Happy Halloween, Vizzed Board! I know that this game isn't exactly "Halloween-ish", but I have got to finish "TMNT Month". It's just this and, if I have time, The Hyperstone Heist (The Genesis version of this game) and hopefully it'll put this month to an end. So...I guess I should put my usual introduction here. I know I said that this game is the reason that the original arcade game is so overlooked, but this doesn't mean that I hate this game. As a matter of fact, I love this game. This game is often considered one of the best beat-em-up games of all time, if not THE best. Does it really deserve this prestigious title? Let's find out in my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (the arcade version, NOT the SNES port)

Graphics
      The graphics for this game are some of the best looking graphics of the early 90's and definitely the best Turtles graphics up to this point. They still look amazing even compared to some of the graphics that we would see in a game like this today. The animations are very smooth and fluid and it really looks like you're swinging whatever weapon you're holding (in my case, Leo's swords). The enemy sprites are pretty good as well and it's easy to determine what Foot Ninja do what based on their color. There are also enemies other than the Foot Ninja like giant Big Foot looking creatures with bazookas. The levels themselves also look pretty good. The backgrounds are a very nice touch to the look of the levels and are quite well done. But like I've said in every other one of my reviews this month, great graphics don't always equal a great game (I'm looking at you, Call of Duty).

Sound
     The music in this game is some of the best music in video history, period. I know I said something similar last game, but it is just REALLY difficult to find a track that I dislike even a bit. It is just that awesome! Also, the intro song to this game is very different from the SNES port's. The song is called "Pizza Power" (Pizza Power is also something the Turtles say every time they eat a Pizza box that has a picture of a bomb) and it's actually pretty catchy, seriously, it's playing in my head as I type this review. The sound effects also got an upgrade from the previous title. The hit sounds sound a bit more like you're hitting something and the explosions sound a lot more like explosions. It's small changes like this that give this game what I like to call "polish". I could go on and on about all the different songs in the game, but I don't want to make this section the longest section in the review.

Addictiveness
     Well, what can I say? This game is about as addicting as it gets. I remember when I was a kid and I saw this game at a Chuck E Cheese once and I was hooked. I didn't care that there was no ticket reward for playing the game, it was just so fun. I think I used up more tokens on this game than all the other games combined that day. Like I said last time, it's definitely a good thing I'm able to play this here on Vizzed Board because otherwise, I might use up more quarters than I should on this game. This is definitely something I'll come back and play hopefully for years to come. Who knows, maybe Netplay will be added to Arcade games and that will just add to the replay value...a LOT.

Story
     O.k. the story, while not very important in a beat-em-up game is here, but it's very simple. While April O'Neal is reporting in New York, Krang takes the Statue of Liberty. Why? I don't know I don't even think it's explained in-game. Anyway, after surfing through the sewers, Shredder banishes the Turtles to a time warp, and I quote, "...from which you will never return!" After you return from the supposedly inescapable time warp, you fight Krang and then Shredder for the final showdown (wait didn't this happen last game?). While the story isn't really a major point of the game, I felt that it needed to be pointed out.

Depth
     This game is actually quite a bit longer than the previous title in terms of number of levels, the levels themselves, heck even the story is longer. This one has more to offer though. While they did take out the different planes and the "going down" section, they added some more things you can do with the enemies. You can not only throw them against the wall, but now you can throw them into the screen and onto the ground several times.

Difficulty
     This game isn't quite as difficult as when I first played it, but I guess that's just because I've been playing it for so long. It is an arcade game, but now it's one I can kind of breeze through, well of course I die...a lot, but whatever. For newbies, it will be a little difficult, but once you get used to it, it gets easier. Not much else to say really.

Gameplay and Controls
     Once again, the controls are: joystick moves, first button jumps, and second button attacks. It's like the first one, but a bit more polished and smooth. since I basically covered this in the last review, I'll just leave this as is.

Overall this is a really good game that everyone should play. I give it a 9 out of 10. See you next month for Sonic 2 Month