Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

About Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

Konami dropped this fourth entry in their Ninja Turtles series in July 1992 after a long wait since the third game on the NES. It started as an arcade cabinet before arriving on the Super Nintendo and Super Famicom later that year. The setup is simple enough for anyone to grasp. A news broadcast gets interrupted when Krang steals the Statue of Liberty while Shredder laughs at the heroes on television. The Turtles chase the Foot Clan through New York streets, sewers, and eventually a time warp that sends them to different eras in both the past and future. You fight your way back home to stop Shredder from destroying everything.

Gameplay

This is a classic side-scrolling beat 'em up where you control one of the four turtles or jump in as a second player for co-op action. The core loop involves running forward, punching, kicking, and throwing enemies who swarm from all directions. Each turtle has a slightly different special move that changes how you handle groups. You can pick up weapons like nunchucks or sai to deal extra damage. Levels flow quickly with set-piece fights against larger bosses in the Technodrome. The controls feel responsive enough to chain combos together without frustration. Sessions last anywhere from ten minutes for a quick round to an hour if you are trying to clear every stage without dying.

What Players Think

The PlayPile data shows a divided crowd since the IGDB rating sits at 62.6 out of 100 based on 163 ratings. Many players feel the game has aged better than its peers, though some criticize the difficulty spikes in later stages. Average playtime hovers around six hours for a standard run, but completion rates drop significantly when players face the harder time-travel levels. Community moods lean toward nostalgia rather than pure enjoyment of modern mechanics. Review snippets often mention how great it felt to play with friends on the SNES despite the lack of new ideas compared to previous entries. The multiplayer mode remains the most praised feature according to recent threads.

PlayPile's Take

This title is worth playing if you want a solid arcade experience that holds up after thirty years. It costs very little on modern retro platforms and offers forty achievements to chase for completionists. The co-op mode makes it a strong candidate for couch play with a friend or family member. You will not find deep mechanics here, but the flow of combat remains satisfying from start to finish. Skip this if you need complex RPG elements or long story campaigns. Grab it on SNES or an emulator and enjoy a classic beat 'em up that still delivers solid fun in short bursts.

Storyline

The introductory cut scene of the game details the game's plot. It begins with the Turtles watching a TV newscast on a Sunday evening, with April O'Neil reporting from Liberty Island. Suddenly, Krang flies in using a giant exosuit (seen occasionally in the animated series) and steals the Statue of Liberty, moments before Shredder hijacks the airwaves to laugh at the Turtles. The Turtles jump into action in downtown New York and pursue the Foot to the streets and the city sewers (then to the Technodrome in the SNES version), where Shredder sends them through a time warp. The Turtles must fight Shredder's army in both the past and the future in order to get home. They face Shredder until he falls to his death and the Statue of Liberty is returned to its place.