Turbo Turtle Adventure

Screams of anguish echo through the house as the kids come running up to see what just happened. Disgustedly, they turn away, muttering, "Ugh, it's just mom playing the stupid Turtle game again. She's pathetic at it, she should just GIVE IT UP." Ignoring the rude comments from the peanut gallery, I turn back to rolling my little turtle around for the umpteenth time toward the portal, trying to avoid falling off the edge into an abyss, which is what prompted the primal howl.

Turbo Turtle is a puzzle/maze game built along the lines of Marble Madness and Monkey Ball, but with puzzles as the main object, rather than speeding down the courses. The story is simple: the little turtle has been stranded on the Isle of Mazes and has to traverse the mazes on the various islands to gain his freedom. The gameplay is complex, requiring much thought on just which tools to use where to gain access to the next level.

The challenge lies in figuring out the correct path in sequence, and also the order in which to use the tools that can be picked up. These tools include a bridge-building block, a jump tool, items to combat slippery or sticky surfaces, an item to pass through an electric shield and a teleporter. There are also keys which will unlock doors to allow passage. These tools are available only in the exact number needed to gain access to other level areas to pick up yet more items, so using them incorrectly results in having to begin the level all over again. In fact, players can count on redoing these levels many, many times, as the only way to figure out the right path is through mostly trial-and-error.

The interface is not intuitive and will require some practice to learn the controls. I never did get down the Turbo Boost Jump move, which requires using the "B" button, but as the Jump move uses the "A" button, I couldn't figure out just exactly how to use both buttons at the same time correctly. As there are no extra jumps to practice with, the tutorial is the only option and it doesn't really help that much. To select the items, players will toggle through them with the "L/R" buttons, but make sure that the right one is chosen before pressing the action button, or the level will have to be started over.

The scenes are pleasant and brightly colored, and the little turtle is really cute as he rolls around. Unlike many GBA games, this one doesn't strain the eyes. The music is also pleasant, but nothing to get excited about.

This is a surprisingly addictive game, and will keep puzzle enthusiasts busy for hours. Fans of fast-action games that have non-stop fighting or tons of moving hazards to avoid will probably not enjoy this game that much, but players who relish solving puzzles without having to worry about dodging tons of bad guys will. There is a slight pressure due to a timer, but the first several times running through the level is mainly to see what's there, and players won't be in a hurry to beat the timer. Later, when the correct sequence is down, then the timer will be more of an issue, but it's really not that relevant.

There is one fault with this game, though, and that is the lack of a miniature map showing more of the layout of the level. As it currently is constructed, players are totally blind and have to redo the level several times just to see all the areas. This gets tiring after awhile, and will put off impatient people. Replayability is also a possible issue, as there's no incentive to redo levels (especially as everyone has done them over again numerous times previously) except to improve their times. A multi-player option would have helped with this aspect, as competing against others to be the first to complete a maze would have been fun.

Still, this is one of the few GBA games that I actually have enjoyed playing these last several months and I expect that I will continue to play from time to time, as there are fifty levels to figure out. People who enjoy puzzles and don't mind redoing them to be successful will have fun, but the rest of the crowd may not be as enthusiastic.
 

Gameplay: 8
Despite the aggravation of having to replay the levels over and over again to achieve the objective, the essential puzzle-solving aspect is addictive and engrossing to puzzle enthusiasts.

Graphics: 7.5 
Nice graphics that are bright and easy on the eyes.

Sound: 7
Average sound, but nothing annoying!

Difficulty: Medium
These puzzles aren't easy, but are solvable with perseverance.

Concept: 7.5 
A good idea to combine puzzles with rolling action, but a map would have made this game a whole lot better.

Multiplayer: No
A multiplayer mode would have been nice.

Overall: 7.8
A great puzzle game, but one with a narrow audience. People who don't mind redoing puzzles will enjoy the mental challenge, but others may become bored or frustrated and quit.