Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ninja Den (cartouche uniquement)

The underwater stages are where this one really shines—swimming as a turtle feels way more natural than I expected, and the platforming stays tight even when those chainsaw guys show up. Cart itself is in solid shape, boots right up on my Famicom, and April actually gets a decent role for once.

Finally a Famicom cart that makes you actually dodge chainsaws instead of just jumping on stuff. The underwater sections handle differently than I expected, which adds a nice change of pace. April’s always getting kidnapped but at least the gameplay stays fun.

The underwater sections are a nice change of pace, and I love that each turtle’s unique abilities actually matter here. Makes me feel like I’m really using their ninja skills, not just button-mashing. Dodging those chain-saw guys is tense but satisfying.