Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Release: 02/92 Genre: Beat em up
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III – the Manhattan Project is often forgotten among the games in the series. It is easy to see why; as a 1992 release most of the industry and gamer’s attention was squarely on the SNES. It also did not hurt that TMNT IV – Turtles in Time was looking spectacular. But personally I will always remain nostalgic for this title. I first learned about it in the February 1992 issue of Gamepro, coincidentally one of the first gaming magazines I purchased regularly. That coverage led me to eventually owning the game and I was not disappointed. While it is a bit familiar it is still an awesome brawler and one of the better games in the series.
The Turtles are in Florida taking some much needed R & R. Unfortunately while tuning into April’s latest broadcast they witness the Shredder lift the entire island of Manhattan into the sky. To make matters worse he kidnaps April on live television and issues a challenge. Now the brothers have to make their way back to New York to save the day.
The Manhattan Project was in an interesting position. There were already heavy compromises to get the original arcade game onto the NES. Turtles in Time was rightfully saved for the eventual excellent Super Nintendo port. And so Konami created this exclusive as one last adventure for Nintendo fans. It does not stray far from what made TMNT II good but offers a few new features to make the journey worthwhile. There is no question it’s the best of the NES trilogy.
For the most part gameplay is nearly identical to its predecessor. Some work has gone into making each of the Turtles distinct beyond their weapons in the form of special moves. These attacks fit the characters and their personalities pretty well. Leonardo’s tornado spin attack along with Donatello’s spinning thrust is particularly devastating against bosses. Michaelangelo’s kangaroo kick and Raphael’s drill attack require some finesse to use properly. Both are effective at helping you escape a group attack but can also lead to cheap deaths.
There is one new move, a throw that will defeat a foot soldier instantly. As an extra bonus it also damages any foot soldiers in its path. The only caveat being it grants less points than simply smacking enemies in the face. This is important as min/maxing in order to earn extra lives becomes crucial to finishing the game. Every 100,000 points is an extra life and if you play your cards right you can gain one every level. But the convenience of the throw is too great to be denied.
The journey from Florida back to New York promises many new sights and sounds and for the most part the game delivers. There are plenty of exotic locations full of life as the game now scrolls in all directions like the arcade games. The eight stages are longer and full of plenty of interactive objects. Yet as much as I like the new levels they do skew a bit too close to the previous game in some cases. The sewers and bridge levels would not look out of place in TMNT II and the same goes for the Technodrome. It does make up for it in other ways. There are plenty of new foot soldiers to keep things fresh. While fan favorite bosses such as Bebop and Rocksteady return there are plenty of new additions such as Ground Chuck, Dirtbag, and Rahzar.
While I will not say TMNT III is easy the difficulty curve Is better than its predecessor. The most annoying bit from the prior game, the invincibility frame after hits, has been removed allowing you to mow down foot soldiers at will. The enemies attack in greater number but it is more manageable this time. With longer levels come more opportunities to earn extra lives and you will need them since continues are few. Bosses are still pretty frustrating and remain the main reason you will lose all your lives. Some have patterns but even that is not fool proof. It would not be a brawler without cheap bosses I guess.
As a 1992 release the Manhattan Project looks great. These are among the most vibrant graphics on the system and the variety from one level to the next is great. The animation on all of the sprites is better and the overall detail is greater. Konami push the system a little too hard as there is slowdown in many parts although it isn’t game breaking. Even more than the graphics the soundtrack is fantastic and among the best on the system in my opinion.
In Closing
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III – the Manhattan Project’s only crime is that it came out the same year as part 4. Any Turtles game, no matter how great, is destined to be overshadowed by that, let alone an NES game. Give it a chance and you will find a satisfying brawler that corrects its predecessor’s flaws and is a great game in its own right.
Please review all three versions of Tournament Fighters! I loved the NES version and nobody ever talks about it. It really deserves a spotlight for being the only game of its kind on the NES and also being the last TMNT game released for the system.