TMNT Mutant Melee

The Green Team may be back in TMNT Mutant Melee, but do they still have what it takes to fend off the notorious Shredder? Cel shaded and styled similar to the newly animated series, our team of unlikely heroes fight on in “Mutant Melee”, a multiplayer-focused turtle game featuring twenty playable characters. Most likely, the majority of you who are reading this already know who and what the Ninja Turtles are all about. Either you’ve taken to one of the animated series, played a few of their countless games, or witnessed one of their all-too-classic movies. These last two years have yielded a few new games boasting the infamous Turtle title; unfortunately the title’s diminishing value may call for the old ooze-sodden towel to be hung up once and for all.

Likely made clear by the rather unambiguous title, TMNT Mutant Melee’s focal point is that of its multiplayer melee mode. Find a friend and you may be able to squeeze out a few hours of fun. Here and there a taunting comment generally followed by the quick-witted jape may be just what the game needs, though more than likely its limited and all-too redundant modes of play will hurriedly become a bore. Last Man Standing is, just as it would seem, a to-the-death battle where the last turtle standing is the victor. Knock Out is similar to the classic death match, highest kill count is the winner, just beware the one-hit-kill ledges which can quickly turn the tides of battle. King of the Hill offers some additional strategy to the twitch tactic, causing the player to do whatever they must to remain within a crimson-glowing ring as their timer ticks toward its goal. Last, and most likely least, is Keep Away, a simple game in which a single chest of coins appears and must be held for the given amount of time. Meanwhile your timer ticks closer toward its goal as your opponents furiously attempt to knock the chest from your hands to take it for their own.

Adventure Mode is the game’s other method of play. Rather simple and straightforward, the player will progress through multiple stages leading up to the game’s finale, all the while unlocking hidden characters and stages for the Melee Mode. The story itself is told in a linear fashion, derived from the stage’s tree-structured succession and occasional branching, most often leading to mini-games. The majority of gamers who play through the game’s Adventure Mode will find doing so surprisingly easy. Supplied with an infinite number of continues, there’s little-to-no pressure to complete the level perfectly the first time. In fact, the majority of the game’s levels take no more than a minute or two to beat. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of mission types. Levels consist primarily of time-critical survival, defeating the enemies more often than they defeat you, and defeating the enemies without dieing.

Styled similar to the newly animated series, TMNT Mutant Melee’s character graphics aren’t too shabby. Unfortunately the game’s environments and graphical interface are simplistic, almost to the point of being bland and boring. Though many stages offer a few items of note (whether it is a couch or truck), even fewer vary enough to effect the game’s play mechanics or tactics. Fortunately, gameplay itself is spiced up slightly by the game’s introduction of weapons and status benefits. Such items as a baseball bat, rocket launcher, battle axe, and long sword can be found by breaking any number of the stage’s crates. Nothing says 'good morning turtle' like a temporary defense boost or 'farewell shredder' like a photon cannon.

In conclusion, TMNT Mutant Melee is best described as an “Ok” game that won’t be missed if overlooked. Its lack of originality and overuse of concepts may entertain you and your friends for a time; though more than likely its mundane and repetitive design will show through all too quickly. Rent it, borrow it, or download a movie to see what it’s all about. If you’re looking for a good turtle game, perhaps it’s time to dust off the old NES, blow out the cartridge slot, and go back to where the series got its well-to-do reputation: Konami’s 1989 TMNT 2: The Arcade Game.

Gameplay: 5.5
The game’s repetitive gameplay mechanics and lack of tactical abstraction leaves little to do beyond basic maneuvers including hack ‘n slash, jumping, and occasional blocking. The game offers two modes of play, Melee Mode which can be fun for a while if you’ve found a friend to play, and Adventure Mode which you’ll likely play to do no more than unlock the hidden extras for Melee Mode.

Graphics: 6.0 
The game’s graphics are extremely simple. The characters themselves are cell shaded and appear to be dynamically lit, though are much more likely animated to appear as such. The environment itself is generally a rectangular arena with extruded architecture and cartoon’ish textures.

Sound: 6.0
A little of this and a little of that… TMNT Mutant Melee has a distinct sound track that hits just off the mark interspersed lightly with short segments borrowed from the recent cartoon series’ themes. As for the game’s voice segments, expect a few out of place and rather peculiar quotes.  There’s nothing quite like Donatello winning a ‘bout and saying: “I swear, you’re as smart as me” or “Stay in school kids”.

Difficulty: Easy
With a learning curve that’s near instantaneous, TMNT Mutant Melee can be played by any age group. Perhaps it’s just the game for an elder gamer to play with a young child. Simple button mashing suffices, a little ‘A’, a little ‘X’, and you have yourself combo.

Concept: 5.5 
The TMNT title has been around for quite some time. Turtles dropped into radioactive ooze, trained by a rat transformed humanoid named splinter in the arts of ninjitsu, sworn to protect the helpless from the likes of Shredder. A few basic battle modes, twenty playable characters, two attack buttons, a couple combos, and you have yourself a game… even if it’s not a very well implemented one.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Find someone to play with. Whether it’s your friend, neighbor, girlfriend, or kid brother, Mutant Melee’s gameplay is stiff at best and in general difficult to find entertaining if played solo.

Overall: 5.7
TMNT Mutant Melee seems to be a game that has been published and distributed to take advantage of hardcore turtle fans. If you have to see what it’s about for yourself, rent it before purchasing, and above all else… find a friend.