Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super NES)
Ever wonder what Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and other popular magazines thought of your favorite 8-, 16- and 32-bit games? Now you can find out, thanks to Review Crew! This is the only show on the internet that is willing to go back in time to find out what old school critics thought of retro games at the time. Did they pan your favorite game? Did they love something terrible? Find out every week as Defunct Games presents Review Crew!
We conclude our week of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the biggest and best game yet -- Turtles in Time! Released in 1992, this marked Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael's first foray into the 16-bit console wars. Not just an arcade port, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time featured brand new stages and bosses. Was that enough to woo game critics 22 years ago? Find out what GamePro, Nintendo Power, Electronic Gaming Monthly, N-Force, Super Play and other classic mags thought of Turtles in Time in this brand new episode of Review Crew!
(NOTE: Although we occasionally cut for length, no other edits are made to the review. Defunct Games does not change any of the wording, grammar or punctuation use. Also keep in mind that our score is the average of all critics at the time, not just the sample that is reprinted on this page. If you still have more questions, I recommend you check out the
Review Crew FAQ, where we address the review guidelines, converting scores, magazine covers and more.)
GAMEPRO (June 1992)
"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?" -Boogie Man
(5 out of 5)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #36
"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." -Steve
(9 out of 10)
SUPER NES BUYERS GUIDE (July 1992)
"If I wouldn't have seen the Super NES sitting in front of me, I would not have believed it! This is undoubtedly one of the best arcade to home translations this guy has ever seen. The graphics are great and are complimented by excellent play control -- with no break-up or slowdown. All the animation is here also. Great job Konami!" -Guy
(9 out of 10)
VIDEO GAMES & COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT (October 1992)
"They're mean, they're green and they've hit the Super NES scene. After three awesome adventures on the 8-bit NES, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have made the jump to Nintendo's 16-bit wonder console. Even with the lack of challenge, there's a lot to like about this game: gorgeous graphics, rocking soundtracks and superb playability. TMNT IV is a "must buy" for novices and younger players, and a "must rent" for expert players." -Zach Meston
(9 out of 10)
NINTENDO POWER (August 1992)
"Dudes! The Turtles are back and they're rockin' harder than ever in their very first Super NES adventure. Turtles in Time marks the sixth Nintendo outing for the four sewer surfers from NYC. Scaling and other Mode 7 graphic tricks are employed in the action and cinema scenes, but overall, the game set up isn't a radical departure from the side-scrolling action of the NES Turtles games."
(3.8 out of 5)
SUPER PLAY #2
"Okay, so it is repetitive -- but it's got such a great 'feel' to it that I can't help but like it, particularly the way each character has individual moves. Turtle fans will really adore this. Others will regard it as a competent, smart-looking but thin beat-'em-up that might not last them very long. Er, Cowabunga." -Jonathan Davies
(84% out of 100%)
N-FORCE #4
"Cowabunga! Format's the usual slash 'n' bash disguised with great graphic touches -- notably the 3D hoverboard bonus stage. There's spectacular Mode 7 and sprite-scaling effects. It retains the playability and addictiveness of the coin-op, though I'd have preferred a wider range of moves. Too easy for experienced players but a great title for the younger market." -Ace
(72% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #36
"The Turtles are back with style that won't quit. The game play is awesome! More moves and techniques than ever before grace the superb play control. Excellent graphics and jamming music make this one of the best looking, best sounding SNES carts around. Great two-player action with no slowdown. Too easy." -Martin
(9 out of 10)
SUPER NES BUYERS GUIDE (July 1992)
"Now this is stress relief! Everything from cute little animations to familiar faces like Leatherhead and (my favorite) Slash are done nicely and are original! Absolutely no slowdown or break-up, with plenty of guys to toss around on the screen, makes this one of the best! It's a bit easy, but fun!" -Mike
(9 out of 10)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 86% -
It's official, Turtles in Time is the best reviewed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game of all time. After a
disappointing first outing and a
watered-down sequel, the hero turtles finally have a game worthy of their popularity. The critics not only loved the great graphics, but also noted that the game is even longer than its arcade counterpart. Despite getting all 9s from both Electronic Gaming Monthly and Super NES Buyer's Guide, not every critic was convinced. N-Force complained that the action was repetitive and the game was too easy, a sentiment echoed by Super Play. Nintendo Power liked Turtles in Time, but noted that it wasn't much of a departure from the 8-bit games. Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time was praised by most critics and won over a lot of fans.
