Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

Released for the NES in 1990, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game brought Konami’s popular 1989 arcade beat ’em up to Nintendo’s 8-bit console. The game is based on the classic 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series and puts you in control of Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael as the Turtles set out to rescue April O’Neil and Splinter from Shredder and his army.

The gameplay is straightforward but incredibly satisfying. You move through side-scrolling stages, fighting waves of Foot Soldiers with punches, kicks, jumps, and each Turtle’s weapon. Leonardo uses his swords, Donatello has his long-reaching bo staff, Michelangelo fights with nunchaku, and Raphael uses his twin sai. Picking the right Turtle can make a difference because their weapons give each character a slightly different feel.

The NES version is more than a simple arcade conversion. Konami added two stages specifically for the home version, including a snowy Central Park section featuring Tora and a dojo stage with the robotic Shogun. Several original arcade stages were also expanded, while the parking garage introduces a different encounter with Baxter Stockman in his mutated fly form.

Two-player co-op makes the experience even better. Fighting alongside another player creates the kind of chaotic, cooperative fun that made the arcade original so popular. With familiar villains such as Bebop, Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, Krang, General Traag, and Shredder, the game feels like stepping into an episode of the cartoon.

For NES beat ’em up fans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II remains one of Konami’s most enjoyable action games.