TMNT 1989 brings back many fond memories of the arcade times, but also reminds us that quaters meant something...
Gameplay: 7/10
Very classic, but also showing its age. TMNT 1989 has a very simple setup: X button for attack, and A button for Jump. Combine the two for either a special attack of jump kick. Really easy to figure out. However, the difficulty has been ramped up since its arcade debut, and fans of console version of the turtles might have some trouble with the new amount of cheapness the bosses and enemies show off. Still, TMNT 1989 brings one thing to vets: the feeling of being old. Graphics: 7/10
While the graphics are that much of a looker, the game has some nice looks to it for an old arcade game. Still, for its XBLA debut, the game hasn't been given the "XBLA" treatment as other games have. While they can put an enhanced version of the game up, it would have still been nice to get a new look for the turtles, but we all know this one was thrown out for one reason in reality: 2007's TMNT CGI return to the silver screen.
Sound: 8/10
The sounds of TMNT 1989 brings back even more memories, with the voice acting and characters in full swing. The game even has the very cheesy TMNT themes playing most of the time. The themes are different in each level, but they are mainly mixes of the main theme of the cartoon show that was on Saturday mornings in 1989. Very nice to hear once again in its full glory. Value: 5/10
Alright, so its really worth more for veteran gamers, but for the new kids on the block, I don't really know. While some will dig this on the arcade since its something different for once, its still a classic game that is very short, and on the easy side thanks to the huge amount of lives given to you. In offline, you have 10,000 lives each, and in online games, you have 20 lives each. Both are really enough to get people through the game, while the online game will require more skill than the offline(if you can't beat this game with 10,000 lives, you have problems...) but it's very doable.
Tilt: 10/10
I love these types of games for the sheer reason that they bring back memories and they make me feel old. In all truth, I old played TMNT IV: Turtles in time when I was younger, but I did play this one once, and I do like that I finally got to play and finish the original arcade hit. Also, I own TMNT IV: Turtles in Time on the SNES, so I really hoped it wasn't that. Anyways, the game is the perfect purchase on XBLA for me, annd all 400 MS points spent on it were very worth it. Overall: 7.7/10.0
Don't cringe at the score if your a vet. The reall score for vets is like 8.5/10.0. However, in this is the honest score for this game in this day and age. TMNT will be remembered, and hopefully the new movie tomorrow will do the series justice. If you want to enhance your TMNT experience some more, make sure you look up TMNT IV: Turtles in Time on SNES or in an Arcade near you.
"COWABUNGA"