Ranking All 13 Games in the Cowabunga Collection!

When it comes to game releases in 2022, none were higher on my list than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection. I LOVE the TMNT, and never really thought we'd see a case where all these classic games - 13 in total - would ever be housed on one cartridge.
And while the games are decidedly the main attraction, the bonus content on the cart alone is worth exploring. Scans of box art, complete manuals (including how to setup the arcade cabinets!!), a jukebox, concept art, media kits - and thats even before we get to the fact that each game has enhancements built into it to improve performance or appearance (such as eliminating the flicker on the OG NES game) to making it more fun to play (like God Mode in the arcade releases.)
The collection itself is 100% an S tier release - but how does each game stack up? Let's rank them and find out. :)
00:00: Let's Kick Shell!
00:28: Bonus Content
01:49: TMNT - Arcade
03:12: Turtles In Time - Arcade
04:38: Turtles In Time - SNES
05:58: Tournament Fighters - SNES
07:27: Hyperstone Heist - Genesis
08:38: Tournament Fighters - Genesis
09:52: TMNT - NES
11:31: TMNT 2: The Arcade Game - NES
13:12: TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project - NES
14:53: Tournament Fighters - NES
15:46: Fall of the Foot Clan - Game Boy
16:57: Back From the Sewer - Game Boy
18:09: The Radical Rescue - Game Boy
19:14: Cowabunga!
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[@RondoOfBloodX]

I know it’s probably been said but you can change the dash to be a button press on both versions of TIT. Meaning that you can use it at will rather then accidently use it when you don’t want it.

[@SquarePegs]

Legit, I had ZERO idea. Thank you!!

[@RondoOfBloodX]

@@SquarePegs It’s in the enhancements section when you select a game. All the games have them and they each have something different like turning off the slowdown and sprite flicker on the NES games.

[@CorinianSalame]

@@RondoOfBloodX I think on the SNES version it’s in the options menu within the game! Also you can change the colors there like Hyperstone Heist.

[@TrueKoalaKnight]

It's also not random. They simply run after holding left or right for a couple seconds.

[@Apathesis0]

But do you run instantly or is there a delay? The original SNES release had a delay. It wasn't instant like in Hyperstone Heist.

[@halolasomaster3900]

Hyperstone Heist is S tier and most balanced imo

[@TheMegatron673]

i have turtles in time and hyperstone heist on my modded 3ds and they run great. 😁

[@BreadPitt7]

The Manhattan Project holds a special place. I played that game for hours and hours with my cousin back in the days. I might buy that collection only for this one.

[@leeguyton1010]

Great video dude. Just picked up the collection and can't wait to enjoy some nostalgic adventures.

[@Azkhalon]

I love your ranking videos! I've been working on my own video as well in more of a countdown fashion, so it was cool to hear your opinion about the games as well! Fantastic job as always buddy!

[@hotdoggington6962]

I love hearing your takes dude. More often than not your opinions are different than mine, but you always back them up with your reasoning, and that's what I come for.

[@joshswicegood3253]

Holding the actual first arcade game is my fav because it was so good as a kid and wasted so many quarters trying to beat that game. When it finally came out on nintendo I was super disappointed because I was expecting it to be just like the arcade but as a kid I didn’t understand 8 bit gaming. Most nostalgic game of all time. Also would rate them on how much they impacted me as a kid. When you get older things change of course. That first TMNT on the nintendo had me hooked. I was like 10 when it first came out. And you talk about getting frustrated…one of the hardest on the nes.

[@Riskyjoe1525]

The first NES TMNT game is a chamber in hell rank

[@redrock733]

I do believe for the Manhattan Project, that color for the turtles issue at the bottom of the screen? That is not a mistake, that is actually a limitation of the NES itself. Info bars at the bottom of the screen for NES were rare and had VERY limited color use. Games like this and Kirby’s Adventure use this. Devs had to modify the cartridge I believe in order for those bottom info bars to work properly, otherwise the game just straight up can’t use them. If you look at the Kirby’s Adventure equivalent to the info bar at the bottom, you’ll see that it lacks color too, due to that limitation. And you can see that due to that limitation, is it not an oversight since when you complete a stage in Manhattan project, the color of the selected turtle shows up fine.

[@SquarePegs]

That's entirely plausible as a reason, and wouldn't surprise me in the slightest were that the case. But in that regard, I need to question then the oversight of even having the graphics in the info bar in the first place. It's always going to be something that bugs me, regardless of technical issues.

[@Victory-in-YAHUSHA]

​@@SquarePegs It adds charm and uniqueness to the game that many NES games did not use at that time. A nice little decoration if you will. Despite the banner at the bottom, the game is still an improvement upon it's predecessor, gameplay, graphics, music and soundwise. Each Turtle has their own unique special move that adds a bit of personality to them. Plus I love that I can switch to a different Turtle upon losing a life as opposed to using up a credit to switch to another. Game legth is longer than the other classic Turtles beat 'em ups which is nice.

[@ToABrighterFuture]

For Tournament Fighters on the SNES: Armaggon was from the Archie series, and he was actually in a multi-issue arc called the Future Shark Trilogy. Great story, by the way, especially in continuity; future Raph did so much growing up he's almost a different character, and he also lays down some foreshadowing. But that's another story. War is also from the Archie series, and he's got a few other companions that might have been interesting to see in game, but there was only so much roster space. Aska was originally meant to be Mitsu from the third live-action movie, but was renamed after the film underperformed. Wingnut appeared in the Archhie series, but also in the original Fred Wolf series; Chrome Dome was also from the Fred Wolf series. Also of note, when Karai was included here, it marked her first appearance outside of Mirage. So they really were trying to include plausible fighters from every then-current universe: Mirage, Archie, live films, Fred Wolf. It was a solid effort, and if Smash-Up had worked, I would have liked to see the concept expanded into other series.

