Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

About

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) is a straightforward beat 'em up that leans into the chaotic energy of the animated series. Play as Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael, each with their own set of stages in the story mode. The single-player or co-op campaign follows a simplified take on early season one episodes, mixing platform brawling with occasional puzzle-solving. A versus mode lets two players fight as any of the main turtles or supporting baddies like Shredder and Casey Jones. The Challenge mode adds replay value by requiring players to clear specific story scenarios to unlock new characters and stages. The game stands out for its no-frills action and inclusion of characters outside the main cast, like Splinter and Baxter Stockman. While the story sticks closely to the source material, one level deviates entirely from the show, offering a brief detour into original territory. Online scores and leaderboards are absent, but local couch co-op and head-to-head fights keep it lively for small groups. Despite its age, the direct combat and tight controls feel surprisingly modern for a beat 'em up from 2003.

Storyline

The main gameplay loosely adapts the following season one episodes: "Things Change", "A Better Mouse Trap", "Attack of the Mouser"s, "Meet Casey Jones", "Nano", "Darkness on the Edge of Town", "The Way of Invisibility", "Notes From the Underground" (Parts 1-3), and "Return to New York" (Parts 1-3), as well as a level that is not derived from the animated series at all. Shortly after a group of mouser robots destroy the turtles' old home, they begin to look for a new home. Michelangelo eventually gets on Raphael's nerves, making Raphael leave to the surface. At the surface, he is confronted by Purple Dragon thugs, Casey Jones, and Dragonface. Baxter Stockman soon uses invisible foot tech ninjas to capture Raphael, and Donatello is forced to rescue him. Afterward, while Raphael and Michelangelo spar for fun, Donatello analyzes a strange crystal he found in their home, noting that they look like mutated brain cells. Raphael kicks Michelangelo into a wall, revealing a large tunnel behind it. Donatello's crystal start glowing and the turtles decide to investigate. They follow the tunnel and they are confronted by genetically mutated humans. After a few scuffles with these mutants, the turtles find that these mutants were turned into their current state by past experiments of Shredder's scientists. The crystals Donatello found are the only thing keeping these mutants alive, and cannot leave their underground home as a result. They plead the turtles to defeat Shredder, so that no more humans will suffer as they have. The turtles decide to defeat Shredder once and for all, and promise the mutants that they will come back for them if they ever find a way to reverse their condition.