Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus Review | GameCube Galaxy

[@Mr.Coffee576]

I used to play this game a lot when I was a kid. Looking back now, this game has a lot of flaws. But what got me hooked was the story and adventures the Turtles went through. Going from Earth to Outer Space to Feudal Japan to the Future, it was a crazy ride for me.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

The story was great in this game, and easily the best story for the Konami trilogy of games released on the GameCube. It definitely has a lot of flaws, but is a guilty pleasure for me regardless. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@zereaux56]

This was the first game i got with my GameCube when i was 9yo, and it's still one of my favorite games of all time to this day.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

That's awesome man! While I had gripes with the game, it's definitely a guilty pleasure that I played a ton. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@zereaux56]

@@GameCubeGalaxy bet! 👍

[@SquarePegs]

Spectacular review, and you nailed everything I would have said about it. Excellent work!! Can't wait for part 3!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Thank you man! Glad you thoroughly enjoyed the review and appreciate your support friend! Part 3 is currently being worked on now, and after that will be TMNT Mutant Melee to wrap up TMNT Month!

[@TurtleTitan03]

This is probably my favorite 03 TMNT game but I guessed you would feel this way about it, it is the least refined of the three installments I feel but also the most content rich and ambitious, it really blew me away as a kid how packed the game was and even today I'm still impressed by how much they did with it. Where I feel the game faltered was, in combat and control, the fault with combat is mostly just that you now have to grind crystals to really open it up, some of which are locked behind the special vehicle stages that while fun when just blasting through them, can be very frustrating when actually trying to accurately nab all the coins to earn an extra gem, when you do open it up you actually have more attack variations than the first game but early on the game feels slower and you can do less. The control wasn't unresponsive for me, I could perform all of my character's moves consistently, there is input lag though as you said, and you have to time inputs correctly and commit to them especially with Leonardo and Raphael, I think something that alleviates issues a bit is that just like the first game you can dash cancel, so if you've missed and you might get hit for your attack animation still playing out, just hit the dash button to cancel it into a dash out of harms way. The first game was a more linear beat em' up, so dash cancelling not only was a way to avoid attacks but it was also a means of extending combos and juggles to ridiculous heights, of the two games I definitely feel it has the better combat but given what both games aim to be, I'm not surprised, Battle Nexus makes compromises on that front for generally more ambitious level design. 30 FPS I don't really blame the game for, the levels are a lot bigger this time around and the game now supports up to 4 player, It's great that it's a stable framerate, I feel the first game was able to achieve 60 fps and be visually impressive because of how much less it was generally loading at a time, and also it kept itself restrained to 2 Players maximum, which I'm not upset about as I don't feel like that game would function or balance well with any more than that. Battle Nexus did have a PC port and if you have decent hardware you can play that at 60fps and it can also be played on Dolphin Gamecube Emulator at 60fps via an AR code, I own all these games, but have done this myself and it really makes you wish for a remaster, the game feels very nice in 60fps. There are other aspects of this game that I definitely may have my own insight on as compared to yours but overall I think this is a great review, I've always felt like people aren't really fair to these games and judge them for not really being like the 87 cartoon or the installments they grew up with, but you've been covering just about every base with them and really trying to see them for their own merits, I grew up playing these and they mean about as much to me as the old games meant to fans of the 87 cartoon that was running around the time those released. Excited to see what you make of Mutant Nightmare!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

I can see why Battle Nexus would be your favorite. There's no question that Battle Nexus is the most content-rich installment of the trilogy. There were so many elements I loved about this game, especially how ambitious it was. Honestly, had the combat and controls been more refined, I'd say it's the best in the trilogy. Even despite the issues I had with the game (both back in 2004, and present), I always enjoyed revisiting the game. I'm glad you enjoyed the review and saw that I was being fair with the game. I felt so many were beyond harsh with this game at launch. Does it have several issues? Yes. Is it unplayable? No (controls just take getting used to with the input lag). Although I would be intrigued to see this game running at 60fps. May have to try it on the Dolphin Emulator, since everything I capture is through real hardware. Thank you so much for checking out the review (and your awesome detailed comment)! Always awesome to hear people's opinions on these games. Glad to hear you're looking forward to the TMNT 3: Mutant Nightmare review next! After that will be TMNT Mutant Melee also.

