Yeah area 6 is on its own plane of difficulty. You can reasonably complete 1-4 with some practice. 5 can be tricky if you don’t find the technodrome right away. But there’s no denying the difficulty of the final stage
What pisses me off the most is that here I am at 42 and just learning that you can switch turtles during the game. That would have helped me immensely when I played this damned game as a kid.
Hahaha…oh man that admittedly made me laugh. Because it’s totally conceivable that you wouldn’t know - just adding to the insane difficulty of this game.
9:37 My head-canon is that they actually wrecked the Turtle's TV too. Shredder, realizing that he was not going to be able to broadcast himself to the TV, actually hid inside it, and the Turtles don't realize that he is actually there.
I’ve only ever seen one guy beat this game in person, on a 13 inch basement tv, while standing up and without game genie. It blew my mind and still does.
there's a trick to the last level's enemies (at least some of them) it becomes much easier. without that, i agree it's crazy nuts hard. but i love this game.
Dude that’s amazing lol I never got passed the driving the van lol it was the hardest game I’ve ever played and I had my first video game freak out playing it lol it was frustrating and annoying I loved and hated the damn thing lol still never seen the ending or the other levels to the game lol
I beat this game when I was in grade school. My friends didn’t believe I could beat this and when I did people had me play the games they couldn’t beat like contra lol
I really appreciate the satire and humor. You are representing the thoughts and opinions of all us 10 year olds sitting in front of that floor tv playing this game in 1990. LOL
Glad you enjoyed! It only felt right to say what I felt we were all thinking. And some of this is therapeutic as I won’t let these games live in my mind rent feee anymore. We must overcome!
I spent many hours of frustration as a kid playing this, but it was the kind of frustration that caused me to keep loading it up. Actually beat it as a pre-teen, and that made my year.
@@flatscan5261 you sound like a real one. I know exactly that feeling you’re describing. When you can’t let the game have the last laugh. That kind of perseverance is a dying quality nowadays. Good on you.
I'm going backwards...I watched your Jason, Hyde and Freddie video. Now, I officially subscribed. Great content. It's thorough and engaging. Plus, I grew up on NES so, all these are classic to me. Also, TMNT the Arcade game was GOAT. That and Simpsons.
@@NerdyNSturdy great to have you aboard! I love these games, hopefully that comes across in the videos. The hope was to entice folks who may have put them down for a while to maybe give them another go or even just to mentally revisit them for some closure.
Glad to see someone not complain about the swimming section. It's really not that bad. The turtle van stage was where I got stuck as a kid. I managed to finally beat this game as an adult but only by loading up on scrolls and cheesing the later levels with them.
This is totally me too. Didn’t struggle with the dam as much as the party wagon. And beyond that it gets so stinking tough. Scroll hoarding is the way most of us attempted it if we had the desire to keep going lol
I can't imagine how puffed out your chest was walking into school that next day. I hope your classmates bought you copious amounts of dunkaroos in recognition of your dominance.
@@daysgoneby81 I think subliminally that’s why I had to beat them and post them. I couldn’t let them control me any longer. Check out Battletoads if you haven’t already!
Unfortunately, I from Mordor and not able to watch TH-cam, it freezes deadly here. But, I understand what it about Ninja Turtles game. I remember this game, I spent a lot of time trying to beat this game. I been a schoolboy, it be so long ago 🙃I played on Dendy (it Nes analog from Taiwan). It 100% most difficult game about Turtles of all time, and I think it one of the most difficult games for 8 bit systems (NES, Dendy). My maximum progress which I archived - I make the way to Technodrome, but I not passed it. It very hard, but very good game. Whom think what “Turtles on Xbox360 very hard” - try this one 8-bit solid piece of old school hardcore gaming! 😊👍 Turtles 🐢 forever! RetroGaming Rules! 😎
I still remember the fateful xmas I opened a box and saw a blinding light of happiness, it was tmnt 2: the arcade game. Not only did I not know it was out but it meant freedom from this garbage game when I wanted to play something turtles related.
@@tviamontes I’m glad it’s over lol. Liked this a lot more as a kid when I was convinced it was unbeatable so playing it never came with the expectation of finishing it.
Hey man. Just gound your channel recently and subbed. Im an 80s kid who was raised on the NES. All these vides have been so much fun to watch. You're doing some awesome work. As much as I love this, its so flawed and your hate on it was hilarious.
@@HostibleSpocicle glad you found us and hope you’re enjoying! Maybe I’m too far on the side of not liking it, but it’s grounded in tmnt being a love of mine. I’m almost upset they did such a disservice with this one. Loved 2 and 3 though.
@@thehorrorcatdad I probably judge it unfairly because my expectations were quite high for it. But they didn’t do this game any favors making parts 2 and 3 some really awesome titles. This game is just….blegh
Oddly enough, this game didn't give me too much trouble as a kid; I beat it for the first time when I was around 7 or 8. Bionic Commando was the game that always gave me issues - glad you were able to beat it for me lol
I think it all comes down to our individual play styles, and some games we find easier than others. For example, I am really good at all three ninja Gaiden games and Ghosts n goblins, yet can't play a shooter like Gradius. One thing I hate is when people criticize others for not being good at a particular game they find easy. We are not the same and there is no such thing as a gamer who can be good at all of them
I actually made it to the final jetpack corridor of hell in the technodrome as a 9 year old. I always felt that, to beat that I would have to stock up on weapons of some kind, and seems like I was right. It was just so unforgiving that you had to start from the beginning each time you lost a life, so you could never practice for very long to learn how to beat it.
The scrolls were the brute force way to do it. The despawn and slow advance method saved a bit of that time collecting ammo. Just a brutal stretch though.
It was all we had for a while so I get the appeal. I think you’re describing how I felt. I really wanted it to be a good game because I loved the turtles. So I endured the torture for that reason
agreed, soundtrack is awesome here. like ninja gaidens awesome, there's some band that covers like at least 3 of the ninja gaiden songs, be neat if they did some of these here.
I beat this game a few times as a kid. I didn't have many games when I was a kid, so I played the hell out of every game I had no matter how bad it was. You protect Donatello at all cost. Not only was his weapon the strongest, but it had the longest reach. For me, Raphael had the worst weapon and was always the sacrifice.
Raphael is actually not the worst. Mikey is the worst. Raphael is fast, and his weapon has power, it just lacks the range. He's useful in a lot of areas.
technicly in the original tmnt episode where Krang got his android body splinter did turn back to his human form briefly but the formula wore out changing him back.
When I was a kid I beat this game and yes it was a pretty hard game but we didn't have a lot growing up and so we didn't know what a bad game was and I loved playing this game as a kid but yeah now looking back yeah this game is a real beast but I was still played again because it's nostalgic
@@xphiles2345 it’s one of those games that’s probably better than I make it out to be. Everyone that I knew had it and we got SO frustrated with it. It was satisfying to complete after all these years though
@retronate There was nothing more satisfying than beating shredder at the end of the game and then 1 day I accidentally found the glitch where you could stand on the edge of the platform and just keep hitting
@@talkinsmak yes! One issue had a map of Area 3 that I remember using. I couldn’t figure out area 4 for the life of me though. Couldn’t finish this til I was older
@@retronate took a long time playing. Idk how many times i made it past the damn with one turtle only to slowly get better. Really hard game. It would be obviously much easier today with the internet. Walkthrough central. Word of mouth from friends and magazines were the video game internet of my childhood
I remember getting this game for Christmas as a kid. It didn't take me too long to get past the dam section, but that last yellow corridor of death inside the Technodrome stymied me for months. You are right in that there is some really funky programming going on. But some of it can actually be exploited. For example, it is possible to give every secondary weapon the same attack power as the scrolls, as long as one turtle has at least one scroll. Here is how: Have a turtle throw their subweapon. Then, while the weapon still is in midair, and has not yet hit its target, switch to the turtle that has the scrolls. Make sure the scrolls are active, and not the turtle's primary weapon. When the projectile hits its target, it will do the same damage as a scroll. It seems like while each weapon has an assigned damage amount, whenever any collision is detected, the damage taken is from whatever weapon was active at that moment. It makes for some interesting results. You can actually nerf a scroll that way too. Anyhow, my favorite trick was to absolutely destroy the Technodrome boss using triple stars with scroll power.