[@SquarePegs]

Fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing that knowledge, I truly appreciate it!

[@thataintplum]

That was some cool knowledge you just dropped #Respect

[@MeVsMyself1]

Thanks for saying this. I loved the game. Wasn't SF2 or MK, but up there. At least a B+ 😂 I had it on the original SNES; so nostalgia maybe adding to my view lol the speed can be increased in the standard options, which were the same on the snes as they are in the switch version.

[@YETTheShow]

Just got the game and wanted to see rankings. Love your video and subbed!!!

[@SquarePegs]

Awesome!! Thank you so much, I look forward to having you here!

[@YETTheShow]

@@SquarePegs and I look forward to more videos.

[@smoothALOE]

I remember what a big deal it was when TMNT 2: the Arcade was released for the NES. At the time, we didn’t care about the limitations it had. It was simply awesome.

[@DrewJoiner]

Awesome video idea

[@RetroRivals]

I always appreciate a good ranking video mostly because I’m still trying to play catch up. Knowing where I should start for the best experience is awesome or if I wanna be crazy I can play it worst you best to have something to look forward too 🤣🤣 I’ve dabbled in a lot of the turtles games but have only completed turtles in time and hyperstone heist

[@SquarePegs]

Well you've completed the best two, that's for sure. :D

[@AldoAraujo85]

It really is pretty mind-boggling that all of these games were able to be rereleased, considering all the legal hoops TMNT properties go through. Considering some of these games fetch high prices these days, this collection is absolutely worth it!

[@pungisotu]

I wish they could’ve put Manhattan Missions atleast and to go all out the MSX, Dos and ZSS ports of the NES game. A video game adaptation or better yet a table top of the pinball game from Data East would have been amazing. Yet another legal loophole I know.

[@AldoAraujo85]

@@pungisotu That's just extreme wishful thinking, and while it would have been very cool to see, those are just super, super niche entries/ports on the side of things, and likely not worth the effort for Konami. Hell, it's a miracle and a half they even did this, so I guess we should count our blessings haha

[@pungisotu]

@@AldoAraujo85 someone had to say it. These comps are pretty low effort imo but they surprised me enough with the effort to make me buy it. Sega puts more effort in their minis with bonus titles.

[@AldoAraujo85]

@@pungisotu For sure, most compilations are very barebones with just the bare minimum added in terms of titles - I would have expected Konami to split this up into 2 or 3 different compilations to squeeze out maximum profit, but they did most of it here, which is pretty surprising. Speaking of SEGA, I'm really impressed with their lineup for the Genesis Mini 2 - varied selection, and tons of heavy hitters, which is a pleasant surprise.

[@pungisotu]

@@AldoAraujo85 indeed. TMNT collection is more complete than their Castlevania and Contra collections. They still have several games for GBA and PS2/GCN and various PCs they could milk. Yes, indeed. I was very impressed with MD mini 2. I preordered the JP version from Play-Asia.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Great ranking on all the TMNT games! For years, I would always think Turtles in Time was the best, but that changed in the past year or so when I replayed Hyperstone Heist. I noticed the gameplay was much faster and the optional “run” button vastly changes the flow for the best. Totally agree that one is an S ranking! Ah, Tournament Fighters…the Genesis one is really bad but is salvaged for me for several of the game’s songs that are bangers (April’s stage on the Spaceship). The SNES version is the most competent…but I dreaded playing them for the trophy on the PS4/PS5 version to beat. I can say I finally beat the first TMNT on NES through this collection, and actually beat it twice yesterday! The second play-through definitely clicked much more, but your ranking is accurate. Fantastic video as always, friend!

[@SquarePegs]

Thank you my friend! And major congrats on beating TMNT 1 - that's a huge accomplishment!!

[@mikeylovespizza4012]

After watching recent videos on KZbin about NES TMNT, it motivated me to play again. It has a lot of features I didn’t know about.

[@melvinblackburn195]

I personally believe Tournament Fighters on the SNES is grossly overrated. The idea of a TMNT versus fighting game seemed so awesome at the time. The visuals are on point though. The simple fact of having the two arcade games to grab off of the shelf anytime is a dream come true and would have blown my 10-year-old mind.

[@TheTrueBro]

It's actually not. The game has aged greatly because people still find tech on it, its battle system is very advanced for its time, and competitive wise it works great (yes, even with the BS from Armaggon and Shredder). I can surely say it's a great surprise to see some people online in the collection and some of them are actually quite good.

[@emansfvera]

Wtf are you talking about, tournament fighters is actually pretty good man. You must not be good at fighting games because only people who say stuff like that usually suck at fighters lol.

[@Mr.LooseLeaf]

It was on nes and then genisis and then SNES...

[@Keviel1]

This collectios is so well received that komani says anything can happens on a second copilation with game boy advanced , ps2,gamecube , xbox games

[@mikeylovespizza4012]

Same here. I never knew turtles in time had an arcade version.