[@williamwhite1036]

The first one is my favorite

[@The_D_ray]

I'm glad people now started reviewing this serie for what actually is rather than "eugh but the 90's games are better". Personally, I played this game countless of times, and I can confirm the flaws and improvements it has. I think that it was overall designed to be played with someone, as the single player expirience is slightly less fun than the co op one. Also, thanks for taking the soundtrack in consideration because this trilogy may fail under certain things, but DEFINITELY not in the sound. They are absurdly good (and considering who the composers are, doesn't really surprise me). Job well done!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

I always enjoyed this series for the games they were (faults and all). While the first installment was a faithful way to bring the 2D beat-em-up action to 3D, I didn't mind them for attempting to change up the gameplay for this. The game was definitely designed for co-op and does make for a more enjoyable experience that way. Also, glad you appreciated me mentioning the soundtrack! Easily my favorite part of this game! That was part of what made me keep revisiting these games! Thanks for checking out the review, and for the awesome words man!

[@HallowedBeThyGame]

I’ll be honest, a game can be incredible in so many ways but if it is an action game and has input lag in combat... that’s the kiss of death. Once again tho, fantastic job on this. So stoked to see your channel grow and people discover the quality you bring to each video!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Yeah, input lag with combat is always a big "no no". Is it tolerable? Yes, thankfully because combat is not as heavily reliant, but still takes getting used to. Beyond grateful of your support for the channel! Glad you enjoyed the review friend!

[@themightymesprit7325]

Damn, They brought the Ninja Turtles Arcade Game but removed the soundtrack and made it a Minigame, that pisses me off and that sucks because I heard that both Ninja Turtles arcade games are awesome. Yeah, I’ll stick to Turtles in Time on SNES. Great Review Man.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

The TMNT 1989 Arcade Game having its original soundtrack and audio removed was the biggest head-scratcher for me in this game. I mean, the game's input lag controls was a head-scratcher too, but botching the port of an arcade game that the same studio made 15 years prior was baffling. Glad you enjoyed the review!

[@TigerChainsawVideoGames]

That's really cool that Konami was able to create their own villain! I'm a fan of blocking and rolling so that would be annoying to take damage while blocking. I suck at those letter grades so even if they meant anything in this game, I wouldn't be able to do it. There are plenty of games that I give 6/10 that I still enjoy. I'll still check this one out. Great review, GCG!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

I loved that they made a new villain exclusively for the game (and a cool one too)! Yeah, the block mechanic is completely useless in this game lol. The letter grades are also oddly implemented here, and I think even Konami knew that, hence why nothing is tethered to that in terms of unlocking anything lol. Oh I agree about 6 out of 10 games still being enjoyable! Many see that and go, "that's an awful score, must be a bad game", when in reality, the game is still fine, just nothing amazing and has numerous flaws. Glad you enjoyed the review, TC!

[@garylikesgames]

I remember my brother and I playing this game as a kid and we hated the shared health bar. Great review.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Yeah, the shared health bar was a head-scratcher decision the devs decided on. Glad that was ditched for TMNT 3 Mutant Nightmare. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@firestonehaku]

