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Prerelease:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

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This page details prerelease information and/or media for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game.

Box Art and Manual

TMNT2 NTSC-U coverscreenshot.png
This screenshot is on the back of the American and European boxes, as well as in the manual. It shows an early version of Rocksteady with different-looking sprites and palette. In addition, the score contains leading zeroes unlike the final game, something that’s seen in some pre-release screenshots. The number of lives also has a leading zero.

TMNT2 NTSC-J coverscreenshot.png
A couple of screenshots on the back of the Japanese box. Notably, instead of being a different shade of green, Michaelangelo's palette used to be blue-ish.

TMNT2 manualscreenshot.png
A screenshot from the game's manual. The roadblocks with spikes were used in the arcade version but aren't in the NES one, though the sprites are present in the game's data.

Nintendo Power

Volume 16 (September/October 1990)

NintendoPowervol1 1.jpg NintendoPowervol1 2.jpg NintendoPowervol1 3.jpg

A preview of the game. Points of interest:

  • Michaelangelo and Raphael are blue instead of the darker shade of green used in the final version.
  • The Pizza Hut promotion doesn’t seem to be in place yet, as the Japanese version’s painting is present in the first stage rather than the Pizza Hut logo.
  • Another frame of the earlier sprite of Rocksteady (bottom of page 2).
  • The pizza pick-up sprite used to be a whole pizza rather than a slice (bottom of page 3).
  • At the end of the scroll, a slab of cement blocks the road, not present in the final version (bottom of page 3).
  • Just above that, you can see a Turtle face near the window, not present in the final version. Probably a 1-up?
  • Just below where the road goes down, only a couple of parts of the walls of the building appear blown up. In the final version, a lot more of it is blown up.

Volume 21 (February 1991)

NintendoPowervol1 4.jpg

Another preview.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Issue 13 (August 1990)

TMNT2 EGMpreview.jpg

A preview shown on Page 48.

  • The title screen is a variant that does not match any released version: the logo is that of the Japanese version, though it may have the wrong color, yet the publisher logo is that of the American version. “The Arcade Game” is also spelled out using the game’s regular font as opposed to a unique graphic.
  • On the character select screen, the background of the "1P" cursor appears to be transparent, while it is black in the final version.
  • Clearer picture of early Rocksteady.
  • The first stage has Foot Soldiers with a red palette. There is no Foot Soldier with such color in the final version of the first stage.
  • The score when entering the room April is in is 60. Score depends on how many enemies have been defeated. In the final western versions, the score at this point is 65, therefore there were 5 less enemies in the first scroll of the first stage in the version showcased here.

Issue 17 (December 1990)

Electronic Gaming Monthly 017 December 1990 page 058.jpg Electronic Gaming Monthly 017 December 1990 page 059.jpg

Of note is that the Fact-File mentions the game supports 4 players, which is most likely an error and not a sign that a 4-player mode was planned.

  • The leading zeroes have been removed from the score, matching the final version.
  • On the screenshot of the intro, Raphael is missing a leg. Funnily enough that leg looks glitched in the final version.
  • On that same screenshot, Splinter may have an extra pixel or two on his left whisker but it is hard to tell.

Issue 19 (February 1991)

Electronic Gaming Monthly 019 February 1991 page 124.jpg

  • In Scene 6, the two cars driven by Foot Soldiers are blue and green respectively. They are red and brown in the final version.

Consolue Plus Issue 8 (April 1992)

ConsolePlus008TMNT2.png

A screenshot from Issue 8 (April 1992) of this French magazine, again showcasing the blue palette Michaelangelo. Notice how that the leading zeros on the score are not present, this tells us that the blue Turtles were in the game longer than the zeros.

GamePro Issue018 January 1991-148.jpg

An ad from magazine GamePro #018, January 1991.

Pre-release Final
TMNT2adcomparison.png TMNT2adcomparisonfinal.png
  • In this screenshot from Scene 2 (top right), the wall in the background doesn't look as blown-up as in the final version, just like in the Nintendo Power preview. Furthermore, the score is 116. In the final western versions of the game, in single-player, the score at this point is 110 or 111, depending on whether you hit the skateboarder or not. Notice also how, on the top right of the screen, the ® symbol is missing in the pre-release version.
  • In the screenshot with Krang (top right): another example of a blue Turtle, but no leading zeros for the score.
  • In the screenshot from Scene 6, the one with the tigers in the background, a purple Foot Soldier can be seen. In the final version, there is no Foot Soldier in this part of the stage. The number of characters for the score seems to indicate that this screenshot is from an earlier version, although the score itself is hard to make out: it could be a bullshot.
  • In the screenshot with Shogun (bottom left), the door on the top left of the screen is closed. It is opened in the final version. Furthermore, the score seems to be 84. In the final western versions, in single-player, if you use the stage select to start from this scene, the score is 94.