In this corner, we have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, the Super NES beat ‘em up based on the arcade smash hit. In the other corner we have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, a console-exclusive brawler that brought the Turtles to the Genesis for the first time. These are two of the most-popular beat ‘em ups of all time, and an important part in the Genesis vs. Super NES console war. But what did the critics say 32 years ago? Was it this hotly contested or was there a clear winner in this 16-bit showdown? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Mean Machines, GamePro and more classic magazines that reviewed both of these brawlers back when they first came out. Today we're going to see where the critics landed and maybe, just maybe, settle this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debate once and for all in this pizza-loving episode of Magazine Match-Up!


Before we dive into the match-up, we first need to talk about the timing of these two Turtles games. After Sega shocked everybody with a surprisingly strong line-up in 1991 that included everything from Sonic the Hedgehog to Streets of Rage to ToeJam & Earl, Nintendo countered in 1992 with two back-to-back arcade hits that you could only get on the Super NES – Street Fighter II and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. Of course, both of these franchises would end up hitting the Genesis one year later, as both Capcom and Konami signed on as official Sega third-parties, but by that point the damage had been done.

With that context in mind, let's turn to Electronic Gaming Monthly, who loved Turtles in Time when it first hit the Super NES in 1991. In fact, they loved the game so much that in any other issue it would have been the Game of the Month, but had the unfortunate luck of being reviewed next to the almighty Street Fighter II. Still, even without fireballs and spinning piledrivers, the Turtles were able to hold their own, earning a score of 9 out of 10. Steve called it “quite honestly the best side-scrolling action game to appear on the Super NES so far. This game is perfectly presented and executed with flawless detail. Besides virtually duplicating the arcade title, Turtles 4 also delivers some of the best graphics you'll ever find at home! A truly great game that's a tad easy.”

Fast-forward six issues, and the Turtles returned with The Hyperstone Heist, a beat ‘em up for the Genesis with a new story that incorporated both original and recycled levels. EGM was excited to be playing a new Turtles game, but the editors were disappointed with some of the cuts that were made to get it on the Genesis, ultimately giving this version a lower 7.75 out of 10. Martin complained that “there are quite a few things missing from this version that made the Super NES version so good. You can't hurl the enemies towards the screen and the gameplay has less to offer in terms of moves. Don't get me wrong, this is still one of the better Genesis carts around. The game is also too easy in the two-player mode.”

While EGM liked both of these games, there's a clear winner in this match-up. Turtles in Time takes the first point.

While the British critics definitely liked their “Hero Turtles,” they weren't as enamored as the American press. Mean Machines ended up giving The Hyperstone Heist a solid 83%, calling it “a good beat ‘em up that's too shallow and too easy to be great.” They explained that the “Turtles look great. The sprites really capture the look of their cartoon counterparts. The fighting animation is also ace. There is also an endless onslaught of action, but the game isn't always challenging. There are too many continues and too much life-restoring pizzas scattered about. A shame, as Turtles could have been a classic.”

When we go back to the Super NES review, we find another mixed take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Giving Turtles in Time a slightly lower score of 80%, the appropriately-named Rad called it one of the most impressive looking games on the SNES yet. “However, there are some clouds looming over the daintily colored horizon that is TMNT IV. The main problem is that it's all pretty much the same all the way through, so once you get about three-quarters of the way through the game, your attention starts to wander. The other problem is that it's easy, and experienced players should beat it after a couple of days. If you're likely to have a second player around all the time and fancy some groovy beat ‘em up thrills, this is definitely a title to seek out. Sadly, lonesome players should think about renting it for a weekend before purchasing TMNT.”

And with that, we're all tied up. One for the Genesis and one for the Super NES. Let's see how this next match-up goes ...

Over at GamePro, they did the thing they are best-known for – giving both games extremely high scores. In fact, they gave the Super NES game Turtles in Time the highest score they could, a perfect 5 out of 5. “If nonstop hack and slashin' is your thing and you love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, get this cart! This SNES game is better than its arcade counterpart overall, despite the coin-op's great four-player buy-in. All the bosses are straight out of the comics. Plus, you get two additional fighting scenes, and you don't need to feed it tokens. If you're still pondering a 16-bit commitment to Nintendo, this cart might make up your mind. Is this game great? Do Turtles have lips?”