While I personally don't agree with some of the points you made, I can see why this game can be a bit of a turn off for you. One thing I will sort of agree on, is the lag with the attacks. I didn't really know how to articulate it when I was a kid, but it definitely was noticeable. However, it wasn't so much of a huge deal or turnoff for me an my family, as we just became used to it after a short while. Secondly, the retro TMNT unlockable game having a different soundtrack did not bother me in the slightest. For many gamers like myself, that was my first time playing the "arcade" version of that game, so I had no frame of reference to the original soundtrack. It was just the TMNT soundtrack to me. Having a different soundtrack isn't enough to have me dock points from a game. Lastly, I think this is the strongest entry in the 2003 TMNT as far as the story goes. I really like how it starts off with familiar territory as far as story goes, and then brings us somewhere totally different as the game progresses. I like the inclusion of the Slasher, (I wish he can somehow come back into the TMNT Universe, but I wont get my hopes up). I really enjoyed how Konami went out of their way to add more cutscenes, and story elements. Kept me and my family engaged all the way through to the end when we played this. Despite some of the games "shortcomings" it still gets a solid recommendation from me. This is one of the best offerings on the GCN and Original XBOX as far as 4-player co-op action games. Great review!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Yeah, the lag input in the combat is unfortunate. It's manageable once you get the timing, but it's still a big difference from the first game's more responsive controls. If the TMNT arcade game was your first experience here through Battle Nexus, I can see how it wouldn't bother you as much. I grew up with the arcade game, so when I fired it up here and it lacked the soundtrack, it was a big letdown for me lol. Slashuur was an awesome new character, and I agree that Battle Nexus had the best storyline of the trilogy without question! Even despite the issues, I still enjoy Battle Nexus, and have replayed it countless times. I know it's a very flawed game, but man, the soundtrack had me coming back to keep replaying it. Glad you enjoyed the review!

[@lubeckeuzebio3785]

Have VS Mode?

[@offtheheezy9636]

Can't wait for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare review.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Glad to hear it! Should be live next Sunday!

[@LameDadRetroGamer]

Sharing the health bar? Heck no! Imagine that in strange brigade lol. I can always appreciate ambition and innovation but like you were saying last night they just threw everything against the wall hoping something would stick. Agreed the first game looks much better and I like the cell shaded graphics. Between changing the camera and mucking up the controls will definitely hurt the game. As always my friend great review.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Lmao! Yeah, sharing the health bar was not a good idea by any means. Strange Brigade would be impossible with a shared health bar 😂. I mean, the game was never overly difficulty where that became an issue, but again, if you play with less experienced players, this will become an issue for sure. I really loved that they tried to add a lot more variety and content in this sequel, but I think Konami rushed the team to push this game out within a year, when it clearly needed more time for polish. It's still enjoyable for me personally despite all its issues, so the game isn't a complete disaster lol. Glad you enjoyed the review man!

[@SEGAblocks]

Oh yes…..the controls 🤦🏻‍♂️ *shudders* lol I absolutely despised the zooming out of the camera. Probably my biggest gripe. Being zoomed out so far literally made you have to guess where to actually jump and where you think it would land because of it . I loved the Cellshading of its predecessor. Missed opportunity here. Now even though there’s tons of flaws, there is still fun to be had for sure. It’s not great but you can still enjoy it in small doses. Great review my friend! You nailed it on ever aspect! Took the words right out of my mouth on every subject! I had picked this game up for super duper cheer from GameStop during the first purge of PS2, Xbox and Gamescube game years ago. I have since gotten rid of it now but don’t miss it much haha Stellar work buddy!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Lol! Yeah, the zoomed out camera is a bit too zoomed out. It takes you away from the experience and makes it less exciting in my opinion. But even with all the game's flaws, I have an easy time still popping this game on and playing it, so that should say something about the game itself being entertaining despite its shortcomings. Glad you enjoyed the review man!

[@yonkersfinest88]

You can quickly tell, thanks to you’re video, that last week’s title (Turtles 1) was a much better title overall. Great insight into this title, and keep it coming!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Glad you enjoyed the video and saw the differences between the 2 games!

[@RetroWolf_YT]

I don't have alot of experience with this one but I will do a deep dive one day! Awesome review man!

