Shell Shocker! It's those heroes in a half shell! (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox))

Member Name: Wee_Jackie_163

Product:	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox)
Date:	16/08/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great game!

Disadvantages: Quite addictive...

** Review is for X Box game, not X Box 360 **



My partner and I have become absolutely addicted to this game of late, mainly due to us making a recent purchase of a second controller for our (old and battered) X box, thus meaning that we can both now enjoy playing the two player mode on this game, rather than one of us being a spectator to the other.

The single player game however, can be great fun too.

The game contains various 'modes'. The main mode is the 'Story mode' which involves the turtles being faced with various challenges and enemies to defeat in each 'zone'. When appropriate, we are given information about what lies ahead for the turtles and we see them getting advice from their master, Splinter (the rat). This is done quite cleverly by showing us 'snippets' of cartoon in-between certain stages.

To begin with, you have the choice of which of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you would like to 'be'. Each turtle has his own weapons, and therefore has his own individual 'attack' moves and attributes. Each individual turtle also has his own little sayings and catchphrases.

For example, if I selected to play as Donatello (the turtle with the purple headscarf) my weapon would be a 'Bo stick' which I can control by swiping through the air and knocking my opponents to the ground. There are also several other attack moves that become useful in their own way as the game progresses.

An example of one of Donatello's catchphrases would be to exclaim rather excitedly "shellshocked!" in the face of his opponents as he has knocked them to the ground.

Talking of opponents, these get more difficult (as is the norm with any 'action' game) as the game progresses. To begin with, we are faced with much smaller and easier enemies such as robotic rodents, and human which can be killed quite easily with one or two swipes.

As the game continues however, we are required to deal at least two or three blows to each opponent, and the amount of opponents is much more abundant.

Crates are littered throughout the game that can be 'burst' open by your turtle. Crates do at times, contain nothing, but on more generous occasions we can obtain a treat of sorts. This varies from a 'health' item - which replenishes the turtle's energy bar - to shurikens which can be thrown at an opponent from a distance.

The health items are all foodstuffs, and of course these are foods that appeal to a turtle's appetite! For example, a full pizza will provide the turtle with maximum health, and replenish their full energy bar (of course pizzas are sparse though!). A milkshake will provide minimum health and a burger and sushi is somewhere around the half-way mark.

Another mode that can be chosen on the title menu is the 'Vs mode', which basically has two options; you can play each other (assuming there are two of you and you have two hand controllers) or you can play one turtle and the X box will play the other.

You each select your turtle, and off you go! This version is good for a 'warm up' sort of battle before you commence playing the 'story mode'. This is a very quick mode, as play only continues until one turtle runs of energy.

As the storyline unfolds, the turtles are all given additional moves, which essentially means that part of the game has been 'Unlocked'. Said additional moves obviously enable the appropriate turtle to carry out stronger attack moves on opponents and enemies. This means that it is of course worthwhile spending time playing each individual turtle in order to progress their abilities and skills.

These new moves are particularly helpful when dealing with the evil machines and opponents that are at the end of each 'stage'. These take much more determination and hard work to kill than the usual run of the mill opponents that you have battled on your journey thus far. Some of these 'bosses' are very tricky and take a lot of practice before they finally succumb and you manage a victory for your turtle... Cowabunga Dude!

This is where the beauty of the 'two player' game comes in. If you work together, you can coordinate your moves against your opponents in such a way that they will be given double the blow. For example, when faced with the ninjas in the little yellow-coloured robotic air craft, one turtle can try and hit these so that they fall slightly, and this allows the second turtle to deliver a few fatal blows... Teamwork is the key!

In addition, the two-player game has a special move in that one turtle can lift and throw the other. This is particularly effective when dealt with a small 'crowd' of opponents, as the thrown turtle acts in a similar fashion to a ball knocking down a stack of skittles!

The final stage in the game has more levels than the stages before it. This is good, because you know you are nearing the end of the game, and part of you doesn't want it to end. On the other hand though, the final stage is quite frustrating as the game will not let you save any of the levels in the final stage that you have completed already - arghh! This is particularly frustrating given that all of the levels in the final stage are much, much more difficult than any level you have already completed...!

We have yet to complete the game. My other half is getting so fed up with playing the same four or five levels over and over (in order to progress to the next level in the game) that the chances are that the end of the game will be reached by me playing by myself, in the one-player mode.

Throughout the game there are scrolls that can be collected. These are hidden in the crates alongside health power-ups and shurikens. Scrolls can be collected for each turtle, and these (apparently) contribute to the game as a whole, allowing parts of the game to be unlocked. There is a 'mode' on the game that remains locked to my partner and me thus far, and whether these scrolls have a bearing on this or not is anybody's guess. Perhaps when the game is completed, the final 'mode' will be unlocked? Who knows...!

A word of warning... The turtles' dialogue is quite limited (perhaps five expressions each or so) and these poor green creatures obviously feel the need to shout some of this limited dialogue each time they deal a blow to an opponent. This of course means that the same phrases will be played over and over (and over) while you are playing the game... This does grate on one's nerves after a while... You have been warned!

Overall, I would recommend this game to anybody who is a fan of fast-moving, action-packed video games in general. I wouldn't personally allow very young children to play the game as I find these sorts of games are quite violent, but I guess that's down to personal choice.

We got the game from a second hand game store and paid around £5 for it. I have also seen it for sale on eBay for around the same price.

I will award the game four stars out of five - it really is a 'shell' of a game! (sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Summary: A Hero in a Half-shell! Turtle power!