How on Earth can the Genesis version compete with a perfect score? Well, it can't. But to be fair, The Hyperstone Heist isn't that far behind with a score of 4.5 out of 5. They explained that “The Hyperstone Heist brings excellent arcade-quality graphics, sound and gameplay to your home unit. The variety of options guarantees fun and challenge for gamers of all ages and abilities. Although the storyline and objectives are simple, there are plenty of moves and challenges to make you spin in your shell. The Turtles make a big splash for Konami in their Genesis debut!”

This was a close fight, but the Super NES game breaks the tie to once again put Turtles in Time back on top.

For the next two match-ups we're going to look at sibling publications, console-specific magazines from the same publisher. Up first is N-Force and Sega Force, two short-lived early-1990s publications from Europress Impact. Much like fellow British magazine Mean Machines, the Force critics weren't quite in love with the Turtles as their American counterparts. Sega Force gave The Hyperstone Heist a solid score of 81%, joking that nobody cared about the Turtles in 1993. “Cow-in-a-bunker! Er, or something'. It's been so long since the Turtles craze was at its height, I'd almost forgotten them. Konami are late jumping on the Mega Drive bandwagon and should've chosen a more current cartoon/coin-op for their first cart, but TMNT is a playable little number all the same. For all its failings, TMNT is a highly likeable beat ‘em up. It's bright, hectic, [has] bonuses to collect and more moves than you'd imagine. For wacky bash ‘em up action and authentic cartoon graphics, TMNT is hard to beat.”

To be fair, an 81% for the Genesis version isn't that far off from what the rest of the critics thought, so Turtles in Time probably blew that score away, right? Nope! N-Force actually went the opposite direction, giving this Super NES game an average score of 75%, which is a bit lower than the rest of the magazines. “Sporting bright, cartoony graphics, energetic music and fast, smooth animation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV has a lot to attract action freaks. It's nothing new with repetitive gameplay which seriously reduces lastability, but well worth a few plays.”

And with that, we are once again tied. Two for the Genesis and two for the Super NES. We'll see if another pair of sibling publications can give us a winner after this break.

Much like N-Force and Sega Force, Mega Play and Super NES Buyer's Guide were two console-exclusive magazines from Electronic Gaming Monthly's parent company – Sendai Publishing. When Mega Play got their hands on The Hyperstone Heist, they gave it an average score of 84%, with Bart summing it up this way: “This is one of the better action games for the Genesis. Colorful graphics and a decent set of tunes keep things interesting. The game is kind of short and way too easy for two-players.”

While an 84% is definitely a good score, it's no match for the 9 out of 10 average Super NES Buyer's Guide gave Turtles in Time. This is what we've seen from all of the American magazines; they like the Genesis game and love the Super NES title. Dude (yes, Dude) explains that Turtles in Time is “easily one of the best looking, best playing home games that I've ever gotten my hands on. The graphic detail and the animation are unbelievable. The music is top notch and those with hi-fi stereo will love the bassy sound effects. Though a bit too easy, the gameplay is great as you add in two-players with almost no slowdown.”

Don't let the slightly different grading style distract from the fact that the Super NES definitely comes out on top with this sibling-publication match-up. That puts Turtles in Time ahead by one point going into the lightning round, where anything can happen ...

Based on the magazines we've matched-up so far, it's clear that the American critics preferred Turtles in Time on the Super NES, while the British critics opted for The Hyperstone Heist on the Genesis. But what about the German magazines? Where did they land on these two titles? Well, if you're hoping that Play Time would give us a decisive victor, then think again, because both of these games earned the exact same score – 86%. It's a tie.

Over at Aktueller Software Markt (or ASM, which is easier to say), they preferred the Genesis game over the Super NES, giving The Hyperstone Heist a 9 out of 12 and Turtles in Time an 8 out of 12. That may not sound like a big difference, but it's basically 75% to 67%. That's the lowest score we've seen for any of these Turtles games.

And finally, the generically named Video Games (which is not to be confused with the pompously named magazine VideoGames: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine) gave the Super NES game a 79% and the Genesis title a 71%. Giving us a knock-out blow.

This means that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time on the Super NES takes the win over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist on the Genesis by a score of 6 – 4. I will admit, that's a lot closer than I expected, but the Europeans really pushed things in Sega's favor, but not enough to ultimately pull out the win. And with that, there's really only one thing left to say: Cow-in-a-bunker! No wait, that's not right.