[@great159]

Certain characters didn't make it into both arcade games because they weren't in the show yet. Just in case some of you were wondering now you know🤓

[@gamenightwithjamiibo]

This is my game of the year. 13 games that are expensive now. I’ve been playing this for a week straight.

[@TKMagicShop]

Just found the channel. New Sub!!

[@CatFish107]

I can dig being not the best at videogames, yet enjoying them anyhow. I think I'm of the same vintage as you, had turtles2 on the nes, and love kirby games for chill, low challenge, high fun times.

[@Owazrim]

Hyperstone heist is just a lot of fun to sit down and playthrough. Not really difficult even on hard but it looks, sounds, and plays well. Glad I am not the only one that prefers it to Time. I recently beat the first TMNT NES game with some help from chat. Some really jank stuff going on at times but still some fun to be had. Have you had any issues with the switch version? I heard there is some online play problems. Planning on picking it up and switch was what I was looking at. Good vid

[@SquarePegs]

I can't speak to that, unfortunately. I haven't done anything with online play, as that's not really my thing.

[@josephcasner626]

TMNT games that deserve a perfect score are Shredders Revenge, Turtles in Time, The Arcade Game and Hyperstone Heist.

[@SquarePegs]

I agree on 75% of that.

[@REAPER-1xxx]

TMNT II NES you can remove slowdown and flicker. Also can improve jump kick timing. This was always my favourite and it only got better. This is the greatest compilation I’ve played to date. Hyperstone Heist is also a tier above the rest imo.

[@supersmashbro596]

only thing id say is i wish the enemy count were just a smidge higher. then again, theres a couple new levels and bosses i wish were backported to the arcade

[@TheDeadsideofYouTube]

We need a collection 2 of the 2000s games.

[@SquarePegs]

100% agreed

[@georgehernandez2156]

I loved tmmt tournament fighters snes. The art style, the music, the supers, the serious tone and gameplay. Would have been cool to see a sequel.

[@SquarePegs]

I think if I hadn't already been neck deep in Street Fighter and Samurai Showdown by the time I'd played TF I may have enjoyed it more. It didn't click for me, but I'm glad it's a positive memory for you! It really seems silly that we've not had more TMNT representation in fighting game space. Outside of TF, Smash Up, and Injustice 2, there's been very little Turtles presence in fighting games as far as I can recall.

[@georgehernandez2156]

@@SquarePegs i always thought it was cool that each tournament fighter game had a different turtle om the the cover. Donny - snes, leo - Nes, and ralp - genesis. Makes me wonder if there was a mikey one for gameboy that was cancelled

[@Yourmomgoestocolledge]

My grandma bought me Tournament Fighters one day at Sears. I was unaware it was a fighting game when I got it and boy was I disappointed 😂

[@SquarePegs]

At least she made an effort! I can't think of a single time my grandma would have bought me a game.

[@aazart8886]

My 5 Favorite games in Cowabunga collection Tmnt Arcade Tmnt Iv turtles in time Snes Tmnt turtles in time Arcade Tmnt Hyperstone Sega Genesis Tmnt 3 Manhattan Project Nes

[@vinceniederman]

TMNT The HyperStone Heist is My Favorite Game in The Collection For My PS4!

[@Jatycre]

I thought I’d never find someone else like me that actually prefers Hyperstone Heist over Turtles In Time. While TiT is still one of my most favorite games, I prefer and have more warm and fuzzies for HH. So nice to see someone else who does!

[@SquarePegs]

There's dozens of us! 🤣 Thanks so much for watching, and for your impeccable taste!

[@geoffgero6081]

No way you ranked Hyperstone Heist above Turtles in Time! That's just crazy to me

[@SquarePegs]

I know what I'm about! I did it, and I'd do it again - zero regrets! Thanks for watching - as always this is just my opinion and should never be taken as gospel. :)

[@aultra-magawhostandsagains7974]

I know you have complaints on “Turtles In Time” but the SNES version is nearly perfect,and you switch off auto run to manuel. It also has an extra boss and adding the Shredder early on as a boss including him turning into Super Shredder. As for “Tournament Fighters” you can adjust the speed and make it just as fast like Street Fighter. For the NES games you can turn off slow down and the flickering sprites. Really great games that you don’t get today!

[@strcash-fs8of]

The snes is better then arcade imo

[@kyleshertz2277]

​@strcash-fs8of Truth.

[@CaseJams]

Really nice here …appreciate your perspective. I was just playing on real arcade machines and I think I assumed I would get good CRT filters to simulate the arcade RGB screens in the arcade. I haven’t found the CRT filters yet so I’m a little disappointed. The collection is strong. I’m using switch in docked mode on a 42 inch 4k screen. Are there not any CRT visual filters on this?

[@SquarePegs]

I believe there are - but I'm not at home today so I can't confirm. I'll give it a look tonight!

[@kharelftg6331]

Im with you on The Hyperstone Heist, it's an excellent and often overlooked Megadrive/Genesis game. It like it more than Turtles in Time. However I'll have to desagree on the TMNT III case. I dont understand your critique; the game is vastly superior to TMNT2 , even in its details. I'd say that it's harder, too, yeah that's for sure, so it can be more frustrating, but it still is a superior game. TMNT2 is fine, but TMNT3 is a bit more interesting

[@osubreeze]

I am legit surprised you did not mention the level of control you had on TMNT 4. All of the throws, back flips, slides are on key command and not random. Plus the extra levels and modified boss fights. Just surprised

[@SquarePegs]

Well, it wasn't really an in depth review of each game, more just a high level overview. All of those are really valid points, which is one of the reason it ranks at an A for me.