@@CMRstudiosCanada I don’t think I had any idea they released a PC version of this. The more I play these games, more commenters tell me about their other consoles/versions and the differences are so interesting
that was a very good water part level 2 run. main thing stay in the middle of the areas that are pulling you into the electro seaweed and more so the vertical lines that will suck you right into them killing a guy immediately.
Things get easier if you understand some of the mechanics and when to use each turtle. Their attacks have different levels of damage and speed, and hit different zones (upper, center, ground). Don does the most damage, but is slow and only attacks a straight line directly ahead - he won't hit anything above or on the ground. Leo has moderate damage and speed and hits all 3 zones. Raph has nearly as much damage as Don, good speed, and hits at least the upper 2 zones (not sure about the ground) but has a small range. Mike has good speed but low damage and hits all 3 zones in a smaller range than Leo; no one is really the best in the game, but Mike is pretty much the worst. Leo is best to use for basic enemies, unless you're comfortable with Raph's short range. Don is best for bosses when you want raw damage. There are specific spots (especially in Stage 4) where Don is too slow and Leo doesn't do enough damage, but Raph can kill enemies while moving to get through. Mike is good for holding Scrolls because you're not using him otherwise.
@@retronate Nothing wrong with that, he does have the best damage and reach. You did use Raph where he works best, in Stage 4 where you need the combination of damage, speed, and zones. If you can get used to his short range I think he's actually the best overall, except in boss fights.
Completed the game quite a few times when I was like 8 or 9 years old back in the days. My only other option for a while outside of rental was Ghost and Goblins so... ^^
@@HamsteroidOver9000 hahahaha talk about a traumatic childhood with those two games as the only options! I’d have to say in that case….you chose….wisely.
DOS pc might be the comment that takes the cake…er…pizza. Holy cow that’s commitment. And to a game that really by objective standards is quite infuriating. I applaud your strength
the DOS version is literally impossible without a patch to fix the game. "That" jump in the sewer in level 3 is slightly different in the DOS version, a couple blocks are missing from the ledge which makes it impossible to clear the jump, making the rest of the game impossible and inaccessible.
The last Level is legit one of the hardest levels ive ever played...without the scroll weapon. I did a play through a few years ago with the original hardware and was tempted to record it and put it up just to show how to get it done, and the first time through, I got to shredder with a full turtle and he smoked me with the mutant ray. Go all the way back, this time with all turtles life beeping, and I beat dude, after that i swore Id never pick it back up lmao. Loved this game though, a rare case where people loved the part 2 more than the 1, ala double dragon I/II.
Huge TMNT fan, had to have the game when it first came out. Definitely disappointing that it was so hard when I was younger, never could get past the gauntlet that is right before Shredder. Finally beat the game as an adult, didn't think a grown man would jump up and down and punch his fist through the air over a NES game. However, all that I've gone through seeing a game over, then beating this game became one of the greatest feelings I've ever had.
the 2nd level even when we were kids was a good indicator of overall NES players. similar to how deep in battletoads one could go. many did give up or never put in the time to pass the water level here. i will say it took more time to do the water level than any later level sans last level for many people though.
@@retronate i've only seen 2 people in real life get to last level of battletoads, ever, and i was one of them. and like when i used to play air hockey (some of those times anyway) the first time i beat the 2nd to last level in b.toads it was like i jacked up my metabolism to something like a hummingbird. later found out this mimicked certain types of drug usage. for like 10 minutes after my hands shook, my senses were on a different feeling level than normal. had to pause it to hand off to my friend for him to try the boss of 2nd to last level. the boss not being crazy hard we got through it. it wasn't really scary since i knew it would calm down, not like an anxiety attack or anything. more like overloading your computer but not till it shuts down.
@@retronate it wasn't a permanent issue, similar to going nuts playing say air hockey or ping pong, whatever jacked up body state i got into went away gradually in a dozen or so minutes.
I remember playing this with my god brothers on NES....I thought boss fight with "Krang" was tuff....but when I got to "Shredder" it took me months for finally defeat him...... 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
'Managed to beat this myself a decade ago on NES (not counting any PC Emulation sessions, even long before that). At least the "Shred-Prick" was a pushover as opposed to everything else...
As a kid I made it to the dark land most times - but never to shredder until college when I finally made it to the end. @17:51 - there is a rescue turtle above (if you went down from the scroll grinding area). I typically killed Raph and rescued him on this level (he was my hit taker from the dam, and be down to 1 square, and typically took the L to fast exit the first building after using Leo to grab the missiles). The right entrance has the turtle readily available. But I only used Don exclusively on bosses, unless the other 3 were captured. Leo was my primary having okay strength and solid reach. I just liked Mike more than Raph, even though Raph is the better fighter. Mike was used when Leo was low on health and not at a boss.
I like the fluidity of Leo’s weapon but he’s the weakest no? I have to improve my path through the airfield but for whatever reason I’m not at a point where I want to dedicate learning any speedruns of games yet. Like I want to be efficient but still casual if that makes sense
Honestly, hearing your preamble to the video was pretty cathartic. I most of the classic difficult titles: Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania, etc. But this one took the cake. I managed to beat the dam level, but I could not beat the level after it.. The notorious difficulty must have softened the game developers because the three sequels (the fourth game being for Super NES) were great games and fun to play through. The first one, though, is definitely the black sheep of the TMNT NES games.
We all need the purging of these feelings in our lives lol. SO many dead ends and decoys. And you’re right, I really enjoyed every other TMNT game after this. But I won’t live the lie anymore. No one liked this game. It was terrible.
When I was a teenager, I learned how to perfect the dam level, because my little cousin always pestered me to get him to the party wagon so he could drive it around.
@@Cypherlode hahahaha what a great reason to have lots of reps on that stage. I’m with you, I played it so often it was the last of the levels I could get through rather easily.
Loved this game as a kid. I didn't even care that it was hard, I would just play it for hours. I especially liked roaming around the city with the turtle van. I can't remember if I beat it as a kid but I know I made it to the Technodrome at least a couple times. Years later I played it on emulator and definitely beat it at that point, though. Certainly a game in need of some polish but, as far as NES games went, it was hardly among the worst, IMO.
I feel like an alien because I don't remember having any issues with the dam as a kid. But I didn't get far after the dam, getting lost on where I needed to go.
Not my favorite of games, but you make this look easy. I will say there is a lot of variety on offer here, and most of it isn't that fun. I bet this team did Mission Impossible too--totally different game but has a similar feel.
@@Reaperman4711 I think I tried mission impossible only briefly. I have a lot of titles to still get through. I’m looking forward to having a reasonably informed end to end familiarity with the whole library
Hey I just wanted to said you thank you for this guide I've been looking for a great guide for this game now I can finally beat this game how about those bills beating the Seahawks go bill's 😊
@@bignorm8586 this game is a bucket list one for a lot of people. Hopefully you can finish it and never have to play it again lol. Allen looked poised. Run game was working. That’s how they have to remain to beat better than average teams. Was encouraged.
Probably the greatest injustice of this game is that Raphael isn't the strongest turtle by far. If you're gonna kneecap his range so hard (especially with all the enemy projectiles) he should be able to pretty much kill them all with one hit.
@retronate that would only make sense as far as balance and would add a little depth. But, I'd hate for them to nerf Donatello any since the game is already so hard.
OK, after just seeing the intro so far (I'm gonna watch the whole thing), I have a proposition. I can get you to love this game. If that got your attention, let me start by saying I have lifelong memories of this game, and back as a kid, I landed firmly in "can't get past the Party Wagon stage". But there's always been something about it that's hit just right. Today, I'm a speedrunner of the game with a 20:44 in Any% - close to right in the middle of the field. Since I learned the run, I've discovered a lot more little nuggets that have taken that childhood vibe and cranked it to 15. If you like, I'd be down to do a collab video of sorts where we do this challenge. If my efforts are in vain and you still don't like the game, fair enough. But it'd make for good content, right?
A challenge to get me to like the game?? Just dropped a follow on your twitch. I stream on there occasionally as well. Feel free to shoot me a whisper with what you’re thinking.
I would regularly get to that last hallway or shredder when I was kid, but could never finish it if i found the Techo Drome right away. Either that or i would die on the Techo Drome because most of my life would be taken away from all the enemies on the way trying to find it. All my turtles would just get wiped out because I did not farm scrolls. It was one of one my 1st NES games. I did not beat the game until my late teens, even then was only able to do it once or twice. Felt it was luck the whole time.
@@Kain_Hywind your description I’m sure is the story of what I’m sure is most players who got to the last hallway. It was so punitive and difficult by the end without knowing the strats. GGs to you for finally finishing it!
The thing that annoys me most about this game is that it's better to avoid fighting enemies whenever possible as they rarely provide any drops and you do not gain EXP either. Sometimes it's better to just plow thru the enemy and take 1 pt of damage rather than staying behind to fight it and breakoff spawns taking more damage.
43:26 When the show started, Leonardo promised that whoever dumped the mutagen on them (Shredder of course) would be forced to return Splinter to his human form. In the season 1 finale, they had that chance, but Splinter destroyed it when Shredder was about to use it on the Turtles Even MORE annoying: in season 2, there was an episode where they used what was left of the mutagen as a spray which did revert Splinter to his human form. But alas, it was only temporary and he would slowly revert back into a rat after experiencing how far New York's streets had devolved since they were mutated. It was never brought up again, but that gun did return later in the series and somehow ended up in the Turtles' possession; and again, never capitalized on using it to store Splinter to human form.
@paul84_ did you know about any of this??? Why have you not taught me as well as cammy85?!?! I didn’t know any of this. Really interesting. Thanks for watching!
@@retronate You're welcome!! This game takes things in a slightly different direction than the show, especially regarding enemies. I could explain further, but it would be more confusing if you haven't really seen the show.
While this game is quite difficult, never got past that last corridor in the Technodrome when I was a kid, this game is actually pretty unique, with overhead views, sidescrolling mix. More memorable than the sequel which is just a beat em up.
Typically I will applaud a game’s ambition to capture different play styles (thinking of Bayou Billy, Zelda 2) I don’t think that aspect of this game is what I had problems with. It’s such a departure from anything to do with what TMNT is actually about. Just a big miss for me.
Obviously they’d be the strongest right? I mean think of all of the mention of scrolls in the cartoon! What a lauded and powerful weapon! Ugh…stupid game.
Great breakdown. I owned this one and despite it playing like shit, tried to make the best out of whatever games I ended up with. I only ever made it to that party wagon stage.
Is this Jimmy from the Wizard??? Actually I think I mention in the video I didn’t struggle with the dam as much as others. Party wagon stage always did me in.
I got this game as a kid for Christmas- was a big TMNT fan. And immediately hated the funky controls and gameplay that let you know that there is only ONE character you will want to use, because the other ones are mostly useless. And that you had to farm for scrolls. The instant death traps everywhere. The damn never gave me too many problems because I used the same strategy of using the useless characters like Mike and Raph. We had Nintendo power back then that gave us maps of the stages. The super sensitive controls, the final Technodrome level area where just brutal.
It really was so much tougher than I was expecting and being single player made it hard to endure. Another commenter said that if it wasn’t tmnt, I’d think it was good. He may actually have a point. I expected more because of the branding
@@retronate Yeah, I agree with a lot of the things you said in the video like what are these enemies? You would think with a name like the Foot Clan that you would be dealing with guys dressed like ninjas, not Texas chainsaw guy, and robots that breathe fire, and guys that ARE on fire.
I think this is a good game The problem is when this came out we were all expecting the arcade game and we're disappointed because this was more of a platformer and not a beat him up like the arcade over the years I learned to like this game it's one of my favorite nes games awesome games play
Oh shoot, this game. I have yet to take the time to sit down and play through it all. I've only ever gotten to the dam level to see what all the complaining was about. I did beat it, but I now understand where everyone's coming from. At least I now have this handy dandy walkthrough to help me with the rest of the game.
I think all of us collectively tried to like this game because it was TMNT. But it really is quite bad. That said, there were some aspects I enjoyed but ultimately just a miserable game trying to make everyone playing it miserable as well.
I loved this game. I actually farmed the scrolls, got max on every turtle. I used them all the way through the final mission. Doesn’t every NES game have bad endings?
@@brianisaac1804 the scroll hoard method is for true OGs who will not exploit despawns and for that I salute you. I’d point you to any Megaman, Castlevania, Bionic Commando, or final fantasy just off the top of my head for some cool endings. While many game endings stink, they don’t HAVE to.
@@retronate Damn, I can't remember those endings, I'm old and haven't played those games in years. Have to see if I still have Bionic Commando, and Megaman.
I just laughed so loud cause the dam level got me to give up. And I still remember yelling at my tv over this game. I hated this game but wanted to love it so bad.
We’ve got a Battletoads walkthrough too! I think overall you’re right Battletoads is the tougher game. Requires more precision and timing. Tmnt can be solved a little easier when you know where you’re going.
@@retronate it is very much an NES game, more so than the sequels. Complex side scroller similar to most titles of the time. I don't think it is a bad game but agree it isn't a very good TMNT game. The beat-em ups just work so well with the series and I think that is why (even until today with Shredder's Revenge) follow that format.
@@illusion9966 I need to give this some time before I revisit it. Maybe in time it will sort of land in the “meh” category for me, but I have no desire to go back and replay it.
@@retronate it's the hard that makes it fun few games from back then give you a real feeling of accomplishment like you have to WORK to beat this game you still DO if you haven't played it in years and yes.. the music in the dam will give you lasting anxiety.. hahahah
@@retronate It's definitely a guess. The only thing that kind of clued me in was that they were purple, but that could've really just have been a coincidence lol.
Did people really have a hard time with this? The hardest part, even as a kid, was finding the technodrome and going through like, a bajillion sewers. And that's because it changes location based on which frame you press start on at the beginning... yay rng. Other stuff is kinda obvious. Walk over the jump both in the building and in the sewers... that was the whole point of the building gap, to show you that you can walk over all 1 tile wide gaps, don't rush for the bombs in the dam.. jump on the boxes on the right, don't get run over by the steamrollers, dont forget the grappling hook and don't forget to not even try to get that pizza on the right in the Indiana Jones booby trap spike wall room. Genuinely like this game, and find it better than the immediate sequel. That one, while more 'accurate' to the show, is just way to mind-numbingly boring I cant help but sleep.. PAST TMNT2 though, this one doesn't stack up.
To this day I still laugh at people that struggle with this game and overhype the dam level. it took my 12 year old self way back when the game came out only 5 days to beat it and when I played it again when the TMNT collection came out I beat it even faster in just 1 day since much harder games made this easy for me. 😄
@@HellTantrumbull I think the difficulty of area 5 and 6 is justified without knowing where to go. Agree the dam was never that tough. Searching around Area 3 always tripped me up figuring out where to go
@@retronate Yeah, trying to find the Technodrome and then dealing with the enemies that are near Shredder's location was more challenging than anything else in the game especially if you didn't pick up any scrolls to help take them out faster. For me, being an older gamer now I honestly found the games challenge overall to be nothing especially after playing games like Ninja Gaiden and Battletoads which just don't forgive you for making mistakes.
@@Caitybear396 that’s probably a game for a live stream. But if you go WAY back on my channel, that’s one of the first games I ever live streamed over on twitch. Video should still be around but not really in a walkthrough format.
I never beat the end boss but I could get to him! Aged 11-13 at the time and a girl! Reached him several times but I always had so little health I'd get one shot. I'll still take it lol, considering both my mum and myself spent hours if not days on that wretched dam level when I was younger and we both dropped the controller, threw our hands up and said "Nope." for several years XD
@@mewlyar8953 hahaha it was such a frustrating title. I think Nintendo Power did a spread that included a map of the Party Wagon section at one point? But I was always terrible at remembering where to go. The exasperated controller drop was a common move lol
@@retronate I did the game so often trying to beat it that at one point I had most of it (not the Technodrome; it was too hard to get there) memorised. Even the stupid dam by the end of it. I wasn't winning any speed runs, but I had a route in my head XD (My expendable turtle was Raph, by the way; I hated his short range. Leo was for standard play and then Don for bosses, as expected. The most action Raph saw was the dam XD )
@@mewlyar8953 sounds a lot like me. Used Leo because of the quick strikes and decent range. Didn’t want to lose Donny. Raph and Mike were cannon fodder lol
I'm gonna brag a bit and then eat some crow. I used to get through the dam swimming stage without taking a hit as a kid. I got to Shredder maybe three times. Always with one heavily damaged turtle left and died every time. I never beat this game legit until I was in my 20s. That was 20 years ago.
I don't think the Damn Level was that bad (other than the BS jump). I don't think I ever made it past Stage 3 as a kid. I did make it to the final building but I think I got stuck in the Sewers. 36:27 - Unsure if you are controlling the character here but you do get injured after the boss is dead.
I beat this game when I was 8. It was brutal. After the technodrome is when the difficulty really ramps up!
Yeah area 6 is on its own plane of difficulty. You can reasonably complete 1-4 with some practice. 5 can be tricky if you don’t find the technodrome right away. But there’s no denying the difficulty of the final stage
That title music will always touch my heart.
@@bigsmacky84 the opening theme was great! I actually like the overworld theme for areas 1-4 quite a bit.
What pisses me off the most is that here I am at 42 and just learning that you can switch turtles during the game. That would have helped me immensely when I played this damned game as a kid.
Hahaha…oh man that admittedly made me laugh. Because it’s totally conceivable that you wouldn’t know - just adding to the insane difficulty of this game.
Same here.
Yes
LOL what?
R u kidding me ugh that sucks man lol that game must have been even more frustrating for u than it was for us who knew we could switch em
9:37 My head-canon is that they actually wrecked the Turtle's TV too. Shredder, realizing that he was not going to be able to broadcast himself to the TV, actually hid inside it, and the Turtles don't realize that he is actually there.
@@kinglysandus hahaha it sure appears that way
I’ve only ever seen one guy beat this game in person, on a 13 inch basement tv, while standing up and without game genie. It blew my mind and still does.
@@jeffd3713 AS IT SHOULD. That sounds like the type of thing legends are made of
there's a trick to the last level's enemies (at least some of them) it becomes much easier. without that, i agree it's crazy nuts hard. but i love this game.
Dude that’s amazing lol I never got passed the driving the van lol it was the hardest game I’ve ever played and I had my first video game freak out playing it lol it was frustrating and annoying I loved and hated the damn thing lol still never seen the ending or the other levels to the game lol
@ the party wagon stage was such a mess. I can’t believe you really only had to go in 2 doors! There were like 15 on the map. All decoys.
I beat this game when I was in grade school. My friends didn’t believe I could beat this and when I did people had me play the games they couldn’t beat like contra lol
I really appreciate the satire and humor. You are representing the thoughts and opinions of all us 10 year olds sitting in front of that floor tv playing this game in 1990. LOL
Glad you enjoyed! It only felt right to say what I felt we were all thinking. And some of this is therapeutic as I won’t let these games live in my mind rent feee anymore. We must overcome!
I spent many hours of frustration as a kid playing this, but it was the kind of frustration that caused me to keep loading it up. Actually beat it as a pre-teen, and that made my year.
@@flatscan5261 you sound like a real one. I know exactly that feeling you’re describing. When you can’t let the game have the last laugh. That kind of perseverance is a dying quality nowadays. Good on you.
I'm going backwards...I watched your Jason, Hyde and Freddie video. Now, I officially subscribed. Great content. It's thorough and engaging.
Plus, I grew up on NES so, all these are classic to me.
Also, TMNT the Arcade game was GOAT. That and Simpsons.
@@NerdyNSturdy great to have you aboard! I love these games, hopefully that comes across in the videos. The hope was to entice folks who may have put them down for a while to maybe give them another go or even just to mentally revisit them for some closure.
Glad to see someone not complain about the swimming section. It's really not that bad. The turtle van stage was where I got stuck as a kid. I managed to finally beat this game as an adult but only by loading up on scrolls and cheesing the later levels with them.
This is totally me too. Didn’t struggle with the dam as much as the party wagon. And beyond that it gets so stinking tough. Scroll hoarding is the way most of us attempted it if we had the desire to keep going lol
Can confirm - made it to the end as a kid, was a once in a lifetime event.
I can't imagine how puffed out your chest was walking into school that next day. I hope your classmates bought you copious amounts of dunkaroos in recognition of your dominance.
Lies! No one has ever finished that damn forsaken game without a Game-Genie
@@juicewilliss if I didn’t have video evidence I would agree with you. Unless I used some sort of deepfake ai???
this game and Battletoads drove me insane as a kid
@@daysgoneby81 I think subliminally that’s why I had to beat them and post them. I couldn’t let them control me any longer. Check out Battletoads if you haven’t already!
Unfortunately, I from Mordor and not able to watch TH-cam, it freezes deadly here. But, I understand what it about Ninja Turtles game. I remember this game, I spent a lot of time trying to beat this game. I been a schoolboy, it be so long ago 🙃I played on Dendy (it Nes analog from Taiwan). It 100% most difficult game about Turtles of all time, and I think it one of the most difficult games for 8 bit systems (NES, Dendy). My maximum progress which I archived - I make the way to Technodrome, but I not passed it.
It very hard, but very good game. Whom think what “Turtles on Xbox360 very hard” - try this one 8-bit solid piece of old school hardcore gaming! 😊👍 Turtles 🐢 forever! RetroGaming Rules! 😎
Making it to the Technodrome is a huge achievement!
I still remember the fateful xmas I opened a box and saw a blinding light of happiness, it was tmnt 2: the arcade game.
Not only did I not know it was out but it meant freedom from this garbage game when I wanted to play something turtles related.
@@GHMYahooka hahahaha I can feel this so much
Trip down memory lane! Good job!
@@tviamontes I’m glad it’s over lol. Liked this a lot more as a kid when I was convinced it was unbeatable so playing it never came with the expectation of finishing it.
Hey man. Just gound your channel recently and subbed. Im an 80s kid who was raised on the NES. All these vides have been so much fun to watch. You're doing some awesome work.
As much as I love this, its so flawed and your hate on it was hilarious.
@@HostibleSpocicle glad you found us and hope you’re enjoying! Maybe I’m too far on the side of not liking it, but it’s grounded in tmnt being a love of mine. I’m almost upset they did such a disservice with this one. Loved 2 and 3 though.
@9:18 That was damn good lvl beating, I must say.
@@halcyonways1476 that’s the one level of this game that doesn’t give me fits. The rest SUCCCCKK
@@retronate At lest this game is better than the Jason game.
@ hmmmm….yeah it probably is but it’s not a slam dunk for me.
*dam good
@@CeeJayThe13th good catch lol
33:10 It appears only the Turtles who are still with you board the blimp. That's some nice attention to detail by the game designers.
Wow great call I didn’t notice that
The “drones” remind me of the movie Batteries Not Included.
lol good call.
