"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist", released in 1992 on Sega, is a familiar beat 'em up, made in the recognizable traditions of the genre. The game offers everything that Ninja Turtles fans need: dynamic action, familiar heroes and villains, as well as the recognizable atmosphere of the cult animated series.
The plot was based on Shredder's attempt to reduce Manhattan and create chaos with the help of a mystical artifact - a Hyperstone. Four turtles go to fight enemies, fighting on the streets of the city, in the sewers and in many other locations. Although the story is simple and little revealed, it creates a suitable background for all kinds of battles between skilled green ninjas and hordes of villains, which is quite enough for a game of this genre.
Graphically, "The Hyperstone Heist" looks decent. I immediately noticed the difference with the games for the Dendy console. It is understandable. 16 bits versus 8 bits. The locations are detailed, and the characters are clearly drawn and recognizable. The animation of the movements of turtles and enemies remains smooth and pleasing to the eye, which is important for dynamic gameplay.
The key feature of the game was its pace: the fights passing quickly, and most importantly, the millisecond delay during the strike on the opponent, as if they improve realism and literally allow you to feel the blows, and with them the whole fight. This makes the gameplay stressful. The variety of enemies is not bad: from simple soldiers of the Foot clan to diverse bosses, including Krang and Shredder himself. However, many of the battles seemed secondary to me, and the villains' mechanics literally repeat everything they did in the game for "Dendy" "The Manhattan Project" a year earlier. And in general, the action here seemed to me less cool than in the aforementioned game. And these are projects on different levels of consoles, where, in my opinion, the implementation on the weaker "Dendy" turns out to be an order of magnitude better than on "Sega". I admit that the same mechanics and blanks were simply duplicated in both games for different consoles.
In terms of gameplay, the game retains the classic formula: combinations of punches, jumps and throws work flawlessly, but do not offer serious innovations. The co-op mode for two adds to the fun when you play the game with a friend.
The musical accompaniment in the game deserves praise: cheerful tracks emphasize the dynamics and help maintain an atmosphere of nostalgia. However, the soundtrack in the same "The Manhattan Project" was much stronger. Or maybe it's just a perception from childhood.
The final experience from "The Hyperstone Heist" is a classic game of its time. It does not go beyond the genre, but remains a worthy choice for fans of turtles and retro gaming. Its predictability can leave neutral impressions for those who are waiting for something more, but still the game gives you the opportunity to have fun in the company of your favorite characters.
6 out of 10.