[@samuelallen2831]

There are some origin videos scattered about KZbin for Chrome Dome, Armaggon, and Wingnut, who respectively appeared in the 1987 cartoon, the Archie comics, and both (all also later appeared in the 2012 cartoon). Aska also has a small video explaining her inclusion in the game and her design origins, apparently they come from the third live action movie. War I can’t seem to find much about, but he was apparently in the Mirage comics. At least I can confirm that much. Also, part of the charm for me with Tournament Fighters on SNES are the cameos in the backgrounds of some stages from other animated series characters cheering you on. I still give it an honest B if only for nostalgia purposes but it still plays solid even if yes, pretty vanilla. Also, the music in that version is bumpin!

[@SquarePegs]

I will look into those videos! Thank you for letting me know!

[@ColdSteelKid]

Aska is an original character for the game and is seen in no other TMNT series. She was going to be the Mitsu from the third movie but that movie kinda flopped.

[@DannyCortez-lk7et]

Just just ordered this game for PS5 coming tomorrow can't wait 🐢

[@SquarePegs]

Hope you're enjoying it!

[@Flamemaster78]

Idk if you know this but you can change the input of the Dash in the options menu of TMNT 4 Turtles in Time for the SNES (not to be confused with enhancements). What you want to do is change the dash to manual that way the only way to dash is if you double tap in the direction you want to go. As for Tournament Fighters on SNES (and NES) you can change the speed of the game in the options menu as well (again not enhancements).

[@SquarePegs]

Good info to have! thank you, I wasn't aware of that!

[@XBC3-4GOTY]

But the controls still aren’t on Hyperstone Heist Level

[@Flamemaster78]

@@XBC3-4GOTY the only difference is Turtles 4 Turtles in Time is either double tap the dpad to dash (with manual) while HyperStone Heist makes you input the dash by double tapping the C button.

[@mrsjr78]

Interesting... I remembered the dash in Turtles in Time to be triggered by a double tap in that direction. Maybe they changed it for some reason in this collection?

[@SquarePegs]

Some other viewers have pointed out you can change it in the options! That's 100% on me for not looking!

[@mikeylovespizza4012]

Yup, the dash can be set to manual. Color can also be changed between anime or comic.

[@johngavalas74]

Hyperstone Heist is so good but tmnt arcade would be my all time fav beat it on one quarter with the help of a friend talk about nerve racking lol

[@freddykruger1118]

I agree with you 100% on your rankings. I really like Hyper stone Heist cause it was so different from turtle's in time. Ya SNES got a faithful port but it was basically the arcade.

[@SquarePegs]

Hyperstone Heist managed to not only be fun, but stand completely on it's own two feet without having to just be a port. It'll always be top of the list for me. :)

[@Chinesed]

That’s memory ❤

[@hush8469]

I have to assume this has been said but how did you go to the options in hyperstone heist but not in turtles in time(snes)?

[@SquarePegs]

Oh, it's 100% nostalgia influenced. I also think Hyperstone plays a bit more smoothly and balances a bit better than Time does. Doesn't mean I'm right, just means I'm right for me. :)

[@hush8469]

@@SquarePegs lol ok that’s cool, but your critique on the auto run in turtles in time is invalid. Other than, i think it’s cool you a have preference for hyperstone heist.

[@SquarePegs]

I get where you're coming from, but to me I personally don't think it's invalid - I don't like the default setting. And legit, I had no clue it was in the options menu for literal decades - I don't tend to go into them for beat em ups. Sure, that's a flaw with me, to be sure, but it's not a great gameplay experience for me. But that doesn't make me right or you wrong - it's all just opinion. Thanks for checking the video out. :)

[@TrueKoalaKnight]

Yeap. I think Manhattan Project should have been ranked A. The one example you gave as a cut corner is actually just a hardware limitation. You have to remember that at any given moment the NES can only display 4 palettes each for the sprites and the background. The HUD on the bottom takes up one palette which leaves 3 for the whole background. I'm not saying it isn't possible to go the extra mile to make that detail happen, but there will always be a price. Option 1) use two palettes for the HUD, but then the backgrounds will be less colorful. Option 2) use sprites to color the masks in, but then you're using up at least 1 sprite palette AND reducing the number of sprites used for game play. Option 3) use a scan line trick to swap out palettes so the masks can be the right colors, but that places more burden on the processor which could increase slow down. It's a bit of a catch 22.

[@SquarePegs]

Oh, I know it's all hardware causing the issue - but there's my corner being cut: why bother having it on there at all, in that case? It just looks lazy to me. And I just don't think it's super fun. And that's ok - it doesn't connect with me, but my opinion shouldn't color anyone elses perception or opinion on the title. :)

[@coopleofnerds]

Is it worth getting if you have the nes, snes, and sega games already?

[@SquarePegs]

I think so. One stop shopping and portability is a plus.

[@kcadventures1454]

Plus if you get it on PlayStation or Xbox you can try and get all the achievements/trophies which the switch version doesn't have.

[@ronniekregar3482]

Is Hyperstone Heist just like a reskinned Turtles in Time? I never played the Genesis one.

[@jamesriver3745]

the original nes turtles game is my favorite, hands down!

[@SquarePegs]

While I don't enjoy it, I'm glad you dig it and have a chance to play it on a modern console; :)

[@kyleshertz2277]

Masochist.

