Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) (1989)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) is a 1989 action video game made by Konami Digital Entertainment.
Based directly on the 1987 animated series, Konami's 1989 NES game puts all four Turtles at your disposal as you move through Manhattan trying to rescue April O'Neil and stop the Shredder's Foot Clan. Each turtle handles differently, and you can switch between them freely, cycling through your roster as health runs low. The game ranges from side-scrolling combat to an infamous underwater bomb-defusal sequence, and its punishing difficulty made it a rite of passage for an entire generation of players who grew up with the cartoon.
Quick answers
What is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) about?
Based directly on the 1987 animated series, Konami's 1989 NES game puts all four Turtles at your disposal as you move through Manhattan trying to rescue April O'Neil and stop the Shredder's Foot Clan. Each turtle handles differently, and you can switch between them freely, cycling through your roster as health runs low. The game ranges from side-scrolling combat to an infamous underwater bomb-defusal sequence, and its punishing difficulty made it a rite of passage for an entire generation of players who grew up with the cartoon.
When was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) released?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) was released on 12 May 1989.
Who made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) was made by Konami Digital Entertainment.
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A few thoughts on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)
The cartoon that inspired the game is the natural companion here. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series leans into the franchise's action roots with a harder edge, while Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) captures the same balance of comedy and genuine threat the original show built.
Unlikely heroes who took up the fight for ordinary people
Konami's Turtles never asked to save Manhattan, just to protect April and each other from the Foot Clan. These seven follow reluctant heroes doing the same work in other forms: two later Turtles cartoons and the IDW comics carrying the fight forward, My Hero Academia's students learning the job, Astro Boy watching over Tokyo, Kenshin laying down his sword for peace, and the Elric brothers making amends through service.
Crews where everyone's different skill decides the fight
Switching between four Turtles only works because each one fights differently, Raphael's temper is not Donatello's patience. These four run on the same principle: One Piece's crew each carrying one irreplaceable skill, Assassination Classroom's students each holding one piece of the plan, Ranma 1/2's rival stylists each fighting their own way, and Attack on Titan's squads surviving only when everyone holds their position.
Masked and powered kids who band together to save their city
Four teenagers and a rat sensei is a strange team to save a city, but the NES game bets everything on it working. These five make the same bet: Ladybug and Cat Noir protecting Paris, Kamen Rider's hero facing a new threat every week, the Avatar's young team saving their world one nation at a time, Stranger Things' kids against something worse, and Supergirl stepping into the family business.