Two for the price of one!
Two for the price of one! Every time I hear that I think, “So what’s wrong with
it that keeps it from being one for the price of one?” In most cases it’s just
an old product that a company is trying to move and that’s exactly what Konami
is up to with their recent Game Boy Advance Double Packs. The Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtle double pack is a single GBA cartridge that contains both TMNT and
TMNT2: Battle Nexus. Both games have already been released separately but to
save you some time I’ll review them together for you.
The two games are based on
the new TMNT cartoon series, but they draw their inspiration from the old NES
and arcade Turtle games. Both games are side scrolling brawlers with a few mini
games tossed in to spice things up. After choosing a Turtle, you’ll navigate
through each level avoiding traps and obstacles all while kicking Foot Clan, um,
Foot Tech ninja butt. The enemies are varied in appearance and abilities as are
the Turtles, but each fight really just comes down to how quickly you can mash
the buttons.
The controls in both games
are nearly identical. The A button jumps, B attacks, and the R button is a
macro button that emulates pressing A and B together. The R button is useful to
execute each Turtles special attack, but the attacks uses a little bit of your
Turtle’s health so use it sparingly. Various combos can be performed by holding
B or pressing a direction while hitting B. It’s a fairly simple system to
learn, but it’s easy enough to take out enemies with just the basic attacks.
In certain stages you’ll
be treated to a minigame instead of the same old side scroller. Oddly enough,
the first game has a few more than the second. In TMNT each Turtle has a themed
mini game. Leonardo drives the Sewer Slider, the Turtle van, through the
sewers, obviously, while Michelangelo uses his Muta-Board to traverse the
tunnels. Raphael gets a motorcycle level and Donatello flies a hang glider.
In TMNT2 the boys only have the Muta-Board, a spaceship and an air car.
These are generic with any Turtle getting the opportunity to pilot. The
minigames are fun in small doses and add a nice bit of variety to each game.
TMNT2 has a few extra
options that the first game lacks. First is a race mode that pits your chosen
Turtle in a Muta-Board race with his bros. Winning a race unlocks the next
course. I actually had more fun with this mode than the actual game at times.
It also includes a Battle Mode which is a race against time to collect crystals
while avoided or vanquishing the roaming enemies. This mode was actually quite
dull, because it’s just fighting the same enemies in small arenas instead of the
larger story mode levels. It gets monotonous fast.
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Review Scoring Details for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Double Pack |
Gameplay: 7.0
If
you’ve played a TMNT game in the past then you’ll be able to drop right into the
GBA versions. Level design is mediocre at best, with TMNT2 having slightly
better levels than TMNT. TMNT is straight up brawling with some platforming,
but TMNT2 changes a bit and adds stealth gameplay. This makes TMNT2 a bit
tougher because the controls are twitchy and your Turtle may not duck inside the
nook you were trying to get him into in time to avoid a guard. Overall it’s
good fun to be smashing bad guys with the Turtles again, but it’s heartbreaking
to have to choose only one Turtle per level.
Graphics: 6.0
I’ve
seen far worse GBA games, and I’ve seen far better. Both games fall right into
that “just alright” category. The sprites are all drawn well, but the
animations seem to be short on frames. Attacks and movement all look a tad
choppy. Level artwork ranges from bland and uninspired to not quite so bland.
I know the Turtles live in the sewers, but it’s just to dank and gloomy for my
tastes.
Sound: 7.0
Sound
ranges from very good to abysmal. The intro tune and the phrase “Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles” are sampled at a high quality, but I know I’m playing TMNT, you
don’t have to tell me after every level. Music is another story. The ambient
music that plays during each level is usually ear drum shattering noise. Most
of the time it’s real mellow and creates no sense of urgency or action. The
Turtles like to rock out when they fight not listen to elevator music.
Difficulty: Easy to
Medium
The
games difficulty is adjustable but even on the highest setting it should not be
too hard for a dedicated fan to finish. Level design is straight forward and
won’t leave you guessing as to how to progress. The minigames are also quite
easy once you get the hang of the controls.
Concept: 6.5
Take the best aspects of
past Turtle games, mix in the character revamps and storylines from the new
television show, and make it all portable. That’s the TMNT Double Pack in a
nutshell. Side scrolling, brawler action with interspersed minigames makes for
a halfway decent game, but it would have been nice to see a new concept for the
new Turtles instead of relying on the tried and trued.
Overall: 6.5
If you
don’t have either Turtle title and you’d like to bust up some ninjas with flair,
than the TMNT Double Pack is the way to go. If you already own one or the
other, you’re probably better off checking the bargain bin for the title you’re
missing. For a GBA title the TMNT games are good on the go arcade fair. Kids
that are into the new TMNT show will enjoy it and for older fans it’s a fun game
to pop in when you just want to relax and relive the glory days. You know, when
you wore a pink shirt, yellow shorts, mismatched Converse and said “Cowabunga,
Dude!” while waving your imaginary nunchaku.