[@XBC3-4GOTY]

TMNT Hyperstone Heist on the Cowabunga Collection Have Perfect Controls and more enjoyable than TMNT TIT on the Cowabunga Collection Especially when doing your Running Kick Sliding Kick and Shoulder Charge Attacks so much smoother and easier to pull off well Deserved S Tier

[@SquarePegs]

Thanks so much, and completely agreed on the control aspect of things!

[@XBC3-4GOTY]

If turtles in time had the Perfect Controls of Hyperstone Heist than it would’ve been the Best Game on the Cowabunga Collection

[@samhershey4644]

Backstories of some of the TMNT Tournament Fighters (SNES) Fighters that you may not have heard of Aska is an original character for the game (rumors are she was going to be April but then April couldn't report on the fights) Chrome Dome was a robot built by Shredder to fight the Turtles, he was in some of the later seasons, but due to circumstances many fans probably didn't see them (I for example due to local TV blackouts of the TMNT couldn't watch any episodes from at least 91) Karai is in the comics-she (YES despite the build and laugh Karai is a WOMAN) is Shredder's Adopted Daughter Wingnut (my favorite character in the game BTW) is (depending on continuity) either a mutant or alien bat he appeared in Archie Comics as well as some of the later TMNT episodes War is from the Archie Comics, he is one of the 4 Horsemen of the Apololypse, though for some reason they made him an alien in the game Armaggon is a mutant shark far the far future in the Archie comics The rest you should know enough about for their backstories and a quick heads up, I only gave the info that would have been relevant as of the release of Tournament Fighters All and all I thought your rankings were pretty spot on but do think there are some challenging areas in the first GB game (of course I don't play games professionally for a KZbin channel, so maybe that's why)

[@SquarePegs]

I think the first GB game is probably a case is muscle memory for me - I play it frequently, so that probably accounts for some of the ease. Thank you so much for the character info, and thank you for watching!

[@samhershey4644]

This is for your generosity *claps my hands* Seriously, you are a generous person giving Tournament Fighters on the NES a D, I don't know which is worse, the fact in that in story mode Raph seems to be the only decent turtle, the fact you only have 2 continues for a game where the sub boss can take you from 1/4 health to KO with a throw OR that Shredder has a multi punch move that if you get by more than a graze on the first punch it PULLS YOU IN so you get nailed with every punch so the move does more damage that the sub boss' throw. Or maybe it is the fact that before the Shredder fight AND WHEN you lose there is an unskippable cutscene. Add on there is no way to modify the controls so you are stuck with the defaults and you have a strong F (as in nearly 0%) when it comes to the Cowabunga Collection version of this sewer fire

[@SquarePegs]

@@samhershey4644 I am known for my generosity. 🤣

[@TheUnknown714]

I honestly forgot how difficult some of these games were back in the day 😅

[@miamimagicians]

i'm shocked you had turtles in time so low... Everyone says it's the best it's a really good night

[@SquarePegs]

Man, I ranked it at an A. I said it wasn't perfect, but it was excellent. I don't see how that's 'Low' at all.

[@codysummerville3844]

I’m not the biggest turtles fan but from just looking into the lore of the whole franchise at one time I believe all the headbands were one color may be the reason they did that in tmnt 3 btw just a thought tho…

[@SquarePegs]

That's my initial thought as well, and as someone who IS a massive TMNT fan, I recognize that as what it's probably representing. But for Johnny Walmart who doesn't know that lore? It looks lazy. And I fully admit this is something that annoys me FAR more than it should. 😂

[@Dreeza68955]

Finally someone who agrees with me Hyperstone Heist > Turtles in Time. Not by much though.

[@SquarePegs]

I think Turtles In Time is great, but 100 out of 100, I'm choosing Hyperstone Heist.

[@johngavalas74]

Still need to get shredders revenge and cowabunga collection

[@TheBechtloff]

I like Hyperstone Heist just fine but it's honestly always felt like a bootleg Rom Hack of Turtles in Time. Ranking it higher is certainly a take.

[@SquarePegs]

Probably nostalgia doing heavy lifting for me here, but I've always felt HH just played better than Time. But it's all opinion, it's only right for me and if you disagree, that's cool. Thanks for watching!

[@joeyjo-joshabadu9636]

The NES's color limitations may be the reason why the Manhattan project turtles all wear red in the HUD

[@tekkennerdable]

Dude in tmnt in time snes you can switch sprinting auto into double tapping left or right just go into options

[@SquarePegs]

Yeah I know you can - doesn't mean it isn't a shit default experience.

[@XBC3-4GOTY]

Is the S Tier in any order btw and agreed with both games that are in there and I probably would add TMNT 3 The Manhattan Project to S Tier

[@SquarePegs]

Nah, no order to these beyond what order they come up in when you're scrolling the menu. I've tried like hell to love Manhattan Project and it just doesn't click for me. I can absolutely see why so many people love it, but every game isn't for every person. Thanks for watching!

[@johnnyroche138]

Not bad for rankings. I’d probably switch hyper stone heist and TiT I will say that it was a good idea to give the GEN version of that game a dash button. Why the SNES didn’t have it with more buttons on a controller? Who tha F knows?

