turtles iii gb

content/games/gameboy/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-back-from-the-sewers.md

@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ score: 3
 howlongtobeat_id: 12376
 howlongtobeat_hrs: 1.5
 game_name: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II Back From the Sewers'
-game_genre: "Beat 'em up"
+game_genre: "Beat em up"
 tags:
   - turtles
+  - beat em up
 game_release_year: 1991
 game_developer: 'Konami'
 ---

content/games/gameboy/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-fall-of-the-foot-clan.md

@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ score: 2
 howlongtobeat_id: 9654
 howlongtobeat_hrs: 1
 game_name: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan'
-game_genre: "Beat 'em up"
+game_genre: "Beat em up"
 tags:
   - turtles
+  - beat em up
 game_release_year: 1990
 game_developer: 'Konami'
 ---

content/games/gameboy/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-iii-radical-rescue.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+title: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue"
+date: 2023-04-09
+score: 4
+howlongtobeat_id: 9652
+howlongtobeat_hrs: 2.6
+game_name: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III Radical Rescue'
+game_genre: "Metroidvania"
+tags:
+  - turtles
+  - metroidvania
+  - beat em up
+game_release_year: 1993
+game_developer: 'Konami'
+---
+
+Two years after the latest Game Boy installment, [Back from the Sewers](/games/gameboy/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-back-from-the-sewers), Konami gave the _TMNT_ franchise yet another try---third time's a charm, as they say. For _Radical Rescue_, in my opinion, the statement holds true. The first game, [Fall of the Foot Clan](/games/gameboy/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-fall-of-the-foot-clan), didn't have any meat to the bone, that was corrected with the second installment, although the visual representation of the Turtles themselves could be called questionable. 
+
+This time around, the [beat 'em up genre](/tags/beat-em-up) evolved into a real [Metroidvania](/tags/metroidvania)-esque experience: by gradually rescuing the Turtles crew, you gain access to other areas of the map through unique abilities of each crew member. For example, Donatello can climb walls, and Leonardo can drill through certain blocks with his two katanas. There's also a bit of key card collecting involved that opens one-way or two-way doors---occassionally bumping into a boss's lair. 
+
+![](map.png "Left: the somehow empty looking game map (circle in lower right is the current location). Right: a prison cell; about to bust out Raphael! If I have the key card, that is. ")
+
+The direction of _Radical Rescue_ feels like a breath of fresh air, especially for a Metroidvania sucker such as myself. Don't get too excited tough; it's still a 1993 Game Boy game with focus on simple platforming. Yes, areas are interconnected, but the map---as seen in the above screenshot---hardly reveals anything useful: what are those black squares anyway? Strangely enough, the Japanese version of the game shows more info on the map, such as the five bosses, the four key card locations, and the five prison cell doors. Why this was removed for the European release I played baffles me.
+
+Another problem is, since Metroidvanias rely on gradual exploration, the lack of a savegame RAM chip. Instead, you'll have to make due with 7-digit passwords that mark specific events in the game (e.g. before/after a particular boss fight or rescue mission). For a '93 game, it's an odd decision, probably an economic one, but it's much better than no password at all like in the previous two games. Even stranger is the fact that this installment is only `128 KB` big, while _Turtles II: Back from the Sewers_ is twice as big! The bank controller chip, MBC1, is can handle `2 MB` max, so there's plenty of room left, but probably a smaller (and thus cheaper) chip was soldered on.
+
+Still, the core of an exploration-oriented atmosphere is there: new areas are accompanied by unique themes including a superb soundtrack. You start on the upper left as Michelangelo, outside, and after quickly enter mining caverns, the mood promptly shifts. A few minutes later, a secret lab is discovered, and metal-like tile-sets replace the murky cave ones. Backtracking of course also is a thing, and although I got lost a few times thanks to one-way doors I accidentally took, the game isn't particularly big and can probably be finished in three hours. 
+
+![](flying.png "Left: an angry dino with a gun acts as the boss. Right: Michelangelo's helicopter ability allows for reaching far platforms such as these tree branches.")
+
+The sprite work of the turtles themselves was "radically" (hah!) changed compared to _Back from the Sewers_. They look a bit more gritty and the sprites are smaller to accommodate for the evolved game genre: less beating, more platforming and exploring. When going down a ladder, you can throw shurikens at bats hanging from ceilings, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, enemy reappearance rates are a tad too high, making backtracking a bit of a chore. 
+
+This game is _expensive_: it can get up to `$100` for a used cart. I can't find a lot of sales information, perhaps it wasn't distributed well enough. Luckily, the 2022 _Cowabunga Collection_ fixed this, and I highly recommend to play the game through the collection if you don't have a genuine cart. [CVG UK 144](https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File%3ACVG_UK_144.pdf&page=103) rates the game 8 _(look)_, 9 _(sound)_, 7 _(feel)_, 9 _(value)_ (p. 103)---overall: 90. The sound indeed is, just like its predecessor, excellent at all rates. The roughness of the backtracking could make up for the 7 in _feel_.
+
+![](lab.png "Left: throwing shurikens while on a ladder? Check. Right: in the secret lab where avoiding lasers shooting from walls becomes a priority.")
+
+As a kid, I never got that far into the game: it's pretty challenging, and I got easily confused by the level design, as it's not a run-from-left-to-right affair of the previous _TMNT_ entries---something I now appreciate even more. To me, TMNT III is the best of the three Game Boy entries, and perhaps also the most overlooked one. 
+
+If you're interested in a bit more substantial Turtles platforming/exploring, give _Radical Rescue_ a try. It's readily available through the _Cowabunga Collection_ compilation that also includes the Japanese version with the more complete map. 
+ 

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+        "name": "My Analogue Pocket Is One Year Old Now",
+        "content": "My Analogue Pocket is one year old now. Its firmware has since (somewhat) matured from the then 1.0B release to the 1.1 beta of July 2022 that (finally!) introduced the long-promised “Memories” and “Library” modes, allowing for real save stat...",
+        "published": "2023-04-08T00:00:00+00:00",
+        "url": "https://brainbaking.com/post/2023/04/my-analogue-pocket-is-one-year-old-now/",
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+        "name": "Favorites of March 2023",
+        "content": "Last month’s favorites got lost in momentum and I simply didn’t have the energy to condense them into a metapost. I’m still not sure whether or not these types of posts are actually useful but I do have a few interesting links to share so here ...",
+        "published": "2023-04-01T00:00:00+00:00",
+        "url": "https://brainbaking.com/post/2023/04/march-2023/",
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