In 1991, England-based electronic games distributor Grandstand released a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles handheld electronic game with LCD display. The gameplay consisted of guiding a staff-wielding Ninja Turtle through a randomly generated series of sewer mazes to rescue April O'Neil and ultimately defeat Shredder in a series of increasingly difficult tunnel mazes. The Turtle can occupy any one of five possible positions of the screen, but he can only attack when positioned away from the center of the screen. The maze tunnels scroll infinitely in each of the four directions unless the player's path is blocked by a barrier or he has reached the confrontation to free April.
The game was apparently exclusive to the United Kingdom, as Konami's LCD handheld adaptation of the 1989 NES game was previously released in cooperation with London-based Hornby under the re-branded name of Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.
The official gameplay description and instructions printed on the back of the box features various grammatical typos and erroneous identification of characters, such as identifying a recurring enemy resembling Rocksteady as "Bebop." The playable Turtle uses a bō staff like Donatello, but the box identifies the Turtle as Michaelangelo. The enemy hazard identified as "Shredder's Laser Gun" appears to be merely a Foot Soldier throwing a projectile into the center column. The enemy idenfied only as "The Monster" appears to be similar to the Stick 'Em Up enemy which appeared in Konami's 1989 NES game.
Official gameplay description[]
- The game consists of 9 levels. On each level, 6 tunnels of a maze are included. Your mission is to eliminate Shredder who remains on tunnel 6. You start the game from tunnel 1 with 3 energy units filled.
- Try to fight the other enemy units that you encounter by using the Turtles weapons as you progress along the maze finding your way to rescue April O'Neil. You will be directed by Splinter as long as 3 energy units remain filled.
- Watch out! You will be attacked by Shredder's Laser Gun, Bebop, Mouser, Shredder, and the Monster. Once April O'Neil is found you can enter the next tunnel by eliminating all the enemies who are positioned next to April.
- At the end of tunnel 6 you have to eliminate all the enemies as well as Shredder who only appears at this point.
- To advance to the next level you must complete all 6 tunnels successfully.
- A trap will appear at random at the centre of the maze. If you are trapped, a warning tone will be heard and Splinter will not appear. One energy unit will be lost every minute. Try to find a way to escape with the rest of your energy.
- Gain 1 energy unit for shooting down an enemy (except beside April O'Neil's area). Lose 1 energy unit for being attacked. Lose 1 energy unit for every minute staying inside the trap.
Official scoring description[]
Gain 100 points for getting Shredder's Laser Gun (attack him twice)
Gain 200 points for getting Bebop (attack him 4 times)
Gain 300 points for getting Mouser (attack him 6 times)
Gain 500 points for getting Shredder (attack him 8 times)
Gain 1000 points for entering the next tunnel or the next level