[@great159]

Both arcade games ARE good but the first one is the most faithful to the cartoon other than Shredder's clothes being purple instead of grey. Turtles In Time is WAY OFF. Baxter looks different, Slash is toy accurate not show accurate, Tokka and Razar were AT THE TIME movie only chacracters, Krang's body has wings, and Shredder wearing pink and purple with different gauntlets using super powers, Super Shredder being a movie ONLY chacracter🤓

[@SquarePegs]

Turtles in Time borrows heavily from all sources of TMNT lore - movies, show, and comics. I distinctly remember winged Krang being in the Archie TMNT Adventures books. :)

[@pungisotu]

10:58 apparently they reused the source code from a game Konami made a few years prior called Getsu Fumaden (aka The Legend of Fuma) for Famicom. That’s right, it’s a hack and reskin. Much more heavily reworked than Doki Doki Panic was for Super Mario 2, but a rom hack all the same apparently. Edit: I stand corrected. Better to say it used the same game engine and some of its tech. While you can see and hear the similarities they are vastly different. Either way worth a play. I recommend the 2018 translation.

[@kharelftg6331]

It's far from a rom hack actually. Its very common for games to share the same engine, even today. That doesnt mean it's a hack and reskin. There was in interview with one of the devs that worked on TMNT NES with Florent Gorges. It was a TMNT game from the start; they were told to work with only soon to be released toys and a never aired pilot episode of the TMNT cartoon as source material. It was before the show aired, before TMNT became widely known. The developement took 6 months.

[@pungisotu]

@@kharelftg6331 yes I know those things. I’ve never read anyone from Konami mention it. Come to think of it, the engine being used makes more sense. That’s good to know. I thought I’d read somewhere the source code was used but probably just an internet rumor. I recall the dev team using an early script for the film and the RPG as source material.

[@kharelftg6331]

@@pungisotu french journalist and translator Florent Gorges had a chat with Nobuya Nakazato, who did the graphics for TMNT on the NES.

[@pungisotu]

@@kharelftg6331 neat. I’ll have to look for it.

[@greywolf7583]

Hopefully Konami will make a cowabung Collection 2 with all the PS1 and PS2 games

[@Dyn4m1t3_.]

I’m really on the fence I LOVE the tmnt but I don’t know whether to get this or shredder’s revenge

[@vinceniederman]

@Square Pegs I Have This Game For My PS4 and It’s So Good!

[@NYCJoeBlack]

I love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, but the Super Nintendo’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4: Turtles In Time due to reworked boss battles and levels as well as additional level. However, Ultimate my all-time favorite Turtles game is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade (Arcade/NES).

[@Ssjangel3]

Turtles in Time is better then Hyperstone Heist in basically everything besides controls but that's a personal thing. Also in Turtles in Time on SNES you can double tap to dash so it's not like it was only automatic. Either way both games are amazing. Only game better is Shredders Revenge and that's it

[@adrianquinonez6667]

So the tmnt cowabunga collection doesn’t have shredders revenge in it?

[@SquarePegs]

Nope. Shredders Revenge is a game made by DotEmu and Tribute. Everything on the Cowabunga Collection is from Konami.

[@adrianquinonez6667]

@@SquarePegs ok got it well I don’t think the cowabunga collection is worth $40 tho I’d say $19.99 for the cowabunga collection.

[@SquarePegs]

@@adrianquinonez6667 I'm good with the $40, as that's about $300 less than if I bought all those games individually. But I can totally see where you're coming from!

[@adrianquinonez6667]

@@SquarePegs I can see if every ninja turtles game ever made on consoles were added into it but I got a retro game system that has several of these turtle games in it.

[@liltoad9050]

turtles in time snes is s tier cause bebop and rocksteady are in pirate outfits, enough said

[@SquarePegs]

I cannot argue with that in the slightest.

[@DroidLocks6971]

The she's tournament fighters they could of fixed the super move meter issue but chose not to

[@redsoxclover11]

The 1989 nes game was my favorite. My siblings and the neighbor kids spent countless hours trying to advance in that game. Mostly nostalgia I guess. It doesn’t look that great but it really is a good game.

[@SquarePegs]

While it's not my thing, I'm so happy to hear that it holds such positive memories for you. :)

[@robd1329]

That 89 nes fame was tooooo hard. I hated it

[@vinceniederman]

@Square Pegs I Have This Game For My PS4 and It’s Amazing Even Though The TMNT Tournament Fighters is Awful While The HyperStone Heist is My Favorite Game in the Collection!

[@mazdaman1982]

I wonder when the game will go on discount pricing

[@SquarePegs]

While I have no insight into this, I'd be surprised if it weren't on a slight discount for Black Friday or in December for the holidays.

[@kcadventures1454]

I'm aggravated with my copy...it's in arrival hell at the moment. Pre-ordered it and it's still not here!

[@BelmontClan]

Don’t feel bad Walmart hasn’t received it either and I was just in there on Labor Day and only a slot for ps5 on the shelf. The only new game I saw there was The Evil Dead on ps4 and that had came out months ago and enough to be used game by now.

[@MrMartellSincere]

I bought this game for Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch

[@supersmashbro596]

radical rescue was among one of the first games i owned,, one thing ill say though: the boss gauntlet at the end is utter bullshit. 3 lives, 1 continue, and you only have one auto-health restoring pizza. use that pizza any time before shredders second phase and its basically a reset. and yes, you have to fight *all* the other bosses in a row. mess up once, back to the beginning. the last password in the game starts you just before the gauntlet. and you still have to go out and find an auto-pizza as you dont start with one. so uh. yeah. have fun.

