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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Let me tell you, first off, that I was a huge TMNT fan growing up. I tell you this because I don’t want this review to become slanted by my own giddy attempt to reclaim a lost childhood. Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, the Cheap Skate, the Pizza Shooter, the Turtle Blimp — oh, I owned them all. I even went back to purchase the figures of all the original main characters later in high school, just to own them all in mint condition, still in the package. I’m now in college, and those figures are safely tucked away, in their original packaging, just waiting to be accidentally ripped open by a future child of mine. Can’t wait.

TMNT 2: Battle Nexus is the sequel to Konami’s attempt at reinventing the old TMNT arcade style beat’em-up titles of the arcade and NES days. The first PS2 turtle game was a pretty solid start, but this one ultimately keeps the franchise mediocre, truly half of a game.

For a fan of the classic TMNT, this game can be somewhat entertaining, even though it is built around the more recent TMNT cartoon series. The mixture of cartoon cut scenes (from the actual show) and stylish visuals make it an original experience. The story seems to be taken almost directly from the cartoon itself, and is reminiscent of classic turtle plots. Splinter is captured and the TMNT have to get him back (brilliant!). It’s a decent start, but the game as a whole begins to trail off after that, hindered by gameplay, balance, and control issues.

Initially, the gameplay was fun. The learning curve made it easy to get into, and the controls were very much a throwback to the classic arcade game. But that’s also where the problems lie.

You can switch between any of the turtles at anytime during gameplay, depending on how many players you have. One great thing about turtle games is the ability to play with four players (which for some reason wasn’t in the first PS2 game). Four player mode is one aspect that made the original arcade version so addictive, and it definitely adds some oomph to this title.

Each turtle comes with his own special ability which you’ll need to progress through the game. Leonardo can slice through things which may be blocking your way, Raphael can lift heavy objects, Michelangelo can use the spinning of his nunchucks to fly, and Donatello can operate any computer that may need fiddling with. The only one worth using is Michelangelo’s, because aside from flight, you also perform a bicycle kick to any enemies nearby. But even then, these abilities are almost pointless except when a door needs to be opened, or a box needs to be pushed a foot over.

As for the action, which I before equated with the classic arcade game feel, it gets old pretty quick. With only a few attack moves, the gameplay becomes repetitive. And since the turtles aren’t equally powerful — the game is quite imbalanced — you’ll find yourselves sticking almost exclusively with… drum roll… Leonardo. I tried the game with each turtle, but Leonardo’s skills just seem more advantageous than the rest. His katanas are quick and have a fairly decent range, perfect for nearly any enemy you’ll encounter.

My advice to Donatello: Sorry, dude. It’s time to hang it up. You’re not as quick as you once were. And lets face it, your weapon is basically a stick. I mean, at least Michelangelo has sticks with chains. Seriously, guy, think it over.

This game gives the usual TMNT gameplay alternatives. Past TMNT games included skateboarding or surfing levels. Battle Nexus completes the turtle hat-trick with a few snowboarding levels. Those additions keep the game from going completely stale, but they just aren’t captivating enough to raise the score.

The meat and potatoes of the gameplay is basically hack-and-slash. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; a variety of moves in a standard hack-and-slash could create a fun gaming experience. Battle Nexus, however, doesn’t include enough moves to fulfill that experience. You’re stuck with a quick, weak attack, a strong, slow attack, the ability to use throwing stars, and a power move. The speed difference between the four characters is very noticeable, and as I mentioned before, Leonardo is the most well-rounded of the lot.

Controls, unfortunately, are also an issue. They’re simply not responsive enough. The characters move too sluggishly. Sure, these guys are turtles, but they’re NINJA turtles! You feel like you’re mashing buttons even if you’ve got the controls down pat. This is most problematic with jumping, since a lot of the levels involve jumping puzzles or obstacles. You are able to do double jumps (which I admit look very cool) and also wall jumps, but with the controls being what they are, you find the puzzles and obstacles more frustrating than challenging.

The camera will also play a role in your frustration. It varies from tolerable to annoying to “is that a ledge or a pit.” It is especially bad when you’re in a more confined space, which is much of the game. I found that it didn’t bother me too often except at certain points when it was just plain awful.

Throughout levels, you’ll find antiques, which can be taken to April’s antique store and will unlock certain goodies in the game. To unlock other extras, you’ll be able to participate in different types of tournament modes, which include fighting other characters or lasting through numerous waves of enemy fighters. Your characters will also be given grades after the completion of each stage, and that will earn you extras, depending on how good a grade you get. I’m sorry to say that the extras are mediocre. You can unlock characters, outfits, and conceptual drawings, but nothing that will blow your skirt up.

The cell-shaded graphics of Nexus are actually very nice. They’re not amazing, but they have a very Saturday morning cartoon style to them that will put you in the mood for turtle power. Wait, I mean… TURTLE POWER! There, that’s better.

The music is the usual twisted, funky style you might recall from past TMNT games. Some of it will get your toes-a-tapping, but, chances are, you won’t remember any of it even five minutes after you’ve put the controller down. The sound is much of the same. Appropriate, though really uninspired and unmemorable.

This game’s secret weapon may be the inclusion of the old TMNT Arcade Game. That’s right, after you get to a certain level, you’ll be able to access the original arcade TMNT game, which basically made TMNT games cool. It’s incredibly fun to go back through that game a bit, and I can only laugh at the irony of the whole thing. I want to play through hours of this contemporary, “high-end” PS2 game, so that I can unlock a game released in 1989, which may in fact be better. Nostalgia does give this game minor boost, but I think with a little more time on the controls and gameplay, this could have been really great game. It’s a decent effort, and there are a few positive aspects, but it’s ultimately a renting game. And even then, only if you’re a big fan of the TMNT.

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Tags: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Posted by Andrew on Nov 12th, 2004 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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