I had never played a TMNT game on Sega Genesis before so I was like a kid in a candy store when I saw that there was a TMNT beat ’em up game released for the Sega Genesis especially by Konami.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist was the first TMNT game released on the Sega Genesis and was also Konami’s first game on the console as well. It was released in 1992.
You start off with an intro like the one from Turtles in Time and of course you’re able to pick which turtle you would like to play as.
I went with Leonardo for my first play through and then tried out Donatello next because his staff is an awesome weapon with its length, making it easy to mess those foot clan soldiers up! The first level throws you in to the New York City where you’ll notice pretty quickly that the game is using a lot of things from Turtles in Time when it comes to the level graphics and enemies. The speed is apparently faster then the speed of Turtles in Time though. When it comes to attacking your enemies you have your basic attack, a new dedicated run button, and you are also able to slam enemies side-to-side along with a special attack (that eats a little of your life).
The animation and graphics are great. The game has 5 different levels that are split up into sections and each section has a pretty good look to it (taking a lot from Turtles in Time).
Level 1 is New York City where you’ll start off in the sewers, then up to the streets of the city, and then back down to the sewers to fight off those alien creatures from Turtles in Time.
Level 2 starts off with a cool ocean surfing part before having you end up on a ghost ship. I have always loved the surfing levels in the TMNT games.
Level 3 is Shredder’s hideout and is basically fighting through a Japanese village. It also has some environmental trap parts where you’ll have to avoid lasers and spikes.
Level 4 is “The Gauntlet” where you’re basically fighting all the bosses up until then one after another along with a new boss. This was probably my least favorite level because it was a pain in the ass in my opinion.
Level 5 is the final level where you’re battling through the Technodrome.
All in all I liked The Hyperstone Heist. It’s a serviceable TMNT game for that era and the beat ’em up action is still fun today. If I had the choice between this and Turtles in Time of course I would choose the latter but if I only had a Sega Genesis back then I know I would have been having a blast with friends kicking butt!
What are your thoughts on TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist? Any fond memories of the game? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment!