Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack

I can't believe this game doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. Created for the Turtles' 25th anniversary, this largely overlooked Nintendo DS-exclusive beat-'em-up took the Turtles of 2003 and the viral Cyber-Shredder of 2008 with each level separated by black and white comic-style cutscenes. The game featured the ability to block (and you can flip from the stationary position, so you're not just stuck blocking), greatly increasing the technical aspect to the relatively simple fighting style of beat-'em-ups. The game makes multiple cracks at Michelangelo's expense, but the gameplay is all action. Starting from the title screen, the Turtles are ninja again, which the older fans miss, I'm sure. The game features multiple attack styles, resulting in a number of combo possibilities that, for a beat-'em-up, are impressive. There's the typical stat differences (Don is slow but has reach, Leo is well-rounded, Raph's the strongest but executes less hits per-combo, Mikey is the opposite of Raph, et cetera), but they're actually played out pretty nicely, in comparison to previous attempts. There is also a combo system that operates to benefit your score. Completing a wave of enemies makes for some very pleasing dramatic close-ups when you finish off an enemy. The game is pretty short, but given that it's covering new ground for the franchise, this is to be expected. None of the levels are particularly difficult, but besides that carelessness can lead to seriously overwhelming odds, the game rates your performance based on your score, resulting in some admittedly frustrating retries to complete a level without damage. This score encourages competition between allies (you take one Turtle along with you, either CPU or controlled by another player by wireless connection).

Overall, despite minor issues with stiff animation and serious difficulty in achieving perfection, this is by far among my favourite Turtles releases, right up there with Turtles in Time.

This is one of my favourite tmnt games too! I was disapointed with "tmnt: smash up" and "tmnt" but this game was actually pretty good. Although, I still prefer the first tmnt game ever made! It´s a classic.

We're talking the NES game from Ultra, correct? I can't stand the Angry Video Game Nerd, just because of his harsh and unjust review of that classic game. If nothing else, he could have praised the music, with so many classic tracks (that really should see more remixes and tributes in new Turtles releases). And anyway, why did he bash on the fact that the game was mercilessly difficult? As I recall, games like Ghouls & Ghosts get endless praise for that trait. Games are way too easy, these days. It's a blessing to have such difficulty in our old video games.

On a side note, my first Turtles game was Fall of the Foot Clan for the Game Boy. Another tough game. When I was a kid, I could never get past the water level. And if I did, the stage with all the spiked tanks just before Krang was impossible. I pick the game back up in my high school years and beat it fairly easily. Just requires some quick pausing to anticipate what's coming. Or just memorize the pattern, haha.

Yup. The NES game was the first tmnt game I ever played. The music in that game was cool. I really liked it. I read some of those reviews and yes, I agree with you.
Gosh, the water level in that game was so difficult! I had to ask a friend to pass me that level. I just couldn´t do it but now I can.
One tmnt game that I also hate was the second. It was so boring, compared to the first one. The turtles abilities are awful.

Or rather, their lack of abilities. But though I generally pay TMNT 2: The Arcade Game little mind, I do give its development my respect, since it was the precursor to Turtles in Time. It effectively evolved the second game's concept and took it to a level almost no one could hate. For that reason, I don't particularly hate The Arcade Game, but I rarely, if ever, play it.

On a similar note, I enjoyed Turtles in Time: Re-Shelled for what it was, but I don't see why it had to be based on the original arcade version, instead of the greatly upgraded SNES release.

I didn´t play Turtles in Time: Re-Shelled but I heard that it´s pretty great.
I played Turtles in Time. I really enjoyed the abilities that the turtles could perform in this game like, for example, the execution of a power attack by hitting an enemy several times in a row and slam the enemies towards the camera.

Re-Shelled kept the throws to the screen (and anyway, The Arcade Game originated it). That was always my favourite when I was a kid.

You know another one that didn't get nearly enough positive attention? Tournament Fighters (though we always called it "Turtle Combat!" in our youth). Okay, I'll admit that it was just a re-skinned (or, rather, re-shelled? I know; I'm lame) Street Fighter 2... but isn't that kind of a good thing? Frankly, that's all I wanted out of Street Fighter 2 rip-offs - characters that you love. I had fun with the game, but I could have done without the characters with no purpose outside of Archie's run on the comics series. While I'm noting complaints, it should have been that each Turtle had his own sprite, instead of minor colour and weapon differences. I'd really like to see the Turtles have something akin to Guilty Gear, someday. A 2-D weapons fighter with all kinds of crazy ninja flips (and perhaps shadow "teleportation") would be too good to be true (which is maybe why it doesn't exist, hahaha).