[@PeeGeeThirteen]

I agree about the dash in Turtles In Time. Hyperstone Heist fixed the dash via input. Imagine if they gave you the option to have Hyperstone Heist inputs for Turtles in Time

[@Flamemaster78]

They do in the options menu, it’s literally the same thing. The only difference is HyperStone Heist defaults the dash to a manual input instead of an auto one with TMNT 4 Turtles in Time.

[@oliverjones1845]

There’s a custom tmnt/justice league rom game that is popular

[@imdikonps4396]

Best game is certainly the original arcade is the best game way back in 1989 visually its beautiful the art the visuals the bosses and sound are great how ever I think Arcade, SNES turtles in time, and Manhattan project are all S tier for their systems hypersotone was great 2 and the 3rd gameboy game all are S

[@strcash-fs8of]

The snes tournament fighters slander is wild......n turtles in time is a masterpieces on snes

[@SquarePegs]

TF just never clicked for me - I've tried numerous times over the years and it never felt right. Turtles In Time is fine, I just prefer Hyperstone. :)

[@boertal]

Manhattan is S tier bro 💜

[@SquarePegs]

Can't agree with that at all. Just doesn't click for me.

[@wallygator92]

I don't know why they even made Tournament Fighters on NES it was released in 1994 and by then the NES was pretty much dead and Ninja Turtles was starting to lose popularity after the failure of the 3rd movie and the show's ratings were dropping and being overshadowed by Power Rangers as well as more serious cartoons like Batman the animated series, X-Men and Gargoyles

[@imdikonps4396]

Because the original nes tmnt game was Nintendo's or the original nes most selling game that wasnt listened by Nintendo it sold more the 2million copies that's why they probibly made nes tournament fighters but tmnt 123 on nintendo sold well

[@robertlauncher]

Wasn’t a fan of Hyperstone. Felt like Turtles in Time with less variety. Enemies get reused a lot more, and not just the foot soldiers, there’s a whole stage that’s just a boss rush, etc.

[@SquarePegs]

I can respect that! I have a different opinion, but everything you said here is valid and I completely get where you're coming from.

[@jacobgucker3432]

I don't see how HH could get an S but SNES TiT an A. To me, Tit is the pinnacle. Hyperstone heist is like a pasted-together budget version.

[@SquarePegs]

Agree to disagree. I just like HH more as a complete game. Glad you dig Turtles In Time, though!

[@samuelallen2831]

HH may feel kinda cobbled together in terms of level design when compared to TIT, but the music is tighter and it controls like a dang dream. Didn’t grow up with a Genesis so I still give TIT the edge too, but HH needs more love in retrospect.

[@amazingmarioforever8706]

7:02 just to tell you the truth I suck at teenage Mutant Ninja turtle Fighters I have the car bumper collection not mess up with not just one of them but there's three of them.

[@kdindore1990]

*game comes out in 1993* "ITS A VERY 90S GAME! SO BAD!"

[@SquarePegs]

My guy, all 3 Tournament Fighters sucked as much in 1993 as they do in 2023. The release dates are irrelevant.

[@Mentally_Hilarious]

Where Hyperstone Heist fails for me is the serious lack of bosses that made the levels feel drawn out and boring. Turles in Time for SNES had about double the bosses which broke up the levels much better. I played through all the beat 'em ups on the collection over Christmas and in my opinion Hyperstone was the least fun.

[@Kenta455]

The arcade ports are not perfect. My biggest “gripe” is that you cannot change characters mid game if you are playing less than four players. I like variety, and even in the arcade if I was playing alone I would often change turtles when I died, disliked not being able to in this collection. Boo! 😅. Turtles in time SNES is S tier, the only minus is the worse graphics compared to arcade version and loss of the mudman boss, but otherwise it’s the definitive version of the game; get the awesome technodrome level, an actual boss fight for the sewer stage and a new boss fight with Rocksteady and Bebop without sacrificing the Tokka and Razar fight. I do wish it had the arcade version of shredder though I loved hyperstone heist as a kid but it really didn’t hold up to my memories. It’s a downgrade from the SNES graphics wise, and was just kind of bland and repetitive, with simpler boss fights, and the dreaded time wasting padding that is a boss rush in the fourth stage >

[@Greenhate90]

tournament best on nes 4 me

[@whiteninja9188]

Loved the video but not loved the rank of tmnt 3 mp it deserved at least an A

[@SquarePegs]

I'm a hard sell on Manhattan Project, it never clicked for me so it's never been something I've really gravitated towards. Thanks for watching, even with the disagreement on ranking grade! :)

[@viperaddictcarfanatic6321]

I’m lost? $70 for a game you can find anywhere for nothing. I have those games on 3 different platforms I paid $70 for the entire system with 1,000s of games that came with it lol

[@SquarePegs]

How, exactly, are you lost? If you want to emulate them, go for it. I certainly wouldn't decry anyone for doing so. But don't think that just because that's what you'd want to do is what everyone would want to do - hell, I've emulated all of these in the past, but I was more than happy to pick up this collection as it had all the games in one spot, plus the added features and gameplay improvements for each game, the gallery collections of art and music, and tons more. I think those exhaust fumes from your Viper addiction might be getting to you, my guy. ;)

[@viperaddictcarfanatic6321]

@@SquarePegs Ya, what I’m saying is I got a system for $70 that has them all in one spot and thousand more games. Who would pay for the same old game from the 1900s? Not saying the game is bad but it’s 2023 on a ps5. It’s like dodge trying to make the exact viper as mine for $150,000 like it’s a new viper. Not that the cars not great but doesn’t make any sense whatsoever my guy!!!