Another one ( game that left me wondering) thanks man.
I remember being sick once as a little and having a nightmare of not reaching MechaTurtle.
@@PSNTheSunsRay that party wagon stage was where a great many of us gamers gave up. This game was so annoying and way too confusing from that point on
As much as I was a TMNT kid, I loved this game when I first played it, it was stupid hard! lmao
@@thehorrorcatdad I probably judge it unfairly because my expectations were quite high for it. But they didn’t do this game any favors making parts 2 and 3 some really awesome titles. This game is just….blegh
Oddly enough, this game didn't give me too much trouble as a kid; I beat it for the first time when I was around 7 or 8. Bionic Commando was the game that always gave me issues - glad you were able to beat it for me lol
Hey I’m here to serve lol. That’s crazy you could run this as a kid. Bravo.
I think it all comes down to our individual play styles, and some games we find easier than others. For example, I am really good at all three ninja Gaiden games and Ghosts n goblins, yet can't play a shooter like Gradius.
One thing I hate is when people criticize others for not being good at a particular game they find easy. We are not the same and there is no such thing as a gamer who can be good at all of them
@@phantom8157 yeah I agree. Sometimes we had games that just fit us.
One of my dad's triangle of terror games that he was going to beat or die trying, along with Deadly Towers and Super Pitfall.
@@ReinEngel I’ve heard a few people mention deadly towers. Super pitfall was a lot of fun!
I actually made it to the final jetpack corridor of hell in the technodrome as a 9 year old. I always felt that, to beat that I would have to stock up on weapons of some kind, and seems like I was right. It was just so unforgiving that you had to start from the beginning each time you lost a life, so you could never practice for very long to learn how to beat it.
The scrolls were the brute force way to do it. The despawn and slow advance method saved a bit of that time collecting ammo. Just a brutal stretch though.
I loved this as a kid just because I loved the turtles. Rented it multiple times and finally beat it.
It was all we had for a while so I get the appeal. I think you’re describing how I felt. I really wanted it to be a good game because I loved the turtles. So I endured the torture for that reason
The soundtrack alone makes this game an absolute classic.
@@MDHaughton love the overworld theme in world one, but it didn’t really stand out to me as much as some others.
agreed, soundtrack is awesome here. like ninja gaidens awesome, there's some band that covers like at least 3 of the ninja gaiden songs, be neat if they did some of these here.
@@retronate The boss music is tense as hell. It's a fairly short and musically simple loop, but it's incredibly tense.
I beat this game a few times as a kid. I didn't have many games when I was a kid, so I played the hell out of every game I had no matter how bad it was. You protect Donatello at all cost. Not only was his weapon the strongest, but it had the longest reach. For me, Raphael had the worst weapon and was always the sacrifice.
@@samus33529 you hit the nail on the head. This is the game that made a whole generation love Don as their favorite turtle lol.
Raphael is actually not the worst. Mikey is the worst. Raphael is fast, and his weapon has power, it just lacks the range. He's useful in a lot of areas.
@ I like using him in the 4th area. He’s convenient for a few of those sewers.
The sai swords make QUICK work of those flying enemies, Raphael comes in handy in a few levels.
@@toddburgess5056 yeah he’s got his spots
Games like this is what made Game Genie such a clutch thing to have.
@@Bizarb a life saver
technicly in the original tmnt episode where Krang got his android body splinter did turn back to his human form briefly but the formula wore out changing him back.
@@meridin no kidding! I probably started watching too late to ever get that connection.
When I was a kid I beat this game and yes it was a pretty hard game but we didn't have a lot growing up and so we didn't know what a bad game was and I loved playing this game as a kid but yeah now looking back yeah this game is a real beast but I was still played again because it's nostalgic
@@xphiles2345 it’s one of those games that’s probably better than I make it out to be. Everyone that I knew had it and we got SO frustrated with it. It was satisfying to complete after all these years though
@retronate There was nothing more satisfying than beating shredder at the end of the game and then 1 day I accidentally found the glitch where you could stand on the edge of the platform and just keep hitting
@ there’s another method that relies on scrolls that works too. Idk I’m just happy it’s over lol
I did beat this game as a kid. Tips from friends at school. I think if i remember right a nintendo power magazine gave tips.
@@talkinsmak yes! One issue had a map of Area 3 that I remember using. I couldn’t figure out area 4 for the life of me though. Couldn’t finish this til I was older
@@retronate took a long time playing. Idk how many times i made it past the damn with one turtle only to slowly get better. Really hard game. It would be obviously much easier today with the internet. Walkthrough central. Word of mouth from friends and magazines were the video game internet of my childhood
@ you’re so right. Sitting around the lunch table at school talking about how far you got the previous night was all we had. Man I miss it
I remember getting this game for Christmas as a kid. It didn't take me too long to get past the dam section, but that last yellow corridor of death inside the Technodrome stymied me for months.
You are right in that there is some really funky programming going on. But some of it can actually be exploited.
For example, it is possible to give every secondary weapon the same attack power as the scrolls, as long as one turtle has at least one scroll. Here is how:
Have a turtle throw their subweapon. Then, while the weapon still is in midair, and has not yet hit its target, switch to the turtle that has the scrolls. Make sure the scrolls are active, and not the turtle's primary weapon. When the projectile hits its target, it will do the same damage as a scroll.
It seems like while each weapon has an assigned damage amount, whenever any collision is detected, the damage taken is from whatever weapon was active at that moment. It makes for some interesting results. You can actually nerf a scroll that way too.
Anyhow, my favorite trick was to absolutely destroy the Technodrome boss using triple stars with scroll power.
@@matthiasplatz5919 that sounds like a sweet hack but a little extra effort than I’m willing to give.
@@retronate Games were expensive back then, so I played the absolute crap out of the ones that I had!
@@matthiasplatz5919 we had to! Getting a game required a big occasion like a birthday or graduation or something. Had to play what we had to death
I got my hands on this game when I was a kid, not on the NES, but the PC. It was annoyingly hard, but I definitely got to the Technodrome level!
@@CMRstudiosCanada I don’t think I had any idea they released a PC version of this. The more I play these games, more commenters tell me about their other consoles/versions and the differences are so interesting
that was a very good water part level 2 run. main thing stay in the middle of the areas that are pulling you into the electro seaweed and more so the vertical lines that will suck you right into them killing a guy immediately.
@@jasonbatteiger2421 yeah that pull is a killer when you don’t know about it
@@retronate it's also easy to overcompensate to dodge the other side's electro seaweed.
Things get easier if you understand some of the mechanics and when to use each turtle. Their attacks have different levels of damage and speed, and hit different zones (upper, center, ground). Don does the most damage, but is slow and only attacks a straight line directly ahead - he won't hit anything above or on the ground. Leo has moderate damage and speed and hits all 3 zones. Raph has nearly as much damage as Don, good speed, and hits at least the upper 2 zones (not sure about the ground) but has a small range. Mike has good speed but low damage and hits all 3 zones in a smaller range than Leo; no one is really the best in the game, but Mike is pretty much the worst.
Leo is best to use for basic enemies, unless you're comfortable with Raph's short range. Don is best for bosses when you want raw damage. There are specific spots (especially in Stage 4) where Don is too slow and Leo doesn't do enough damage, but Raph can kill enemies while moving to get through. Mike is good for holding Scrolls because you're not using him otherwise.
Yeah definitely need to utilize each based on strengths. I’m sort of a one trick pony sticking mostly with Don for this run.
@@retronate Nothing wrong with that, he does have the best damage and reach. You did use Raph where he works best, in Stage 4 where you need the combination of damage, speed, and zones. If you can get used to his short range I think he's actually the best overall, except in boss fights.
Completed the game quite a few times when I was like 8 or 9 years old back in the days. My only other option for a while outside of rental was Ghost and Goblins so... ^^
@@HamsteroidOver9000 hahahaha talk about a traumatic childhood with those two games as the only options! I’d have to say in that case….you chose….wisely.
