What an absolute blast. It's not often that I can sit through an older title and get the same level of enjoyment out of it as I would a modern title (my attention span and patience usually doesn't allow me).

I feel like the SNES generation really excels in side scrolling beat em ups, previously Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was at the top of my list, but I think this game now takes the cake.

The detail that's packed into this game is what really got me. The movement on the Z axis (although still 2D) gives a nice 3D illusion and another way of avoiding enemy attacks. You can throw enemies about and even throw them towards the camera for a cool visual effect, if you walk for long enough it turns into a sprint and there's a unique attack animation if you press the attack or jump button.

I think what really caught my attention though is the way that your character reacts to enemy hits and environmental hazards. The animations are really nice; stumbling backwards, falling over, turning into a pancake when getting trampled, hovering in mid air momentarily when a plank smacks you in the face - it all looks great. Some of the enemies can grab you too which can turn into you becoming a turtle-punching-bag as the other enemies beat the crap out of you.

Speaking of enemies, there's a large variety with a nice mix of ranged and melee attacks. Each level ends with a boss, sometimes you're fighting two at once which is a nice challenge.

The levels are all unique as the "turtles in time" time travelling theme really comes into its own. I loved the lighting in the prehistoric level as you transition from the cave to the desert.

There's some mini game type levels too which involve a kind of surfing style vehicle - those are really fun!

Turtles in Time brought me back to a simpler time whilst reminding me that detail can be packed into every pixel. This article also details the many details in the game, and the changes made from the original arcade release. It's a good read!

Cowabunga!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4; turtles in time, for SNES

Rating: 8.0/10; Great

This game is a 2D sidescrolling beat em up, though the camera is isometric giving a surface that can be traversed both horizontally and vertically. The gameplay is well done, with each playable turtle having different stats, attacks and playstyle. I did not like how attacks are performed in a combo series, where the attack changed based on how many successful hits you scored (for example, Leo’s downward sword jump for every 4th hit). I would much prefer to play a game where each attack is mapped to a different button, so you can choose the best one for a given situation. I did not like how there are hidden moves not shown in the controls screen. This was particularly annoying during the boss where you have to throw enemies at him because it took many tries before I figured out how to do a throw.

Most of the enemies and bosses were well done. I especially liked the fight vs Beebop and Rocksteady, because you can make them accidentally hit each other, which has specific animations and tactical benefits. The story is well above average (for this type of game), and even includes a small amount of voice acting; a nice touch that is totally unnecessary.

This is a game that is well worth playing through, especially if you can do it multiplayer.

Gameplay, Story and Value:

As a kid I'd take every chance I got to hit up the arcades, which in the 90's were still quite popular, but already slowly phasing out. Given my low stock of parent-supplied quarters, I'd have to choose my games carefully. Fighters always got priority, especially Capcom's, but it was impossible for me to resist the allure of crowded beat 'em ups for very long. Simpsons, X-men, and of course Ninja Turtles.

I loved this game, back in the arcades, so it's a relief to see that the SNES port holds up really well! Controls are smooth and responsive, and everything flows together really nicely. Hit detection can be a little odd at times, which is often the case for these types of games, but for the most part it's not an issue.

As expected, the game supports both single player and 2-player co-op. Some multitap support for four players would have been awesome, but I can't really dock it for that. Also included is a fun little versus mode, which makes for a great way to relieve some frustrations after meeting your untimely end in the story mode.

The game spans a handful of levels, after a few of which you'll find yourself being flung through time. Each stage has a fun and unique setting, often having you do things like ride surfboards through a sewer, launch enemies into the screen or ride hoverboards down a mode-7 highway, and each ends in a boss fight. The bosses are actually what I'd call the low point of this game for me, as there's really not much in the way of variety when it comes to fighting them. Every boss is essentially "Hit them until your attacks stop stunning them, then jump away."

Eventually you'll burn through your continues either beating the game, or losing in the attempt. When that happens you'll wish for a save system, passwords or stage select but there's nothing of the sort. Admittedly this is to be expected of the genre, but it still would have been nice.

Presentation, Music and Sound:

Visually the game looks absolutely fantastic with its large, colorful sprites and detailed animation. Environments are all just as lively and fun to look at and the only knock I could possibly give the visuals is the (expected) lack of enemy variety. I mean there's only so many colors you can make a foot soldier... A really nice feature is the ability to swap between the game's anime (cartoon) or comic color pallets! The anime pallet is the one I played with, with its bright, high-contrast colors like from the 80's cartoon. The darker, more muted tones of the comic pallet are just as cool though, so it'll really come down to preference.

The music is all great and familiar to fans of the series, and while the sound effects are all satisfying its the multitude of voice samples that really shines here. Hearing the occasional quips from the turtles, along with the announcement of the upcoming level's name, is a lot of fun.

Afterthoughts:

I still don't like beat 'em ups. No game I've played so far, this one included, has managed to really change my mind in that regard. That said, if I had to choose one game from the genre to put on my shelf, it would probably be this one... assuming it could take out River City Ransom for the spot.

I always had fun with this game in the arcades, and my wife and I had a ton of fun playing through it on the couch, it's just a really fun game ESPECIALLY if you grew up with the franchise like I did.

Review:

Gameplay: