[Playing…] TMNT – Young Mutant Ninja Turtles

It has recently been launched TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan, a new game based on the popular Ninja Turtles and the truth is that it generated enormous expectations that apparently have not been met. As I have not yet had the pleasure of trying that game, I will not comment on its playability, but I would like to comment on how surprised I was by the hype generated by the game before its release, since that has not happened with many of the Ninja Turtles games, not even when they had a television series or movie to support them.

In this case I want to talk about one of those games, TMNT – Young Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was forgotten almost as quickly as the film on which it was based.

The film tried to offer us something different than usual, as it did not focus on the origin of the turtles and their feud with the Foot Clan. On this occasion the story took place years after having defeated Shredder and only three of the turtles continue to live in the sewers with Splinter, who prohibits them from going out on patrol until Leonardo returns, who has undertaken a training trip and currently lives in a jungle in South America.

Not being able to dedicate their time to punishing crime makes Michelangelo and Donatello look for work to earn some money (the first dresses up as a turtle for birthday parties and the second works as a telephone technician). Rafael, like the rebellious and stubborn turtle that he is, decides to create an alter ego called Nightwatcher and capture criminals at night.

The main enemy of the film was an eccentric millionaire named Winters and the plot of the film is more similar to something like the Gargoyles series than the Ninja Turtles. However, we must recognize that the film took risks and offered us very good moments and that at no time will it make us feel embarrassed as if it can happen with other films or series of the characters.

This game was released for 128-bit consoles (Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox), also for PC, Wii and Xbox 360 and had different versions for PSP, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. I have to say that I consider that the best version is the Game Boy Advance and by far, so if you can take a look at it, don't hesitate.

The main version of the game was developed by Ubisoft, a company that already had enormous experience in platform and action games after having released the trilogy of Prince of Persia (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, The Two Thrones). Honestly, never in my life would I have thought that Prince of Persia and the Ninja Turtles could have similar video games, but the truth is that at that time, the character's games were based on platform scenes with jumps and impossible situations and many combats, each more spectacular, so it makes sense that this TMNT remember the Prince trilogy, because he himself looked like a ninja.

In terms of story, the game begins when some time has passed since the events of the movie, but no, it is not a sequel to the movie, it is a kind of “we sat down to talk to each other and tell what happened.”

Thanks to that, if you haven't seen the movie you find out about the story and if you have seen it you remember it, although as usually happens with games based on feature films there are some changes in the events narrated. The first change is that to prolong the game, events that did not happen in the movie are added (for example, the final battle between the Turtles and Shredder) and the second change is that events that do happen in the movie are modified or excluded, such as the brutal confrontation between Leonardo and the Nightwatcher. It is curious that they removed this scene, because not only is it one of the best parts of the movie, but there is a level in which we control Leonardo and chase the Nightwatcher, but when the time comes to confront us, that fact is ignored and we continue as if it had never happened, despite the fact that in the video scene that appears upon completing the level you see a scene from the movie that shows that this fight happened.

When playing, we find that The levels are very platform-focused. and the fights appear as an intermediate between the jump zones. This doesn't seem bad to me, on the contrary, I like that the turtles move the way they move in this game, because they can do everything, jump from wall to wall, run along the wall, double jump in the air, grab onto ledges and railings... they are very ninja-like.

Besides each turtle has its own special ability (Michelangelo can use his nunchakus to glide in the air, Leonardo can go through certain walls, Donatello uses his bo as a pole and Raphael uses his sais to climb some building facades).

When it comes to fighting there are also differences, each turtle has its own combos and advantages (greater range for Leonardo and Donatelo, greater speed for Rafael and Michelangelo) although some specific movements (such as kicks or the special attack of the weapon when we hold down the button) are shared by all the characters. There is a star bar that will fill up as we kill enemies. When it is complete we will enter “lethal mode” or in other words, each hit we give to an opponent will be enough to eliminate them.

At first we will control only one turtle, but when we advance a little all four will be available and we will be able to exchange between them as we wish. In addition, the turtles will be able to make team attacks, either to attack enemies or to make the platform areas less impossible (for example, if you make a jump and fall short, you can make a team attack so that another turtle grabs you and throws you forward so you don't fall into the void).

In addition to the turtles there is a fifth character, the Nightwatcher. When we control it We do not find any playable difference with respect to Rafael, except that the teamwork meter does not exist and neither does the star meter, instead we will have a rage bar that we will fill by defeating enemies and we can use to enter lethal mode. If we also have a full bar, Nightwatcher will cause an explosion that will sweep away enemies when activating that mode. It's a shame that they didn't differentiate this character more, because in the movie he fights with chains and it would have been very nice to see that reflected in the game instead of feeling like we control Rafael but with a different appearance.

As far as graphics are concerned, I think the game is correct, as long as we take into account that it is from the 128-bit generation. It is true that the scenarios are large and relatively repetitive (although of course, within their limitation they try to provide variety) but that is not the problem, which lies more in their design and their contribution to the playability.

The main flaw is that we do not control the camera and that means that we will see what the game wants us to see and that is where the design of the scenarios has to be quite clear and it is not. On many occasions we will see several paths to follow, as if there were a wall with a fence (that we can jump over) and on the other side an open door, well, only one of the two elements will be useful, the existence of the other does not contribute anything and will only confuse. What need is there to make a hallway or a door completely open if in reality for the player there is only an invisible wall? I don't know, but it's not a good idea, especially since we will be moving in all directions and those kinds of elements distract more than they contribute.

Another development problem is that the platform areas, despite being good, They are repetitive and unfair, there are levels that are based on repeating the same type of danger or event 3 or 4 times, for example an area in which the platforms collapse when you step on them and you have to run along the façade of the building to the next one. Imagine having to repeat that same danger 3 or 4 times in a row, interspersed between one combat or another or some platform area (which will surely also be repeated). It's a shame that with the wide variety of actions the turtles can do, we end up doing the same thing in almost every level, maybe they should have spread out these events and added some more original ones (like, for example, when we can walk on top of the balloons in a parade).