I had this on freaking DOS pc as a kid. It was like 8 floppy discs. I got to past the dam a couple times but never any further.
DOS pc might be the comment that takes the cake…er…pizza. Holy cow that’s commitment. And to a game that really by objective standards is quite infuriating. I applaud your strength
the DOS version is literally impossible without a patch to fix the game. "That" jump in the sewer in level 3 is slightly different in the DOS version, a couple blocks are missing from the ledge which makes it impossible to clear the jump, making the rest of the game impossible and inaccessible.
I am commenting that I, in fact, made it to the Technodrome when I was a kid. I was never able to beat the game however.
Technodrome was brutal.
The last Level is legit one of the hardest levels ive ever played...without the scroll weapon. I did a play through a few years ago with the original hardware and was tempted to record it and put it up just to show how to get it done, and the first time through, I got to shredder with a full turtle and he smoked me with the mutant ray. Go all the way back, this time with all turtles life beeping, and I beat dude, after that i swore Id never pick it back up lmao. Loved this game though, a rare case where people loved the part 2 more than the 1, ala double dragon I/II.
@@kazejah1014 I have no desire to play it again lol. It’s over…I’m moving on.
Crazy tough final level though you’re right
@@retronate LOLOLOL.
Huge TMNT fan, had to have the game when it first came out. Definitely disappointing that it was so hard when I was younger, never could get past the gauntlet that is right before Shredder. Finally beat the game as an adult, didn't think a grown man would jump up and down and punch his fist through the air over a NES game. However, all that I've gone through seeing a game over, then beating this game became one of the greatest feelings I've ever had.
There was a genuine sense of accomplishment knowing how few people actually beat this game. That said I have no urge to revisit it anytime soon.
the 2nd level even when we were kids was a good indicator of overall NES players. similar to how deep in battletoads one could go. many did give up or never put in the time to pass the water level here. i will say it took more time to do the water level than any later level sans last level for many people though.
@@jasonbatteiger2421 it was the litmus test for sure.
@@retronate i've only seen 2 people in real life get to last level of battletoads, ever, and i was one of them. and like when i used to play air hockey (some of those times anyway) the first time i beat the 2nd to last level in b.toads it was like i jacked up my metabolism to something like a hummingbird. later found out this mimicked certain types of drug usage. for like 10 minutes after my hands shook, my senses were on a different feeling level than normal. had to pause it to hand off to my friend for him to try the boss of 2nd to last level. the boss not being crazy hard we got through it. it wasn't really scary since i knew it would calm down, not like an anxiety attack or anything. more like overloading your computer but not till it shuts down.
@ our top story tonight, young man admitted to psych ward after overdosing on Battletoads. Haha wow that’s crazy
@@retronate it wasn't a permanent issue, similar to going nuts playing say air hockey or ping pong, whatever jacked up body state i got into went away gradually in a dozen or so minutes.
@ that’s wild. But I get it
I remember playing this with my god brothers on NES....I thought boss fight with "Krang" was tuff....but when I got to "Shredder" it took me months for finally defeat him......
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
@@Notorious_G.O.D_76 I think you’re referring to TMNT2 but yeah I remember. The double boss to end it was brutal.
@retronate Oh Yeah that might of been TMNT 2.....
@ I was picking up what you were puttin down 😉
The first comic was introduced one town over from me. North Adams Massachusetts
@@Alan-q1z3n wow! Very cool! I guess a lot of the enemies I’m unaware of come from that comic
'Managed to beat this myself a decade ago on NES (not counting any PC Emulation sessions, even long before that).
At least the "Shred-Prick" was a pushover as opposed to everything else...
He was like the breath of fresh air we needed after the technodrome. Could you imagine doing all that and he’s brutal?
This is the first game I had as a kid besides smb 1
@@tonysmiley4641 it was so universally owned and so rarely beaten.
As a kid I made it to the dark land most times - but never to shredder until college when I finally made it to the end.
@17:51 - there is a rescue turtle above (if you went down from the scroll grinding area). I typically killed Raph and rescued him on this level (he was my hit taker from the dam, and be down to 1 square, and typically took the L to fast exit the first building after using Leo to grab the missiles). The right entrance has the turtle readily available.
But I only used Don exclusively on bosses, unless the other 3 were captured. Leo was my primary having okay strength and solid reach. I just liked Mike more than Raph, even though Raph is the better fighter. Mike was used when Leo was low on health and not at a boss.
I like the fluidity of Leo’s weapon but he’s the weakest no? I have to improve my path through the airfield but for whatever reason I’m not at a point where I want to dedicate learning any speedruns of games yet. Like I want to be efficient but still casual if that makes sense
Honestly, hearing your preamble to the video was pretty cathartic. I most of the classic difficult titles: Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania, etc. But this one took the cake. I managed to beat the dam level, but I could not beat the level after it.. The notorious difficulty must have softened the game developers because the three sequels (the fourth game being for Super NES) were great games and fun to play through. The first one, though, is definitely the black sheep of the TMNT NES games.
We all need the purging of these feelings in our lives lol. SO many dead ends and decoys. And you’re right, I really enjoyed every other TMNT game after this. But I won’t live the lie anymore. No one liked this game. It was terrible.
@@retronate Definitely no argument there.
I always got lost inside the TechnoDrome. I only got to Shredder once with Mikey (cos everyone else was “captured” and didn’t last long.
@@Soma2710 yeah there are a lot of false hallways that you have to remember and they’re all very punitive. Such a dastardly game
Great job with the intro
I’ll say it again with my whole chest
When I was a teenager, I learned how to perfect the dam level, because my little cousin always pestered me to get him to the party wagon so he could drive it around.
@@Cypherlode hahahaha what a great reason to have lots of reps on that stage. I’m with you, I played it so often it was the last of the levels I could get through rather easily.
Loved this game as a kid. I didn't even care that it was hard, I would just play it for hours. I especially liked roaming around the city with the turtle van. I can't remember if I beat it as a kid but I know I made it to the Technodrome at least a couple times. Years later I played it on emulator and definitely beat it at that point, though. Certainly a game in need of some polish but, as far as NES games went, it was hardly among the worst, IMO.
@@silentcaay definitely not the worst, just a big let down as a TMNT enthusiast. The turtle van felt like you’d beaten the game lol.
Used to impress other kids by being able to beat this game. Literally every young boy with an NES had this game it seemed.
@@JohahnDiechter you were a god among men lol. I only knew one kid who could beat this when I was a kid
I feel like an alien because I don't remember having any issues with the dam as a kid. But I didn't get far after the dam, getting lost on where I needed to go.
@@Sarstan not an alien at all - exactly my recollection as well. Party wagon gave me WAY more trouble than the dam
I played it when it came out back in the day because it was turtles and it was all we had at the time.
@@mattmania8117 you’re absolutely right. We kept trying to enjoy this one because we had no alternatives. We suffered greatly.
@ the pain was real.
Made it to the Technodrome as a kid? Dude, I never saw the dam as a kid🤣
@@AradijePresveti hahaha I can’t imagine someone getting through this as a child. It was beyond comprehension.
i never came close to beating this and i'm 1000% okay with that
@@slothkng that is true maturity. I however am a petty loser insisting on torturing myself. Please show me your ways
Not my favorite of games, but you make this look easy. I will say there is a lot of variety on offer here, and most of it isn't that fun. I bet this team did Mission Impossible too--totally different game but has a similar feel.
@@Reaperman4711 I think I tried mission impossible only briefly. I have a lot of titles to still get through. I’m looking forward to having a reasonably informed end to end familiarity with the whole library
Wow how did I never catch that?
The turtles can only sometimes swim
I LOVED this game.
Never beat it....