Back to Arcade Attack, I find that one thing that benefited the game was the lack of lame voice clips used over and over again (I think we can all do without "Eat feet eat feet eat feet eat feet--!!!" or "Heeeere's Johnny!" forever more). It only makes sense that the Turtles would strike silently. Banter here and there between Turtles is great, don't get me wrong. But even Mike can take a fight seriously, and for a ninja, that means silently and quickly silencing the opposition.

Well, that game was okay (and I like almost all the Street Fighter games!) but I think that it was a bit weak compared to other games. I hate the Archie comics. They are terrible compared to the Mirage Studios comics.
Guilty Gear´s a good game but it´s too similar to Street Fighter (that´s pretty obvious) although, the combos are great.

I don't think it's possible to make a 2-D fighter that doesn't take something from Street Fighter 2. Just like it's nigh impossible to make a platformer that doesn't borrow a little from Sonic or Mario. They simply defined the genre. I don't think it harms anything to have those qualities, and personally, I feel that Guilty Gear does separate itself from Street Fighter, at least more so than others. But then, the market for 2-D fighters is all but dead, much to my chagrin.

Yeah, they don´t make games like they used to. Now, not even the Mario games are good (Except Super Mario Bros and Mario Galaxy).

I'm honestly impressed to see a thirteen-year-old with such a perspective on the current video game market, besides such experience with games from my toddler years. It kinda makes me hopeful for the future.

Well, my dad and my cousins really love video games so, thanks to them, I know a few basic stuffs about them. In the future, I hope that people realize that they can make great videogames inspired by the games that they loved in their childhood. Modern games have great graphical quality and other nice things but besides that, they´re boring.

Everything's too realistic, now. The drive is to graphically upgrade everything and make it "realistic." I feel that the Turtles would benefit from more clearly operating in the real world (like being more aware of the noise they make and staying in the shadows, or fighting more swiftly and fluidly, leaving no witnesses), but visually, I like things to be stylized. I want my ninja to leap incredible heights. I like cel-shading. You get the idea. I think that the games that try so hard to be realistic lose touch with reality in the end, as ironic as that sounds. But everything goes around in fads. This neo-realism will taper off, soon enough.

I don´t like the "realistic" too part but we have to admit that the image is much better. For example, I liked the look of the turtles from the 2007 game, but the game itself sucked. The levels were sooooo easy.

It was hard to care about the game with that level of simplicity. It was crafted well enough, but the difficulty level made it frustratingly easy, if that's not an oxymoron. That's why I like Arcade Attack so much. And speaking of, are we the only people on the forum who have played this game? I mean, maybe no one else is logged in, so I hope that there are some others, at least.

Going off topic (it happens in almost any conversation or thread anywhere; I don't know why there's an admin rule against it), my favourite games are adventure types with plenty of puzzles and hidden items/quests, like Metroid, Zelda, Rygar, Castlevania and Resident Evil (pre-5; after 4, it got too action-ey for my tastes, although it is fun).

I´m sure that there are at least one or two people that also like this game. [Only admins are allowed to see this image]
I love Zelda! I was a bit disapointed with the 2nd game but it was still good. I only played the first Resident Evil and I loved it. I really enjoy those types of puzzle games (I´m a fan of the Professor Layton series). Although, I prefer action games.

Uh... so, how does one see images that only admins can see?

weeelll....I have no idea

Isn't it pointless, then, to attempt posting an image? Just PM me a link, if you would be so kind.

Um... what I said about the levels not being particularly difficult? Never mind. I just beat the game on Hard mode with noticeably more effort than it took to beat it the first time (though the Shredder is still an easy victory). I see now that there are two more difficulty levels - Ninja and Sensei. I can only imagine the latter to be the real challenge.

Mmm...well, I still think that Hard Mode´s pretty easy compared to other games that I played (I can´t remember the name of one right now but I remember that I played harder games than that one)

Nah, it's not terribly difficult, yet. I'm just saying that by Sensei mode, it probably will be fairly tough. My only gripe is how much you have to save up to buy each mode, after unlocking it.

yes, you´re kinda right about that.

is it worth getting a nintendo ds so i can get the game?

I wouldn't say just for that game, but luckily, there are many reasons to get one.