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TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES: THE HYPERSTONE HEIST (SMD)
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Publisher: Konami.
Developer: Konami. Released: 1993 (Europe). Genre: Roaming beat 'em up. Posted 11th September 2013. By Tom Clare © 2013 |
Teenage Mutant Hero (alternatively Ninja) Turtles was a permanent fixture on kids’ TV schedules throughout much of the 1990s, and thanks to the series’ penchant for hi-octane fun, distinctive protagonists and considerable potential for brand marketability, gaming adaptations were inevitable. Less inevitable however was how impressive The Hyperstone Heist would turn out to be. Though falling a shade short of SEGA’s dazzling Streets of Rage titles, the sewer-dwelling pizza-guzzlers would stake a convincing claim for ‘best of the rest’ amidst a hotly-contested era for Mega Drive scrolling beat ‘em ups. It hosts some of the finest presentation and co-op gameplay on the system, and really captures the zeal of its source material.
The villainous Shredder is once again up to no good, shrinking the Statue of Liberty with his Hyperstone ray, threatening world domination and generally making a nuisance of himself, as per the usual. The task of stopping him falls to as many as two of the Turtles quartet that comprises of the artistically-monikered Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, who must battle past six levels of henchmen before finally putting Shredder out of his misery.
What’s immediately striking is how well pitched the whole look and feel of the game is. It’s one of only a small handful of 16-bit titles that completely captures the TV vibe; it really feels like you’re immersing yourself in the world of the cartoon, due in significant part to the excellent animation, and also the environments that remain faithful to the show.
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The graphics are superb. Colourful and inventive, they’re beautifully drawn, and aided by an absolute litany of cool touches resulting from the Turtles being electrocuted, charred or spiked, which sees them hopping mad and grabbing their toes. The array of acrobatic martial arts moves is fantastic, each looking resplendent and fluidly animated. There’s even the option to choose between ‘anime’ and ‘comic’ character sprites, providing a small but nice touch that will doubtless please the connoisseurs. The sound is even better, with crisp effects, neat and clear speech samples and some absolutely tremendous BGMs that act as a thrilling compliment to a briskly-paced game, and an entirely appropriate homage to the cartoon.
The levels look really good, and the environments play a considerable, active role in the gameplay. Scrolling brawlers have been known to use their backdrops as little more than graphical showpieces, but The Hyperstone Heist certainly isn’t guilty of this. The player has to remain aware of both enemies and their immediate landscape, as they’ll find a raft of ways in which to launch attacks. Goons will leap into the action from windows and balconies, as well as teleportation machines, or from beneath manhole covers, which they promptly fling in your direction. There are laser-beams to negotiate, falling barrels and even a car that tries to run you down having dangled a slice of health-replenishing pizza as the bait. But there are ways to fight back; gas canisters and boxes of fireworks can be detonated, whilst candlesticks and fire hydrants can be used to stun foes with a bit of foresight. Some bosses can even have their projectiles sent straight back at them with a spot of deft timing.
Whilst it’s guilty of a fair bit of palette-swapping, especially where henchmen sprites are concerned, the range of enemies is good enough; ranging from the deviously quick mousers that swarm in speedy packs, to rock-men who use charge attacks as their primary form of attack. The huge, intimidating boss sprites look super, and with attack patterns that can be studied to a degree, there are some tactical encounters that reward patience and observation.
The levels look really good, and the environments play a considerable, active role in the gameplay. Scrolling brawlers have been known to use their backdrops as little more than graphical showpieces, but The Hyperstone Heist certainly isn’t guilty of this. The player has to remain aware of both enemies and their immediate landscape, as they’ll find a raft of ways in which to launch attacks. Goons will leap into the action from windows and balconies, as well as teleportation machines, or from beneath manhole covers, which they promptly fling in your direction. There are laser-beams to negotiate, falling barrels and even a car that tries to run you down having dangled a slice of health-replenishing pizza as the bait. But there are ways to fight back; gas canisters and boxes of fireworks can be detonated, whilst candlesticks and fire hydrants can be used to stun foes with a bit of foresight. Some bosses can even have their projectiles sent straight back at them with a spot of deft timing.
Whilst it’s guilty of a fair bit of palette-swapping, especially where henchmen sprites are concerned, the range of enemies is good enough; ranging from the deviously quick mousers that swarm in speedy packs, to rock-men who use charge attacks as their primary form of attack. The huge, intimidating boss sprites look super, and with attack patterns that can be studied to a degree, there are some tactical encounters that reward patience and observation.
A true "Gotcha now! *THWACK* Ha! Wait, where'd he go?" moment
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Kicking seems oddly frivolous when you have a massive sword at hand
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Not only this, but it’s ultra-playable as well. Whilst it may lack the extravagant range of combos and team-up manoeuvres that populate Streets of Rage, it makes up for it with simple, fast-paced, engaging gameplay. It gets all of the basics right; collision detection is decent, control responsiveness is top-notch, and it’s never short on action. More crucial to its long-term appeal, The Hyperstone Heist is also an absolute blast in two-player. Fighting with a mate is supreme fun, though it perhaps would have benefited from additional enemies as working as a pair makes encounters (particularly with bosses) a lot simpler.
So The Hyperstone Heist looks, sounds and plays great. What denies it the classic status it deserves is the simple fact that it’s a little too short, and a little too easy to finish. The ‘Easy’ setting is an absolute breeze and though by ‘Hard’ the action levels have been noticeably ramped up (and the last encounter with Shredder is a fair bit tougher), it still won’t provide much of an obstacle for seasoned gamers, and with a generous smattering of life-replenishing pizzas and ample opportunities to gain extra lives, it’s pretty much a done deal. The six levels last around fifty minutes, meaning the challenge for many will be to see whether they can finish the game without losing a continue. That said, it’s aged well enough to have warranted several return playthroughs down the years, so it’s longevity in real terms is fairly commendable. You may finish it quick, but that’s not to say it will remain shelved.
This shouldn’t cast too much of a shadow over The Hyperstone Heist though. Its success in most of the major criteria that such a game can be judged is highly commendable, and something very few games, let alone licensed titles, manage to achieve. The simple fact is, if you like scrolling beat ‘em ups, or Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (or better still, both), then this remains an absolutely essential title. One of the Mega Drive’s best co-op experiences.
So The Hyperstone Heist looks, sounds and plays great. What denies it the classic status it deserves is the simple fact that it’s a little too short, and a little too easy to finish. The ‘Easy’ setting is an absolute breeze and though by ‘Hard’ the action levels have been noticeably ramped up (and the last encounter with Shredder is a fair bit tougher), it still won’t provide much of an obstacle for seasoned gamers, and with a generous smattering of life-replenishing pizzas and ample opportunities to gain extra lives, it’s pretty much a done deal. The six levels last around fifty minutes, meaning the challenge for many will be to see whether they can finish the game without losing a continue. That said, it’s aged well enough to have warranted several return playthroughs down the years, so it’s longevity in real terms is fairly commendable. You may finish it quick, but that’s not to say it will remain shelved.
This shouldn’t cast too much of a shadow over The Hyperstone Heist though. Its success in most of the major criteria that such a game can be judged is highly commendable, and something very few games, let alone licensed titles, manage to achieve. The simple fact is, if you like scrolling beat ‘em ups, or Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (or better still, both), then this remains an absolutely essential title. One of the Mega Drive’s best co-op experiences.
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VERDICT
Visual: 8/10
Audio: 9/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER AWESOME MEGA DRIVE CO-OP GAMES REVIEWED
Streets of Rage (1991, Mega Drive)
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World of Illusion (1992, Mega Drive)
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