Two for the price of one!  Two for the price of one!  Every time I hear that I think, “So what’s wrong with it that keeps it from being one for the price of one?”   In most cases it’s just an old product that a company is trying to move and that’s exactly what Konami is up to with their recent Game Boy Advance Double Packs.  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle double pack is a single GBA cartridge that contains both TMNT and TMNT2: Battle Nexus.  Both games have already been released separately but to save you some time I’ll review them together for you.

The two games are based on the new TMNT cartoon series, but they draw their inspiration from the old NES and arcade Turtle games.  Both games are side scrolling brawlers with a few mini games tossed in to spice things up.  After choosing a Turtle, you’ll navigate through each level avoiding traps and obstacles all while kicking Foot Clan, um, Foot Tech ninja butt.  The enemies are varied in appearance and abilities as are the Turtles, but each fight really just comes down to how quickly you can mash the buttons. 

The controls in both games are nearly identical.  The A button jumps, B attacks, and the R button is a macro button that emulates pressing A and B together.  The R button is useful to execute each Turtles special attack, but the attacks uses a little bit of your Turtle’s health so use it sparingly.  Various combos can be performed by holding B or pressing a direction while hitting B.  It’s a fairly simple system to learn, but it’s easy enough to take out enemies with just the basic attacks.

In certain stages you’ll be treated to a minigame instead of the same old side scroller.  Oddly enough, the first game has a few more than the second.  In TMNT each Turtle has a themed mini game.  Leonardo drives the Sewer Slider, the Turtle van, through the sewers, obviously, while Michelangelo uses his Muta-Board to traverse the tunnels.  Raphael gets a motorcycle level and Donatello flies a hang glider.  In TMNT2 the boys only have the Muta-Board, a spaceship and an air car.  These are generic with any Turtle getting the opportunity to pilot.  The minigames are fun in small doses and add a nice bit of variety to each game.

TMNT2 has a few extra options that the first game lacks.  First is a race mode that pits your chosen Turtle in a Muta-Board race with his bros.  Winning a race unlocks the next course.  I actually had more fun with this mode than the actual game at times.  It also includes a Battle Mode which is a race against time to collect crystals while avoided or vanquishing the roaming enemies.  This mode was actually quite dull, because it’s just fighting the same enemies in small arenas instead of the larger story mode levels.  It gets monotonous fast.

Gameplay: 7.0

If you’ve played a TMNT game in the past then you’ll be able to drop right into the GBA versions.  Level design is mediocre at best, with TMNT2 having slightly better levels than TMNT.  TMNT is straight up brawling with some platforming, but TMNT2 changes a bit and adds stealth gameplay.  This makes TMNT2 a bit tougher because the controls are twitchy and your Turtle may not duck inside the nook you were trying to get him into in time to avoid a guard.  Overall it’s good fun to be smashing bad guys with the Turtles again, but it’s heartbreaking to have to choose only one Turtle per level.

Graphics: 6.0

I’ve seen far worse GBA games, and I’ve seen far better.  Both games fall right into that “just alright” category.  The sprites are all drawn well, but the animations seem to be short on frames.  Attacks and movement all look a tad choppy.  Level artwork ranges from bland and uninspired to not quite so bland.  I know the Turtles live in the sewers, but it’s just to dank and gloomy for my tastes. 

Sound: 7.0

Sound ranges from very good to abysmal.  The intro tune and the phrase “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” are sampled at a high quality, but I know I’m playing TMNT, you don’t have to tell me after every level.  Music is another story.  The ambient music that plays during each level is usually ear drum shattering noise.  Most of the time it’s real mellow and creates no sense of urgency or action.  The Turtles like to rock out when they fight not listen to elevator music.

Difficulty: Easy to Medium

The games difficulty is adjustable but even on the highest setting it should not be too hard for a dedicated fan to finish.  Level design is straight forward and won’t leave you guessing as to how to progress.  The minigames are also quite easy once you get the hang of the controls.

Concept:  6.5

Take the best aspects of past Turtle games, mix in the character revamps and storylines from the new television show, and make it all portable.  That’s the TMNT Double Pack in a nutshell.  Side scrolling, brawler action with interspersed minigames makes for a halfway decent game, but it would have been nice to see a new concept for the new Turtles instead of relying on the tried and trued.

Overall: 6.5

If you don’t have either Turtle title and you’d like to bust up some ninjas with flair, than the TMNT Double Pack is the way to go.  If you already own one or the other, you’re probably better off checking the bargain bin for the title you’re missing.  For a GBA title the TMNT games are good on the go arcade fair.  Kids that are into the new TMNT show will enjoy it and for older fans it’s a fun game to pop in when you just want to relax and relive the glory days.  You know, when you wore a pink shirt, yellow shorts, mismatched Converse and said “Cowabunga, Dude!” while waving your imaginary nunchaku.