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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus 
Release date: 19 Oct 2004
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Mygamer review
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A Sub-par sequel that reaches for something more.
Konami and Ninja Turtles. These four words used to mean great things for video game fanatics. Now, their combined utterance makes gamers like me nervous. Two years ago we saw the hyped yet lackluster return of the fearsome foursome and continuing in that manner, but hopefully not starting a tradition, Konami has made a sub-par sequel for both the GBA and GCN. Regardless of the fact that the GBA version tries to go above and beyond the traditional beat ‘em up, it’s disheartening still to discover that something essential was lost in the shuffle.
As far as game mechanics go, Battle Nexus plays just how you would expect. Slash/whack, kick, and jump your way through nearly 50 levels. This time around various combo attacks are dispersed between each turtle with their own special abilities that are unique to their respective weapons. The combo system is meager at best but this could have been due to the developer’s risky decision to try and take the series in a more cerebral direction. However, the addition of shallow stealth maneuvering, which consists of nothing more than pressing up to hide in conveniently placed hallways, is a sad replacement for the lessened emphasis on fighting.
To further drive home Konami’s focus on a more learned style of game play they opted to relieve each turtle of their armaments at the outset of every level. Couple the search for your consistently missing weapons with a scavenger hunt for well-placed power crystals and it would seem that we have the closest thing to a TMNT puzzle game as I have ever seen. However, as interesting and even innovative as this system may seem, it has not been fully fleshed out. The fact that you have to find your weapon at the beginning of each level quickly becomes infuriating and begs the question “Why would Raphael leave home without his sais, not just on one occasion, but for an entire game?”
As a long time Turtle fan I was wholly disappointed with TMNT 2’s lackluster power crystal hunt and weak battle system. As repetitive and predictable as the enemy AI may be, it is the level designs and obstacles therein that allow for legitimate replay-ability. i.e., you may have to use Michelangelo to employ his ‘chucks to float over a chasm, and then go back into that same level with Donatello to get a computer terminal up and running to raise a previously unreachable platform.
A well meaning attempt to break up the monotony of single player level scouring is introduced in the form of racing and asteroid blasting missions, yet both of these mission modes are just as superficial as the rest of the game play. All of these elements seem jumbled and mismatched and have the game coming off as discontinuous. Even the battling is weak when compared to contemporary action titles in that you needn’t employ any other move than a continuous stream of mashing the A button. Multi-player, as you may have expected, is also just as weak. The only thing that stands out is the fact that the "Battle" mode isn't a battle mode, but rather a 2-4 player power crystal scavenger hunt. Oh, boy. Four player racing is cool, but it ain't no Mario Kart.
As unharmonious as I believe the game play to be, Battle Nexus does stay true to the TV series storyline and anime influenced style with vibrant and colorfully large sprites. Honestly, I kept playing Battle Nexus almost exclusively for the fluid animations and fantastic use of color. Also on the plus side, all of the detailed and labyrinthine locales should be familiar to fans of the current series. The audio element is great all around, but shines when it comes to the voice clips, as the actors from the show have been dubbed in here or there to spice things up. As well, the music lets loose with some rocking tunes that make you want to kick some shell, but unfortunately the game’s emphasis on item collection and hiding makes for stifled desires. Aesthetically, this game delivers on every note, which is where my confusion and disappointment really set in.
I found it sincerely encouraging that Konami’s heart was in the right place, taking risks and trying to move the series forward and all, but they just missed the mark with this one even with high production values. Be warned this game is for true “Turtle” believers, younger children, and maybe the die-hard 2D fanatic. If you do not fall into one or more of these categories, I’d advise you to look elsewhere for your on-the-go action fix.
Review by Brandon Campbell on 3 Jun 2005
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