[@BrandyBrandalia]

Hyperstone Heist is a poor man's TMNT4. It is decidedly not better. They reused stages, music and bosses, and even have you fight the same bosses multiple times.

[@SquarePegs]

All true. And it's still better.

[@sdlock83]

Why does Western-developed ROM collections so messy? Compared to ROM collection releases developed in Japan. How difficult is it to seemlessly loop BGM in the non-emulation elements of the game such as in the menu?! Look at Capcom Fighting Collection (Capcom), Castlevania Collection (M4), Collection of Mana (Square-Enix), etc. Once again, Digital Eclipse sold HYPE rather than a work of art.

[@strcash-fs8of]

Tournament fighter's on genesis was one hard fkn story mode god i hated that game ...... fxxx nes turtles 1 still 36 years later

[@SquarePegs]

Zero lies detected on either of these points.

[@CampBlood2023]

All the games are great or good I love all the games some are better of course nevermind scratch that the fighter games are garbage and the 1989 game sucks but the rest are great!!!!

[@RM2011ish]

I honestly think Hyperstone Heist is grossly overrated and I don't get why it's so revered. I grew up with Turtles in Time, and HH came off as a bland reskin of that game. Aside from the dojo stage, it takes so much from Time that it doesn't stand out much on it's own. Stuff like Hard Corps and Bloodlines at least felt like completely refreshing alternatives to their SNES counterparts. But that's just my opinion.

[@SquarePegs]

The beautiful thing about it is that neither one of us are right or wrong - we're just different. As long as we're playing our preferred games and having fun, then that's a win. :) Be well, Rashad!

[@RM2011ish]

@@SquarePegs Yep. The TMNT games are all amazing. 🍕👍

[@vporta3151]

I saw this at target today for 40 bucks and I think I’ll hold off till it’s like 10 or 20 bucks. I have the turtles arcade version on arcade1up. Have shedders revenge on Xbox and the other games I can care less as the graphics and game play look terrible. Personal I think there just trying to cash in on nostalgia but there’s nothing super exciting about it worth 40 bucks. Sorry

[@henryvillarreal1475]

What Do U Mean Ur Not Gonna Complain???... Ur Already Complaining.

[@SquarePegs]

"I'm never gonna complain if someone offers to play Turtles In Time with me". Gotta give the full quote for context, my man. Yeah, stuff bugs me about this game, but it's still fantastic. You're responding like I said it's the drizzling shits.

[@henryvillarreal1475]

@@SquarePegs Ok, Ur Still Gonna Complain To Ur Buddies When U Play Together, Just Like In The Video. Guys, I Hate That Auto Sprint, Don't U?. That Is Still Complaining. ...And To Ur Friends.

[@SquarePegs]

That isn't really how I operate, but you do you.

[@papitolindo5305]

Graphics sucks!!!

[@SquarePegs]

I mean...that's just like, your opinion, man. I think they're pretty damn good.

[@BelmontClan]

While your review gave a fair account you didn’t cover any the following- pointing out the online lag and that only 3 of the games had online play- snes tf, TMNT the arcade and TMNT turtles in time arcade. Genesis was less successful tf and was only 3 button combination which limited drastically had they went with the 6 button it would have been more fluid. You failed to address the hidden characters on snes tf RatKing and Karai and if they were playable in online vs mode. Even if it normally requires a second controller to be plugged in and the code imputed. See those are important things to point out if you can’t or won’t do that than the entire diatribe of a video is pointless. Details matter and consumers want to be properly informed.

[@SquarePegs]

What you're looking for and what I provided here are two vastly different things. You're looking for an in-depth deep dive review on this compilation, which is something I wasn't setting out to deliver. As stated at the outset, it's simply a quick one minute talk about each game and my opinion on each one as it stacks up against the other games in the collection. Honestly, I'm sorry this video didn't provide you with the information you were looking for, but your expectation for what I was going to provide in this video was your expectation, and never once something I had said was going to be in the video. If those are things that fuel your passion, use your voice to do your own detailed review. I'd love to watch it, because I'm sure you'd do better at it than I would.

[@BelmontClan]

@@SquarePegs I did a review and commentary regarding it but you are clearly too lazy to look

[@SquarePegs]

Nope, I saw your video. I watched your video. The best part of all of this is you have the absolute temerity to call MY video a pointless diatribe.

[@BelmontClan]

@@SquarePegs Yes I’m bold and confident deal with it.

[@samuelallen2831]

@@BelmontClan no, you’re pretty dang arrogant and holier than thou. I deleted my original comment because you went Mr. Know-It-All on me and I didn’t want Jay dealing with that shit. But now that I see you actually decided to give Jay some lip, I’ll come to his defense as a Patron of his for nearly a year. Jay is probably not about to meet me any time soon, but I think we’d have great debates about gaming if we have mild disagreements like me personally ranking SNES Tournament Fighters a B and preferring Manhattan Project over TMNT II because of the throw mechanic. People like you have got some serious nerve coming to a KZbin channel that seems to be a great spot for a relatively small community of gamers to just talk like civilized adults and acting like this. Bold and confident this ain’t. I’m a stubborn and opinionated SOB, but I just don’t see a point to expressing that in such a way. Words matter.