April 8, 2007
The TMNT: Manhattan Missions Review!

Hey all — hope that your Easter or respective spring holiday is going (or went!) well. If you don’t celebrate anything (right there with ya!), I hope that everything is going well with you. Enjoying the weather? It freaking snowed here this weekend. Not much, but still.

OKAY! No Easter-themed pieces today (if that upsets you, you can always reread our scary Easter cards article and view the old Easter card Hot Flash), but we do have another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game review for you! Whereas last time we took a look at the most recent TMNT title (which, by the way, is on sale at Circuit City this week for $18) , this time we return to 1991 to check out the little known PC gem that was TMNT: Manhattan Missions. Like, cowabunga, dudes! 😆

I'd rather be eating a pizza right now.

Anyway, this is a review that, at least in some respects, has literally been in the making for over nine years — ever since I’ve been able to play it in an appropriate environment, I’ve been taking screencaps of the game, some of which appear here — so I hope that you enjoy it. But more than that, I hope that you decide to give the game a try! As a game that I’ve played since my elementary school days, I really do think it’s worth at least one runthrough. It’s so keen that I even made a couple of anigifs using sprites from it way back when. 🙂

Just like in the comics!

Hum, this one’s kinda gory. Also, speaking of Turtles games and moving pictures, I’ve posted a few videos of the new movie TMNT game in action on YouTube. For your viewing pleasure, I have embedded them below!

This one is a full runthrough of the first Nightwatcher level in the game. It’s sorta become my new Solitaire. And yep, Raph is fighting with spatulas.

A brief video featuring Leonardo jumping through an area and taking on some Purple Dragons. For the most part, the fighting really is this simple.

The “boss” fight against the Shredder. That sure was quick…!

And speaking of YouTube videos, TMNT fans and those of y’all who recall how bloody frustrating the first NES title was might want to check out this video. It’s flipping amazing… I watched in awe.

All for now, then. Until next time, minna-san! :mrgreen:

-posted by Wes | 8:33 pm | Comments (7)
7 Comments »
  • I’ve got the game installed — but I can’t figure out how to do anything but make my character walk and jump. What are the attack keys? I was in the training room, and, I tried just about everything — I was able to throw my stars, but never any phsyical attacks.

  • Wes says:

    To break out your weapons, you press Enter and Spacebar (or the two active joystick buttons, if you’re using one). Then you attack the same way that you throw shuriken — hold the attack button and press in the different directions. Blocking is accomplished the same way, but using the other button.

  • RADIX says:

    Reading that article reminds me of those old Windows games I used to play (one of them being an odd Mother Goose fetch quest…hmm). Of course, back then i was too afraid to play some of ’em. I was a scared little shit back then. But I digress–thanks for covering this game. I can’t think of many modern PC titles with that many nice touches (except, maybe, Half-Life 2, but that’s another story).

    …of course, not all DOS games were classics. Remember Megaman PC?

  • the Jax says:

    I missed out on Manhattan Missions, but I sure did play that first NES title…on DOS. I was content to spend hours in the first stage, and even rescue April, but that swimming level was just impossible. Timed, I ask you! Many kudos to that YouTube player. I watched the whole thing raptly. Thanks for more turtle-y goodness, Wes.

    Radix, I think you played Sierra’s Mixed-Up Mother Goose. By the time I saw the demo I was much too old, but the “watering can lady’s” funny voice sounded just like our gardening neighbor. Oh, how we laughed.

  • Wes says:

    RADIX: Yeah, Capcom PC translations certainly didn’t fare very well back in the DOS days! The graphics certainly looked good, but otherwise they might as well have been different (and inferior) games altogether. SF2 for the PC did have a certain strange appeal, though… 😉

    Jax: You know, I was just playing the PC TMNT1 again… and I think it’s even harder than the NES version. I’d like to see that guy run through it in 20 mins! I’ll have to post some comparison shots as well, because it looks like the graphics were completely redrawn for it… which leads me to believe that the game isn’t so much a port as it is a total recreation. Weird.

  • Ian says:

    My sister and I played Manhattan Missions religiously when we were kids. Those screenshots in your review of the game bring back so many fond memories. Since you say that you play the game on an annual basis, my recommendation for you is speeddemosarchive.com. I’d love the opportunity to watch and relive the nostalgia.

  • The S says:

    That actually isn’t Leatherhead in Manhattan Missions; that’s Usub Gerstalk from the old Palladium RPG.

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