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Oh boy, definitely prepare yourself for some seriously delayed button responses lol. Look forward to seeing your deep dive on GameCube Gallery in the future! Glad you enjoyed the review and thank you for checking it out man!

[@Apotrix]

I missed this game on the gamecube. With good reason 😅 very much looking forward to shredders revenge though.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

It has several issues for sure, but I still find enjoyment past those issues. Shredder’s Revenge looks awesome! Thank you for checking out the review!

[@williamwhite1036]

😂😂 i like how you say the repetitive voice lines were gone then Michaelangelo says twice in a row."Dont you know not to play with fire?"

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Haha yeah, that was an instance where it just happened to have a repeated voice line lol. Compared to the first game where it’s happening the entire game, this one definitely evaded that most of the time lol. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@williamwhite1036]

@@GameCubeGalaxy I'll never forget the first game

[@Ssjangel3]

All I can remember in the first game from Mikey was "Eat Feet! Eat Feet! Eat Feet!"

[@williamwhite1036]

@@Ssjangel3 that's the worst of it

[@captainmemes2831]

Nostalgia trip but I still can’t get past the fact the game never actually teaches you how to grab things, which is awful since it’s mandatory. Great vid

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Grabbing objects is definitely mandatory, and a shame they never teach it in-game. I think I had to look through the manual back in the day to figure that out lol. Glad you enjoyed the review!

[@The_D_ray]

Not only, but the game doesn't even tell you about the "sneak attack" mechanic that usually messes up the grabbing if you are not aware of it.

[@Dimon12321]

Great work! A lot of things are mentioned here unlike in other reviews

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Thank you man! Glad you enjoyed the review, and found that it covered a lot!

[@Ty-douken]

Sad to hear this added some good features, but dropped the ball hard. That getting damaged while blocking is some proto-dark souls stuff, which doesn't belong in a beat 'em up / action platformer.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Yeah, it had a few misfires, but like I stated in the end, it’s a game I still enjoy playing, and I think that’s telling of the game despite its issues. I really do commend Konami for trying to be ambitious with this title, I just wish it had more time to be polished more. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@palamabron2481]

Aw geez, how is this game almost 20 years old already???

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Times flies! It really is crazy it’s been almost 2 decades since it released! Thanks for checking out the review!

[@Incredible1s]

I haven't played a tmnt game in a looooong time. For some reason I just couldn't get into the modern games. Just seemed slow to me lol. Awesome review bro. I can't wait for the new turtles game btw.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Glad you enjoyed the review! The first TMNT game on the GameCube is much better (and faster paced). If you haven’t seen that, definitely check out my review for that one too, as I still feel that’s a great transition from the 2D to 3D for the turtles 👍. I also can’t wait for Shredder’s Revenge! Thanks again for checking out this review man!

[@sebastianasantiago7382]

The other issues i forgot to mention was the ranking system in the non beat em up stages, and the arcade game’s soundtrack and removal of certain features, personally i prefer the second game over the first one, because it feels less repetitive than the first one, while i do enjoy the first game, the more you play it, the monotonous it got, in the second game there’s more variety that kept me more engaged, even though sometimes the control can be a bit delayed, especially when the framerate drops, and the graphics still uses the cell shaded style that works in the game

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

I can see why you prefer TMNT 2 Battle Nexus to TMNT, as there's no question the game has a ton of variety. I do think if the game was refined more, the combat and controls were more responsive, and the game retained it's 60fps, it could've had the potential to be the best installment in the trilogy. It's still an enjoyable game despite its issues in my opinion though, and never had a hard time coming back to it!

[@pedrosepulveda8221]

I’m just now discovering this game for the first time shaking my head I want to play it

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Glad you learned about it through here! Despite its issues, it still is fun to playthrough for sure. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@pedrosepulveda8221]

@@GameCubeGalaxy of course I found an emulator that will play them I remember the first game playing it but never finished it

[@Dimon12321]

Maybe I missed it, but can you complete the main storyline using Disc 1 only? What content is on Disc 2?