Gonna go play it xD
@@justinanderson267 oy…Godspeed and you’re a glutton for punishment lol
Hey I just wanted to said you thank you for this guide I've been looking for a great guide for this game now I can finally beat this game how about those bills beating the Seahawks go bill's 😊
@@bignorm8586 this game is a bucket list one for a lot of people. Hopefully you can finish it and never have to play it again lol.
Allen looked poised. Run game was working. That’s how they have to remain to beat better than average teams. Was encouraged.
Probably the greatest injustice of this game is that Raphael isn't the strongest turtle by far. If you're gonna kneecap his range so hard (especially with all the enemy projectiles) he should be able to pretty much kill them all with one hit.
@@CeeJayThe13th exactly! There should’ve been an inverse relationship between attack range and weapon strength.
@retronate that would only make sense as far as balance and would add a little depth. But, I'd hate for them to nerf Donatello any since the game is already so hard.
@ so what we’re saying is…make everyone stronger lol.
@@retronate honestly, it would probably make the game more fun lol
OK, after just seeing the intro so far (I'm gonna watch the whole thing), I have a proposition.
I can get you to love this game.
If that got your attention, let me start by saying I have lifelong memories of this game, and back as a kid, I landed firmly in "can't get past the Party Wagon stage". But there's always been something about it that's hit just right.
Today, I'm a speedrunner of the game with a 20:44 in Any% - close to right in the middle of the field. Since I learned the run, I've discovered a lot more little nuggets that have taken that childhood vibe and cranked it to 15.
If you like, I'd be down to do a collab video of sorts where we do this challenge. If my efforts are in vain and you still don't like the game, fair enough. But it'd make for good content, right?
A challenge to get me to like the game?? Just dropped a follow on your twitch. I stream on there occasionally as well. Feel free to shoot me a whisper with what you’re thinking.
@@retronate - Absolutely!
Mike would be proud!
Not would be….IS
The spinning robot things look like Crow from MST3K!
I gotta go back and compare now.
I would regularly get to that last hallway or shredder when I was kid, but could never finish it if i found the Techo Drome right away. Either that or i would die on the Techo Drome because most of my life would be taken away from all the enemies on the way trying to find it. All my turtles would just get wiped out because I did not farm scrolls. It was one of one my 1st NES games. I did not beat the game until my late teens, even then was only able to do it once or twice. Felt it was luck the whole time.
@@Kain_Hywind your description I’m sure is the story of what I’m sure is most players who got to the last hallway. It was so punitive and difficult by the end without knowing the strats. GGs to you for finally finishing it!
Thankfully i remember borrowing this from a friend before buting it. Saved me (my parents) a few buck's
lol…this is a title worth giving back haha.
The thing that annoys me most about this game is that it's better to avoid fighting enemies whenever possible as they rarely provide any drops and you do not gain EXP either. Sometimes it's better to just plow thru the enemy and take 1 pt of damage rather than staying behind to fight it and breakoff spawns taking more damage.
@@slanger686 totally right. All the incentive lies in avoiding if possible
43:26 When the show started, Leonardo promised that whoever dumped the mutagen on them (Shredder of course) would be forced to return Splinter to his human form. In the season 1 finale, they had that chance, but Splinter destroyed it when Shredder was about to use it on the Turtles
Even MORE annoying: in season 2, there was an episode where they used what was left of the mutagen as a spray which did revert Splinter to his human form. But alas, it was only temporary and he would slowly revert back into a rat after experiencing how far New York's streets had devolved since they were mutated. It was never brought up again, but that gun did return later in the series and somehow ended up in the Turtles' possession; and again, never capitalized on using it to store Splinter to human form.
@paul84_ did you know about any of this??? Why have you not taught me as well as cammy85?!?!
I didn’t know any of this. Really interesting. Thanks for watching!
@@retronate You're welcome!! This game takes things in a slightly different direction than the show, especially regarding enemies. I could explain further, but it would be more confusing if you haven't really seen the show.
While this game is quite difficult, never got past that last corridor in the Technodrome when I was a kid, this game is actually pretty unique, with overhead views, sidescrolling mix. More memorable than the sequel which is just a beat em up.
Typically I will applaud a game’s ambition to capture different play styles (thinking of Bayou Billy, Zelda 2) I don’t think that aspect of this game is what I had problems with. It’s such a departure from anything to do with what TMNT is actually about. Just a big miss for me.
@@retronate True few enemies are from the actual show.
I was able to make it to the Technodrome back in the day, but without knowing the power of the Scrolls, I had no chance of defeating it.
Obviously they’d be the strongest right? I mean think of all of the mention of scrolls in the cartoon! What a lauded and powerful weapon!
Ugh…stupid game.
The seaweed always did me in.
It was BRUTAL! So punitive and could stack up hits so quickly. You’re not alone
Great breakdown. I owned this one and despite it playing like shit, tried to make the best out of whatever games I ended up with. I only ever made it to that party wagon stage.
@@theconsolekiller7113 that level confused the heck outta me. I always went into way more buildings than I needed to
@@retronate Yea, Ive always hated mazes in games, ha ha. Maybe this game has something to do with that.
@ a real chicken and the egg thing going here lol
@@retronate ha ha Yea. May have experienced some early childhood brain damage from that one.
The dam level was hard lol. I remember beating that a a kid. Then I didn't want to play the game anymore lol.
I get it! We’d spent so much to clear that level only to find it gets…harder??? We had nothing left to give!
I got this game when I was like 5, and honestly I never thought the dam was hard. I feel left out
Is this Jimmy from the Wizard??? Actually I think I mention in the video I didn’t struggle with the dam as much as others. Party wagon stage always did me in.
@@retronate Yeah, I'm just always surprised that *this* was the sticking point for most people
Can't listen to the dam music without hearing "BZZZRT" in my mind
@@xGodofAcidx hahahaha now that you mention it I don’t think I can either. They go hand in hand
I got this game as a kid for Christmas- was a big TMNT fan. And immediately hated the funky controls and gameplay that let you know that there is only ONE character you will want to use, because the other ones are mostly useless. And that you had to farm for scrolls. The instant death traps everywhere. The damn never gave me too many problems because I used the same strategy of using the useless characters like Mike and Raph. We had Nintendo power back then that gave us maps of the stages. The super sensitive controls, the final Technodrome level area where just brutal.
It really was so much tougher than I was expecting and being single player made it hard to endure. Another commenter said that if it wasn’t tmnt, I’d think it was good. He may actually have a point. I expected more because of the branding
@@retronate Yeah, I agree with a lot of the things you said in the video like what are these enemies? You would think with a name like the Foot Clan that you would be dealing with guys dressed like ninjas, not Texas chainsaw guy, and robots that breathe fire, and guys that ARE on fire.
I remember the attack sounds vividly
Yes each one of them unique which I do appreciate.
I think this is a good game The problem is when this came out we were all expecting the arcade game and we're disappointed because this was more of a platformer and not a beat him up like the arcade over the years I learned to like this game it's one of my favorite nes games awesome games play
I’m very glad you see value in this one. I….don’t. lol.
Beat this only once, and that was by accident!!! 😆 🤣 😂
@@josephclayton8702 hahah that’s how it happens. Game was brutal.
@retronate not lying there!!! Lol
Oh shoot, this game. I have yet to take the time to sit down and play through it all. I've only ever gotten to the dam level to see what all the complaining was about. I did beat it, but I now understand where everyone's coming from. At least I now have this handy dandy walkthrough to help me with the rest of the game.
I think all of us collectively tried to like this game because it was TMNT. But it really is quite bad. That said, there were some aspects I enjoyed but ultimately just a miserable game trying to make everyone playing it miserable as well.
Also, dont you find it odd that Donnie’s wooden Bo staff can kill the Fire Guy?😁
@@elfofcourage not if you believe in the power of flame resistant ninja tape!
how did i did all this at 10 years old ?! it's crazy
@@lhommequipense4953 it’s crazy when you consider we didn’t have the internet
I loved this game. I actually farmed the scrolls, got max on every turtle. I used them all the way through the final mission.
