Lack of ability on the reviewer's part might have made him a little bitter...this is classic old-school gaming.
The reviewer makes a couple of valid points - Raphael was near useless, except as a throwaway choice on the map levels and underwater areas...and, of course, the framerate suffered when there was too much action onscreen - but come on, respawning enemies? Hidden traps? Difficult, near impossible jumps? This is an old-school NES game! It was maddeningly hard at times, but it never felt like the game was being unfair - you just had to constantly stay on your toes.
It boils down to one fact: the better your reflexes, the better time you had with this game. If your reaction speed is too slow, it becomes impossible to play...however, if you've got fast reflexes and good hand-eye co-ordination, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a worthy challenge of your skills.
In summary, framerate issues push the score down to a 7, otherwise it would score a solid 9. Definitely worth a look, just don't expect it to be gentle with you.