fork, then go through the crawlspace and destroy Mousers and missiles. When you reach the drop-down point with the health refill, approach the edge, but don't go down. Enemies will show up from the left. Destroy them all to get the final crystal. (The game tricks you with this one.)

PrinceWatercress plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GBA) - Part 1 of 7

I haven't played any Ninja Turtles games in a while, so I might as well play one now. This time, we're going to the 2003 series, which had some longevity in its own right.

Next | End

When you start a new game, you'll be able to pick one of four Ninja Turtles and play their story arc. I'll start with Leonardo.

Leonardo: Act 1

The story starts in the Turtles' new hideout, with the old one broken to bits by some sort of robotic creatures. Suddenly, a local television report shows Baxter Stockman (who is African-American in this version of the series) introducing the Mousers, which are made to tackle the city's mouse problem and are controlled by a central computer. April O'Neil works for Stocktronics, and she explains everything about the Mousers. The Ninja Turtles recognize the Mousers as the creatures that destroyed their old home.

Meanwhile, at Stocktronics, April O'Neil tries to find out why Baxter Stockman has so many Mousers. Stockman shows up and says that he is making all the Mousers to achieve wealth and power, and decides to have April disposed of for knowing too much. April flees.

Meanwhile, at the sewers, the Mousers attack the Ninja Turtles' new home. From here, you have control of Leonardo.

The Control Pad lets you move around and duck, A lets you jump and double jump, and B attacks. There is an A+B attack that attacks everything around you at the cost of some health, and if you hold B, you can charge your attack. There is a weak charge attack and a strong charge attack, and it depends on how quickly you hold and then release B. If you fill it all the way up, however, you'll get tired and stunned just long enough to be attacked. You also have another special attack with Up+B.

You'll also have a health bar in the upper-left corner. If that empties, you'll game over and you'll have to continue in the section where you died.

The Mousers are easy enough, as are the human enemies. As long as they don't stand near you for about two seconds, you don't have to worry about being attacked very much. While the big fat guys go down as easily as the rest of the human enemies, they have a charge attack that will immediately knock you down. It should also be mentioned that you'll never see enemy types mixed; you will never fight humans and Mousers at the same time.

The green capsule restores some health.

There are multiple paths through this act, and you'll have to go through all of them to get all three crystals here. When you get a crystal, however, you'll have to clear the stage to get credit for it; you can't just pause and exit the act. With this in mind, you'll have to clear this particular act at least three times.

In the crawlspaces, strike at the missiles when they are close enough to you. Don't go to the missiles; let the missiles come to you. Also, there are Mousers with some red on them that can shoot lasers; get them before they get you. Otherwise, let the Mousers come to you.

There will be guys with dynamite near the end; they take more hits than the rest and the dynamite they throw hurts. Sadly, you can't use it against other enemies, though you can knock it away if it's still in mid-air.

The last section will always be the one where you find April. When you get to her, press Down in front of her to end the act. As you make your way to her, watch out for the Mousers with the blue trim on the sides that leap in and out of the water.

You'll then get a cutscene where April O'Neil meets the Ninja Turtles and Splinter for the first time, and also finds out about the Ninja Turtles' brief history with the Mousers. April tells them about why Baxter Stockman is really making the Mousers, and agrees to help them get past Stocktronics' state-of-the-art security system. Meanwhile, Donatello has the Sewer Slider for an underground assault.

Leonardo: Act 2

A and B shoot the lasers, while the Control Pad moves the target reticle. Pressing A and B simultaneously or pressing R lets you use one of your three smart bombs. If you alternate between A and B quickly without accidentally pressing both at the same time, you can shoot quicker without hurting your right thumb. You'll be shooting down Mousers that leap in and out of the water as you make it to the end. Your progress will be in the upper-right corner.

There is one part where eight Mousers show up at one time; if you shoot them all before they fall into the water, you'll get a crystal.

At the end is a door. You'll have to shoot it down while taking care of Mousers in the meantime. 

After the act, Stockman will be confident in his security system as well as the destructive powers of his Mouser army. Suddenly, Hun shows up to report for Master Shredder to see if everything is going to plan.

Meanwhile, April O'Neil and the Ninja Turtles try to make their way into Stocktronics from underground. April mentions a computer terminal, and says that if she can make it to that terminal, the Turtles should be able to get in. Suddenly, Donatello finds a way to get in through the air vents, and from there, Act 3 begins.

TMNT Japanese Opening

NINJYA TAHTULS

The TMNT Opening - In Japanese!

This was always one of my favorite non-English openings.

The theme you want?

THE THEME YOU GET

NerdLife - The Recipe (TMNT Parody)

There is no reason for you NOT to listen to this.

Proton Jon plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 10 of 10

This is it. Let's take care of Shredder.

Stage 6

Map (by StarFighters76)

Believe it or not, the inside of the Technodrome isn't really that big. It shouldn't take you too long to find Shredder at all.

The jetpack guys aren't that hard at all. Just don't stand anywhere near them.


Shredder is amazingly easy. Fight him off and make your way to the uppermost platform. If Shredder is at the bottom when you do this, you're golden. Hit him when he jumps towards you. Every time you hit him, you knock him back. He'll keep jumping towards you, but since you keep hitting him, he won't be able to do anything. Congrats. You just completed one of the hardest NES games in existence.

Proton Jon plays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Part 9 of 10

Well, did he actually get out of there?

 

*video finally starts playing*

 

FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

 

Stage 5

(continued)

 

Map (by StarFighters76)

 

When you finally meet up with the Technodrome, here's what you do: take out the Foot Clan ninjas as you wait for the electricity at the front of the Technodrome to stop sparking out, then head to the tank tread at the side and take out the turrets. Now that those are out of the way, attack the eye at the top of the Technodrome when it opens. You did it! Just one more stage to go!