To all this we must add that we are talking about Ubisoft and a game where the characters are very skilled and the settings are quite large, or in other words, it is easy to encounter bugs and glitches. For example, in my first game, when I reached the third level, I went through the walls, I don't really know how, and ended up in a completely black world except for my turtle. By jumping and feeling around the black world, my character crossed the ground and ended up in another section of the level. I admit that this has not happened to me frequently, but we must keep in mind that at various specific times we can force “the existence” of the scenarios.

The development and design of the levels is not as bad as it may seem and the bugs are not as numerous as you may think (hey, in my first game it happened to me only once), but it is true that they are somewhat bland and can get tiring, but that is also the fault of the playability.

If we add the numerous platform skills of the turtles, the open scenarios but limited by the camera and the occasional bug, we realize that the playable experience is going to suffer if the control is not up to par.

And although the control seems to be up to par (in many cases it is) it abandons us from time to time, mainly in the most demanding platform areas where it is very possible that la tortuga no haga lo que queremos hacer. Me explico, si tratamos de saltar de una plataforma a otra y estamos cerca de una pared, la tortuga usara su habilidad para andar por la pared en lugar de saltar y eso nos llevará a caer por el agujero y tener que volver a repetir la zona.

Esta clase de situaciones son tan comunes, que pueden llegar a ser desesperantes desde el principio del juego, no es algo que vaya a peor, simplemente siempre es así. A la que os acostumbréis a pensar en esas situaciones evitaréis problemas y trataréis de disfrutar del juego, pero es muy difícil no ver interrumpida una partida muy divertida por alguna zona de plataformas donde no terminéis en el agujero.

Los de Ubisoft sabían este hecho y trataron de enmendarlo añadiendo puntos de control (checkpoints) en abundancia, de manera que si superáis una zona complicada el juego os dejara continuar tras ella, de manera que la olvidareis enseguida pero… a mí personalmente me parece un recurso un tanto lamentable.

El juego nos hace sufrir en las zonas de plataformas pero nos perdona ese sufrimiento evitando volver a pasarlas, como si no hubiesen existido, pero más adelante nos volvemos a ver en las mismas y creo que eso no está bien. Debieron corregir esas zonas, o permitir mover la cámara o simplemente, acortarlas ligeramente y evitar su repetición en un mismo nivel.

Me queda muy claro que los de Ubisoft no supieron medir bien la dificultad, pues el juego se pone difícil, pero no importa lo mas mínimo ya que nunca te penaliza, puedes morir 200 veces en un salto e intentarlo otras 200 mas y cuando lo superes, checkpoint y continúa como si nada. Lo peor es que en los combates esto también sucede, puedes usar a las 4 tortugas (cada una con su barra de vida) y si te matan una, le das al botón rápidamente y se levanta como si nada y continúas jugando. Ni siquiera sé si te pueden matar de verdad en el juego, ya que nunca lo he vivido, simplemente me han noqueado a alguna tortuga, le he dado al botón, se ha levantado y he seguido jugando.

Esto puede parecer buenísimo, pero lo que logra es que no valores la vida que tienen los personajes, me explico, me he visto a mi mismo andando a través de peligros del escenario sin preocuparme de perder vida ¿para qué me voy a preocupar si no me penalizan?

Al completar cada nivel nos puntúan nuestras habilidades de lucha, las monedas que hemos recolectado, el tiempo que hemos tardado y el número de veces que hemos usado los movimientos de equipo. La nota resultante será la única penalización que veamos ante la actitud pasota anteriormente descrita y lo único malo que puede pasar es que si no sacamos una A (que es relativamente fácil si se os da bien pelear y usáis ataques en equipo) es que no desbloquearemos niveles de desafío ni recibiremos caparazones extra.

Los niveles de desafío son unas pruebas en una especie de mundo virtual donde tenemos que cumplir un objetivo bajo cronometro, si lo hacemos bien obtendremos más caparazones.

Los caparazones sirven para comprar extras, como ilustraciones, vídeos o añadir elementos graciosos a las partidas, como que las tortugas sean cabezonas, que sus armas sean objetos cotidianos (cambiar el bo por una escoba o los nuchakus por embutido) o que los enemigos vayan disfrazados con elementos divertidos como sombreros de cowboy.

El juego no posee modo a dos jugadores, pero tiene bastante contenido para un jugador, gracias a que podemos rejugar los niveles del modo historia (para mejorar nuestra nota y conseguir más caparazones) a  las pruebas del desafío y a los vídeos e ilustraciones.

¿Es TMNT un mal juego? No, no lo es, es un juego aceptable que nos da momentos excelentes y momentos soporíferos. Existen muchísimos juegos así y algunos de ellos han dejado un gran recuerdo. Sin embargo es una pena que teniendo una base tan buena no se molestasen en pulirla, habría salido un juego excelente.

Desde mi punto de vista, a este juego le faltaba un testeo más profundo, un recorte en algunos niveles (demasiado largos y repetitivos) y a ser posible un modo multijugador, aunque fuese de pegarse entre sí o de ver quien mata más ninjas del Pie.

Si sois fans de las Tortugas Ninja como yo, podéis llegar a disfrutarlo y agradeceréis detalles como que el juego este doblado, que incluyesen ilustraciones y vídeos o que los niveles de Nightwatcher tengan escenarios en blanco y negro al estilo Sin City (que tanto influenció los cómics originales de estos personajes). Si no lo sois, quizás no lleguéis a disfrutarlo tanto y es posible que os aburráis enseguida.