Doesn’t every NES game have bad endings?
@@brianisaac1804 the scroll hoard method is for true OGs who will not exploit despawns and for that I salute you.
I’d point you to any Megaman, Castlevania, Bionic Commando, or final fantasy just off the top of my head for some cool endings. While many game endings stink, they don’t HAVE to.
@@retronate Damn, I can't remember those endings, I'm old and haven't played those games in years. Have to see if I still have Bionic Commando, and Megaman.
@ they were awesome. Capcom seemed to always give you your moneys worth for an ending.
I just laughed so loud cause the dam level got me to give up. And I still remember yelling at my tv over this game. I hated this game but wanted to love it so bad.
Yeah we didn’t like it, we just wanted to. We kept wanting the game to get better and it just never did.
Played and finished this as a kiddo, the trick was to farm 99+ scrolls in stage three.
Exactly what I did too. Doesn’t make the game that much more fun, but at least able to finish it. Technodrome was a beast.
Got it in 91, beat by 93. It was hard, but not impossible. Battletoads much harder. Still love this game to this day.
We’ve got a Battletoads walkthrough too! I think overall you’re right Battletoads is the tougher game. Requires more precision and timing. Tmnt can be solved a little easier when you know where you’re going.
Fortunately, I never owned this one. I had TMNT2: The Arcade Game as a kid and it was great.
@@volbound1700 this one has its place and there are many who seem to enjoy it. It just never had a real TMNT feel to me. 2 was much better.
@@retronate it is very much an NES game, more so than the sequels. Complex side scroller similar to most titles of the time. I don't think it is a bad game but agree it isn't a very good TMNT game. The beat-em ups just work so well with the series and I think that is why (even until today with Shredder's Revenge) follow that format.
it's still a fun game
it's not that hard now with the walkthroughs.... the HARD part was learning where to go!!!
@@illusion9966 I need to give this some time before I revisit it. Maybe in time it will sort of land in the “meh” category for me, but I have no desire to go back and replay it.
@@retronate it's the hard that makes it fun
few games from back then give you a real feeling of accomplishment
like you have to WORK to beat this game
you still DO if you haven't played it in years
and yes.. the music in the dam will give you lasting anxiety.. hahahah
@ is that Jimmy Dugan?
It’s the hard….that makes it great.
Loved this game! I beat it as a kid. Great game. Just remove the Turtle thing from it and it's great. As a stand alone it's so good for NES.
@@lloydlineske2642 if it weren’t the turtles I’d probably feel a bit differently. But they set the bar a lot higher branding it with them in this one.
Those flies were probably based on Baxter Stockman.
Feels weird they’d feature those without ever putting Baxter in the game. But that’s as good a guess as any.
@@retronate It's definitely a guess. The only thing that kind of clued me in was that they were purple, but that could've really just have been a coincidence lol.
Stockman was the mouser guy though. He himself turned into a fly right? Ugh this game isn’t worth this much dissection lol.
@@retronate He was mutated into a fly by Krang.
@@livefreeprintguns Well, not intentionally. Krang intended to ELIMINATE Baxter, but a fly got into the disintegrator unit with him...
Do you record your gameplay footage on a Retrousb AVS?
@@ericpeavey I’m using a retropie and feeding it to an Elgato HD60. Then using OBS to record
I wonder where this game will end up in the rankings…,,,
I’m really hiding how I feel aren’t I?
Was that chuck norris with a boomerang?
@@andrewslone Chuck Norris doesn’t throw boomerangs. They fly away from him for their own safety and then he summons them back to him telekinetically
Did people really have a hard time with this?
The hardest part, even as a kid, was finding the technodrome and going through like, a bajillion sewers. And that's because it changes location based on which frame you press start on at the beginning... yay rng.
Other stuff is kinda obvious. Walk over the jump both in the building and in the sewers... that was the whole point of the building gap, to show you that you can walk over all 1 tile wide gaps, don't rush for the bombs in the dam.. jump on the boxes on the right, don't get run over by the steamrollers, dont forget the grappling hook and don't forget to not even try to get that pizza on the right in the Indiana Jones booby trap spike wall room.
Genuinely like this game, and find it better than the immediate sequel. That one, while more 'accurate' to the show, is just way to mind-numbingly boring I cant help but sleep.. PAST TMNT2 though, this one doesn't stack up.
@@macdaddymario and don’t forget to not get murdered but a bajillion enemies in the final corridor…
Yeah, final corridor was rough too.
To this day I still laugh at people that struggle with this game and overhype the dam level. it took my 12 year old self way back when the game came out only 5 days to beat it and when I played it again when the TMNT collection came out I beat it even faster in just 1 day since much harder games made this easy for me. 😄
@@HellTantrumbull I think the difficulty of area 5 and 6 is justified without knowing where to go. Agree the dam was never that tough. Searching around Area 3 always tripped me up figuring out where to go
@@retronate Yeah, trying to find the Technodrome and then dealing with the enemies that are near Shredder's location was more challenging than anything else in the game especially if you didn't pick up any scrolls to help take them out faster.
For me, being an older gamer now I honestly found the games challenge overall to be nothing especially after playing games like Ninja Gaiden and Battletoads which just don't forgive you for making mistakes.
@ more lore of difficulty than actual difficulty with this one.
That damn, dam level
@@andrewslone funny enough I don’t mind that level. It was always the party wagon that killed me
@retronate honestly, I couldn't even beat the game without the use of a game genie, lol.
@ it was incredibly annoying
Heyyy Nate! Please do a video like this how to beat legend of Zelda a Link to the past on SNES !!!!!
@@Caitybear396 that’s probably a game for a live stream. But if you go WAY back on my channel, that’s one of the first games I ever live streamed over on twitch. Video should still be around but not really in a walkthrough format.
I never beat the end boss but I could get to him! Aged 11-13 at the time and a girl! Reached him several times but I always had so little health I'd get one shot. I'll still take it lol, considering both my mum and myself spent hours if not days on that wretched dam level when I was younger and we both dropped the controller, threw our hands up and said "Nope." for several years XD
@@mewlyar8953 hahaha it was such a frustrating title. I think Nintendo Power did a spread that included a map of the Party Wagon section at one point? But I was always terrible at remembering where to go. The exasperated controller drop was a common move lol
@@retronate I did the game so often trying to beat it that at one point I had most of it (not the Technodrome; it was too hard to get there) memorised. Even the stupid dam by the end of it. I wasn't winning any speed runs, but I had a route in my head XD
(My expendable turtle was Raph, by the way; I hated his short range. Leo was for standard play and then Don for bosses, as expected. The most action Raph saw was the dam XD )
@@mewlyar8953 sounds a lot like me. Used Leo because of the quick strikes and decent range. Didn’t want to lose Donny. Raph and Mike were cannon fodder lol
Turtle power!
@@tenebrousoul9368 this game certainly has….power I suppose. Lol
...i never beat this game til cowabunga collection and it's save states. That's after trying since 1989.
@@darthdemented it was so difficult. Many have claimed it wasn’t bad to clear but I’m not whitewashing history. This game was a menace.
I'm gonna brag a bit and then eat some crow.
I used to get through the dam swimming stage without taking a hit as a kid.
I got to Shredder maybe three times. Always with one heavily damaged turtle left and died every time.
I never beat this game legit until I was in my 20s. That was 20 years ago.
@@JeremyNoblitt just being a pro at the dam level was enough to make you lunch table royalty. Man I couldn’t fathom getting to the end as a kid
I don't think the Damn Level was that bad (other than the BS jump).
I don't think I ever made it past Stage 3 as a kid. I did make it to the final building but I think I got stuck in the Sewers.
36:27 - Unsure if you are controlling the character here but you do get injured after the boss is dead.
@@BrianD0313 I don’t think I was. Another BS part!!!