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Turtled gameplay on the half-shell, (with) Turtle Power!
November 12, 2005 | 12:29 PM PSTby: Jeff Kennedy
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Rampage is the third outing in the series of side scrolling turtle games, and the first on the Nintendo DS from Konami since the rebirth of the turtle cartoon series. TMNT3: MR is a shrunk down adventure that was meant to correspond with the 3D outings on the home systems also by the same name. While the 3D titles were ports across the home system the adventure given to the Nintendo DS while slightly similar has lots of stark differences within the core gameplay experience. Did Konami find out that the third time was the charm bringing back the magic of their games around the original cartoon series? Read on and find out how this ‘Mutant Rampage’ was handled.
Audio and Visuals:
The video and audio package of this latest turtle game while giving a certain level of detail throughout the game, it sadly barely ever screams that it bothered to use the potential of the DS whatsoever. Perhaps it was keeping with the tradition of the Gameboy Advance titles, or perhaps yet again they didn’t want to bother making a more suitable environment, but the game visually basically fits as a Gameboy Advance title and not one for the Nintendo DS. Giving some credit where it is due in many of the few stages existing in the adventure the DS’s 3D capability was partially used to create some decent background graphics. That aside, the entire game across both the screens is completely a sprite based adventure. Had there been a Gameboy Advance title, I would have guessed they ported the source material over to save time and money. In the main play window we are given some decently animated sprite based characters for both the turtles and the enemies, everything else is very static and plain. This could also be said for the secondary screen where mini-games are done and the map display where it’s all tile and sprite based minimalist effort.
One would hope that where the visuals had left off the audio package would help pick up some of the slack. Sadly though for the most part that just isn’t the case with the audio either. While the audio engine is nice aside from the snippet of the new Turtle’s Theme on the title not much else is put into it. There are a few decent pieces of music strewn around the title which are complimented by stock cartoon sound effects, the effects easily could have been picked up and lifted into any other ‘Brand X’ title and worked just fine. All in all, the entire audio package aside from the short title jingle and moderately decent music is entirely less than memorable.
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Audio and Visuals:
The video and audio package of this latest turtle game while giving a certain level of detail throughout the game, it sadly barely ever screams that it bothered to use the potential of the DS whatsoever. Perhaps it was keeping with the tradition of the Gameboy Advance titles, or perhaps yet again they didn’t want to bother making a more suitable environment, but the game visually basically fits as a Gameboy Advance title and not one for the Nintendo DS. Giving some credit where it is due in many of the few stages existing in the adventure the DS’s 3D capability was partially used to create some decent background graphics. That aside, the entire game across both the screens is completely a sprite based adventure. Had there been a Gameboy Advance title, I would have guessed they ported the source material over to save time and money. In the main play window we are given some decently animated sprite based characters for both the turtles and the enemies, everything else is very static and plain. This could also be said for the secondary screen where mini-games are done and the map display where it’s all tile and sprite based minimalist effort.
One would hope that where the visuals had left off the audio package would help pick up some of the slack. Sadly though for the most part that just isn’t the case with the audio either. While the audio engine is nice aside from the snippet of the new Turtle’s Theme on the title not much else is put into it. There are a few decent pieces of music strewn around the title which are complimented by stock cartoon sound effects, the effects easily could have been picked up and lifted into any other ‘Brand X’ title and worked just fine. All in all, the entire audio package aside from the short title jingle and moderately decent music is entirely less than memorable.
Gameplay:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Rampage may have had an average at best presentation value as far as the audio/video package, and as one would assume the same could be said of the gameplay as well. While the game box promises around 50 stages of fun with the Turtles, by my best count there are just 24 stages in the Story Mode with next to little deviation at all. The little deviation comes from the fact that each turtle has not only its own skill set, but also one special perk that sets the character apart from the rest. For instance Raphael can muscle away large boulders while Michelangelo can perform a double jump to reach heights the others can not. Those two will be allowed to access Stage 4B while the other two have to move along through Stage 4A, and that is it. This is where the light deviation comes from as here and there each turtle will get access to a split off stage area along the path due to such talents, but otherwise each guy plays the same areas for the most part aside from a section here or there in a stage.
Astonishingly so where the gameplay suffers most is the fact the play field has been reduced to walking on a line, which in other words means there is zero depth to the play field. This causes an obscene level of pain and suffering for the player who has to deal with four guys on the screen at one time who has nowhere safe to go. This effectively reduces the games actual difficulty down to avoiding cheap hits as you are only allowed ONE life, and if it is lost its back to the beginning of the stage. Trying to be creative Konami placed a few odd stages in the game and some touch based mini-games as you progress, and sadly for the most part they’re moderate to high level annoyances that disrupt the adventure. Whether it is within a small time trying to tap out a long color code, or being limited to carrying around a robot with a 50 second clock you can not make if you take a hit, it’s easy to say that aggravation will rapidly follow suit. Much of these additions are more so just canned attempts to break the monotony, and drag down the games play value a bit further. Aside from the main game we are given a Battle Mode which in actuality is just really a ‘beat the clock’ collection game attempting to grab crystals from a set map. I supposed this is where the 50 stages plays into things mentioned on the box, but the size of this multiplayer area is little more than a small map. To me this happens to be less fun as in conjunction with that setup you have to deal with invincible enemies in your path you can only temporarily stun!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Rampage may have had an average at best presentation value as far as the audio/video package, and as one would assume the same could be said of the gameplay as well. While the game box promises around 50 stages of fun with the Turtles, by my best count there are just 24 stages in the Story Mode with next to little deviation at all. The little deviation comes from the fact that each turtle has not only its own skill set, but also one special perk that sets the character apart from the rest. For instance Raphael can muscle away large boulders while Michelangelo can perform a double jump to reach heights the others can not. Those two will be allowed to access Stage 4B while the other two have to move along through Stage 4A, and that is it. This is where the light deviation comes from as here and there each turtle will get access to a split off stage area along the path due to such talents, but otherwise each guy plays the same areas for the most part aside from a section here or there in a stage.