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

You do need both discs to complete the game. Once you get to the Triceraton Spaceship is when you need to swap discs I believe.

[@Nobunaga1983]

This is my favorite tmnt game. Better than the first one. Controls felt fine to me

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

It’s a guilty pleasure game for me. I felt the controls were just delayed like I mentioned in the review, but liked the variety in the game and how cohesive the story was too. Thanks for checking out the review!

[@Nobunaga1983]

@@GameCubeGalaxy maybe the GameCube version plays different. Xbox version plays fine for me

[@pedrosepulveda8221]

We need a remake of these three games honestly

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

It would be great to see these either remade, or even remastered!

[@pedrosepulveda8221]

@@GameCubeGalaxy facts

[@williamwhite1036]

RIGHT

[@MegaHoro]

I could never get into this one; the fighting was too awkward...maybe I'll give it another try someday

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

The combat is definitely the most sluggish in this installment. There’s such a delay in the button response time. The soundtrack and variety in the game is usually what kept me returning to this, but the combat is definitely dull. If you try it again soon, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for checking out the review!

[@SuperSteaman]

Agree with you on everything about Battle Nexus. Despite all the flaws, I still enjoyed the game a lot for what it is. One thing: you can not unlock the Arcade Game on the pc version. That saddened me a lot because I bought the game for PC back in the day. Own it now on PS2. Also the game ends with the cliffhanger and imagine my sadness when I found out the sequel won't be released on PC. (bought it 10 years later for PS2 once I got one)

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Good to know we’re on the same page about Battle Nexus lol. And even despite all its issues, there’s a fun game underneath it all. I didn’t know that the arcade version wasn’t in the PC version! At the same time, removing the original soundtrack really kills the experience. Glad you ended up getting a console version! I also never realized TMNT 3 didn’t release on PC. I covered a review for TMNT 3 Mutant Nightmare, TMNT Mutant Melee, and TMNT (2007) on the channel as well. I’d love to hear your thoughts about those games (and reviews) if you get a chance to get around to those. Thank you again for checking out the review man!

[@AdultsHaveToysToo]

For a game like this the review could almost just be summed up as "controls aren't good". If you can't get that part right the rest almost doesn't matter.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

While the controls do have input lag and feel sluggish, I still found enjoyment once I acclimated to it more. But normally, yes, bad controls usually stop a game in its tracks lol. Thanks for checking out the review man!

[@meno3104]

I know it's been two years, but what do you think of the game boy advance version of the game?

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of the GBA version for this game either. The emphasis on stealth was a bit much, and felt like a much slower pacing than the first game on GBA. I’m actually planning on covering it a bit in a follow up episode of my “GameCube Games on GBA” series in the very near future!

[@meno3104]

@@GameCubeGalaxy Oh Okay, Thanks for responding.

[@waled7564]

i have this game on my pc and actually the pc version controls is so smooth and I don't know if the pc version is just better or the game has some modes

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

It could be the higher framerate that makes the controls smoother. If this game was remastered, I do think it would fix the delayed control inputs for sure. Thanks for checking out the review and sharing that tidbit about the PC version!

[@enigmarocker]

@@GameCubeGalaxy Are you saying this is slow on the actual OG Gamecube hardware? Or are you saying theres delays even in Dolphin when using a fast gaming PC? Thanks in advance. Great videos, glad I found you

[@victiniblast]

I only came here to see why it's 280.00 on eBay, geez.

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

$280 on eBay?! I’m not seeing any listings for this at $280…seeing mainly the $40+ range for a CiB GameCube copy. I’m curious though…

[@thekiddencore9094]

Tmnt mutans in MAnhatan when you are going to revew it

[@maralduskaliev-xr4vo]

Battle nexus 2

[@bdbabajigaming5714]

Top class

[@GameCubeGalaxy]

Thank you!

[@BlackDragonGameZ]

😁👍👍👍