I am a big fan of Konami's old side scrolling beat-em-ups back from the 90's. They made classic arcades such as The Simpsons, X-Men (which had 6-Player on screen mayham), Sunset Riders and many more (I was shocked to find out that they even made a beat-em-up on Cowboys of Moo Mesa AND Bucky O'Hare! o.O). But Konami would really make their mark with one of their first beat-em-ups, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the very first beat-em-up to feature simultaneous 4-Player action. Me and my brothers fell in love with this game, pumping quarters insanely into it. Heck, if others were playing, it didn't matter if you joined them. The more, the merrier. A sequel would later come out in the arcades and become a launch title for the SNES when it debuted. I remember the local mall in our area had a preview of it on display as a part of a promotion for the soon to be launch SNES. My brothers and I were in awe to see this near perfect arcade translation. It would later become a part of our gaming library. Just like the cartoon, the license of the game would fizzle away. Time would go by and those who were fans of the series (or comic) would only remember it. Then suddenly, especially during this year, a surge of pop-culture from the 80's and 90's would emerge again. Corporate America would try to recapture those who yearn for nostalgia (as I am victim of) and capture a new audience of today's youths. A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon would be made and more toys almost identical to the originals would appear on the market. One thing that would grab my attention the most was the press release of Konami obtaining the license again to produce TMNT games. Me and my brother were excited about it, hoping to see ports of the old arcades hitting the console world again. That did not happen, but Konami took the same route as before and produced a new beat-em-up based on the current TMNT cartoon.

I just received the game a couple of days ago from GameFly and played it with my bro. We are both very pleased with this new one, based in a 3D environment but still holding true to the beat-em-up style. The game features cel-shaded graphics with a very comic feel to the landscapes. Konami did an excellent job on reproducing the style of the cartoon. Speaking of which, the game's plot is completely based off the first season of the new cartoon as each stage progresses through parts of different episodes. At certain points, you are presented with cut scenes from the cartoon but that doesn't mean Konami was cheap. There are also in-game cut scenes as well with new dialogue for the characters. The game does feature 2-Player support but will only focus on Player 1 for the game's Bonus Stages. There are also hidden characters and features in which Player 1 can unlock and be saved for future game play. This is a good thing to add to the game as it will give it replay value, but unfortunately, I have a feeling that it will follow the same story line no matter who you play as. Overall, it's a good 2-Player game that only Konami can bring us. If you want to play a good beat-em-up, then I would recommend this.

For those of you who like the emulation scene, then look for the follow arcade titles: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time. It is recommended that you use MAME to play these games.

For those who prefer the Super Nintendo, then look for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time. It might be a rare find in the used game scene, but if you can nab it, then do so. For those of you who prefer emulation, then I would recommend ZSNES to play it.

The Genesis also has a title based on the same beat-em-up style called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist which follows an original storyline. A plus for the Genesis and also a rare find. I wouldn't know what a good Genesis emulator would be since I haven't used one in ages, so I recommend you check out the list Zophar Domain has.

There are also one for the NES called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game based on the original arcade and a few for the Game Boy. I would recommend the first one for the Game Boy, Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan. Check out Zophar's Domain for emulators on these games, too.

I believed I yakked enough about this license. So, go out, if you have time, and check them out. Great buddy games.

0 mints on my pillow.