Astonishingly so where the gameplay suffers most is the fact the play field has been reduced to walking on a line, which in other words means there is zero depth to the play field. This causes an obscene level of pain and suffering for the player who has to deal with four guys on the screen at one time who has nowhere safe to go. This effectively reduces the games actual difficulty down to avoiding cheap hits as you are only allowed ONE life, and if it is lost its back to the beginning of the stage. Trying to be creative Konami placed a few odd stages in the game and some touch based mini-games as you progress, and sadly for the most part they’re moderate to high level annoyances that disrupt the adventure. Whether it is within a small time trying to tap out a long color code, or being limited to carrying around a robot with a 50 second clock you can not make if you take a hit, it’s easy to say that aggravation will rapidly follow suit. Much of these additions are more so just canned attempts to break the monotony, and drag down the games play value a bit further. Aside from the main game we are given a Battle Mode which in actuality is just really a ‘beat the clock’ collection game attempting to grab crystals from a set map. I supposed this is where the 50 stages plays into things mentioned on the box, but the size of this multiplayer area is little more than a small map. To me this happens to be less fun as in conjunction with that setup you have to deal with invincible enemies in your path you can only temporarily stun!
Final Word:
I asked if the third time was the charm for Konami with this turtle game and sadly the case is a big no. The game is a combination of tedium, repetition, shortness, and many lost opportunities across both the audio/visual and gameplay packages. I feel that even the target audience which are child fans of the series would in more cases than not, even bother to finish the game. Kids tend to have short attention spans and can get frustrated easily and this game by far would test both those tolerances greatly. Perhaps even just having depth to the play area like Star Wars Episode 3 has on the Nintendo DS would have helped plenty, but that I can not say for certain, though at the least it would have removed many of the unavoidably cheap hits due to crowding on screen. Had Konami been kind enough to include ‘Turtles in Time’ as an unlockable like on the consoles the effort to finish the game may have been worth it, but standing alone it has to be the most limp and stagnant effort at a brawler the Nintendo DS has to offer and would have been best suited keeping the series on the Gameboy Advance instead. My suggestion to the consumer would be to take the game, invite Shredder over, have him help prepare it, and tonight both you dine on some Turtle Soup.
I asked if the third time was the charm for Konami with this turtle game and sadly the case is a big no. The game is a combination of tedium, repetition, shortness, and many lost opportunities across both the audio/visual and gameplay packages. I feel that even the target audience which are child fans of the series would in more cases than not, even bother to finish the game. Kids tend to have short attention spans and can get frustrated easily and this game by far would test both those tolerances greatly. Perhaps even just having depth to the play area like Star Wars Episode 3 has on the Nintendo DS would have helped plenty, but that I can not say for certain, though at the least it would have removed many of the unavoidably cheap hits due to crowding on screen. Had Konami been kind enough to include ‘Turtles in Time’ as an unlockable like on the consoles the effort to finish the game may have been worth it, but standing alone it has to be the most limp and stagnant effort at a brawler the Nintendo DS has to offer and would have been best suited keeping the series on the Gameboy Advance instead. My suggestion to the consumer would be to take the game, invite Shredder over, have him help prepare it, and tonight both you dine on some Turtle Soup.
Visuals
Fluid and functional, though a very Gameboy Advance style sprite and tile engine is present in the game. Only the few 3D backgrounds attempt to use the DS abilities.
5.0
Sound
Decent, but nothing much to praise either. Aside from the title jingle the rest of the music is not memorable though good. Sound effects are stock material from any game.
6.0
Control
Decent controls help the game along and the unique moves are a nice touch. The pre-programmed turtle combat motions can open you to a bad beating you can’t get out of.
6.5
Gameplay
Whether it’s playing on a cramped line, tons of repetition, annoying distracting mini-games, overly tight beat-the-clock scenarios, or one life level restarts, little good is here.
3.0
Lasting Appeal
When Story Mode is over, you likely won’t do it again. The Battle Mode collection can be a bit interesting to try again whether alone or with friends, but that’s it.
2.0
Verdict
Personally I have been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise since the cartoon aired and thoroughly enjoyed the Turtle home and arcade titles of that era. Having played this game and a couple of the others from this generation I have to wonder if Konami will ever try and get one right in the way the old broader play setup titles did before the 3D age of home gaming was formed. I sadly really can’t recommend this title to brawler or even TMNT fans. Had they included Turtles in Time it may have been worth the effort for a turtle fan, but as is the game is just out of place and maybe had been better suited on the Game Boy Advance with the last two prequels.
Personally I have been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise since the cartoon aired and thoroughly enjoyed the Turtle home and arcade titles of that era. Having played this game and a couple of the others from this generation I have to wonder if Konami will ever try and get one right in the way the old broader play setup titles did before the 3D age of home gaming was formed. I sadly really can’t recommend this title to brawler or even TMNT fans. Had they included Turtles in Time it may have been worth the effort for a turtle fan, but as is the game is just out of place and maybe had been better suited on the Game Boy Advance with the last two prequels.
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February 8, 2010
