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Has any pop culture franchise been through more permutations and reboots than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? It doesn't help that so many of these projects are named simply "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "TMNT" or some other variation thereof.
With Turtle Mania as strong as it's ever been, and with even more Turtle adventures in the works across various media, we figured now is a great time to break down the history of the franchise. Read on to learn about all the many incarnations of TMNT across movies, TV and video games (but note that for the sake of simplicity we're ignoring the various handheld and mobile games).
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The year 1987 is when Turtle Mania really began to take hold, as that was when the original animated series and the action figure line both debuted. The animated series helped shape public perception of the franchise for years to come, from the iconic theme song to a decidedly more kid-friendly tone than the comic book source material. The series also had much more staying power than most, lasting a full 10 seasons until it finally wrapped in 1996.
The TMNT franchise's first foray into video games is also the most divisive. The original NES game boasts a unique, fairly open-ended structure and allows players to choose which of the four Turtles to control. However, the game is also well known for its level of difficulty, with many gamers having nightmares of the infamous underwater level for years to come after playing.
The franchise made its theatrical debut with the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. That film is notable for both its darker, more comic-accurate tone and the animatronic rubber Turtle suits designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. As further proof of Turtle Mania's power, the movie actually became the highest-grossing independent film in history (at least until The Blair Witch Project came along).
The Turtles migrated to arcades in 1990, spawning what is arguably still the most popular game in the history of the franchise. This Konami-produced brawler replicated a successful quarter-munching formula. The game was later ported to the NES and rebranded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. Although the NES version suffered a major graphical downgrade, it boasts an additional level not found in the original.
Even the Game Boy got in on the TMNT fun thanks to this 1990 action game, which is based on the animated series. Fall of the Foot Clan spawned two Game Boy-exclusive sequels, 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers and 1993's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue.
As popular as the 1990 movie was, the backlash over the dark tone resulted in this campier and less violent sequel. The Secret of the Ooze is also notable for adding a number of new characters to the franchise, including the heroic pizza delivery boy Keno and Bebop and Rocksteady fill-ins Tokka and Rahzar. Also, there was that whole "Ninja Rap" thing.
Konami followed up the 1990 arcade game with an equally popular sequel. Turtles in Time is not only a major graphical leap over its predecessor, its plot sees the Turtles battling their way through time, from the prehistoric to a futuristic New York. The game was later ported to the Super NES, with several new bosses and levels thrown in for good measure.
Because the NES was woefully ill-equipped to handle a port of Turtles in Time, it instead played host to a different follow-up to TMNT II: The Arcade Game. The Manhattan Project features similar graphics and gameplay, though the Turtles each gained their own special move.
Not to be confused with The Manhattan Project, TMNT: The Manhattan Missions is a PC-exclusive action game modeled after the Prince of Persia series.
While Sega Genesis owners didn't get a true port of Turtles in Time, they did get this very similar arcade brawler. TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist reuses many assets from Turtles in Time, but features a different storyline and unique characters like Shredder's top henchman, Tatsu.
The live-action series culminated with this sequel, which thrust the Turtles back in time to feudal Japan. While moderately successful, the diminished box office numbers and withering critical reception ensured this would be the last live-action TMNT movie for more than 20 years.
With Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat all the rage in 1993, the Turtles got in on that action with a tournament fighting game of their own. The game was released on the NES, Super NES and Sega Genesis, with each varying wildly in gameplay, character roster and quality.
This obscure, two-part Japanese OVA is more or less a spinoff of the 1987 animated series we all know and love, featuring most of the same voice actors who worked on the Japanese dub. The title translates to "Superman Legend," and the first episode features the Turtles becoming sentai heroes who merge to form the powerful Turtle Saint.
Though TMNT III basically killed the live-action franchise's future prospects, that didn't stop Saban Entertainment from trying to tap into waning Turtle Mania for a Power Rangers-inspired series. TMNT: The Next Mutation debuted in 1997 and lasted only one season.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Original Animated Series
The year 1987 is when Turtle Mania really began to take hold, as that was when the original animated series and the action figure line both debuted. The animated series helped shape public perception of the franchise for years to come, from the iconic theme song to a decidedly more kid-friendly tone than the comic book source material. The series also had much more staying power than most, lasting a full 10 seasons until it finally wrapped in 1996.
The NES Game
The TMNT franchise's first foray into video games is also the most divisive. The original NES game boasts a unique, fairly open-ended structure and allows players to choose which of the four Turtles to control. However, the game is also well known for its level of difficulty, with many gamers having nightmares of the infamous underwater level for years to come after playing.
The Live-Action Movie
The franchise made its theatrical debut with the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. That film is notable for both its darker, more comic-accurate tone and the animatronic rubber Turtle suits designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. As further proof of Turtle Mania's power, the movie actually became the highest-grossing independent film in history (at least until The Blair Witch Project came along).
The Arcade Game
The Turtles migrated to arcades in 1990, spawning what is arguably still the most popular game in the history of the franchise. This Konami-produced brawler replicated a successful quarter-munching formula. The game was later ported to the NES and rebranded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. Although the NES version suffered a major graphical downgrade, it boasts an additional level not found in the original.
Fall of the Foot Clan
Even the Game Boy got in on the TMNT fun thanks to this 1990 action game, which is based on the animated series. Fall of the Foot Clan spawned two Game Boy-exclusive sequels, 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers and 1993's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
As popular as the 1990 movie was, the backlash over the dark tone resulted in this campier and less violent sequel. The Secret of the Ooze is also notable for adding a number of new characters to the franchise, including the heroic pizza delivery boy Keno and Bebop and Rocksteady fill-ins Tokka and Rahzar. Also, there was that whole "Ninja Rap" thing.
Turtles in Time
Konami followed up the 1990 arcade game with an equally popular sequel. Turtles in Time is not only a major graphical leap over its predecessor, its plot sees the Turtles battling their way through time, from the prehistoric to a futuristic New York. The game was later ported to the Super NES, with several new bosses and levels thrown in for good measure.
The Manhattan Project
Because the NES was woefully ill-equipped to handle a port of Turtles in Time, it instead played host to a different follow-up to TMNT II: The Arcade Game. The Manhattan Project features similar graphics and gameplay, though the Turtles each gained their own special move.
Manhattan Missions
Not to be confused with The Manhattan Project, TMNT: The Manhattan Missions is a PC-exclusive action game modeled after the Prince of Persia series.
The Hyperstone Heist
While Sega Genesis owners didn't get a true port of Turtles in Time, they did get this very similar arcade brawler. TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist reuses many assets from Turtles in Time, but features a different storyline and unique characters like Shredder's top henchman, Tatsu.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
The live-action series culminated with this sequel, which thrust the Turtles back in time to feudal Japan. While moderately successful, the diminished box office numbers and withering critical reception ensured this would be the last live-action TMNT movie for more than 20 years.
Tournament Fighters
With Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat all the rage in 1993, the Turtles got in on that action with a tournament fighting game of their own. The game was released on the NES, Super NES and Sega Genesis, with each varying wildly in gameplay, character roster and quality.
Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen
This obscure, two-part Japanese OVA is more or less a spinoff of the 1987 animated series we all know and love, featuring most of the same voice actors who worked on the Japanese dub. The title translates to "Superman Legend," and the first episode features the Turtles becoming sentai heroes who merge to form the powerful Turtle Saint.
The Next Mutation
Though TMNT III basically killed the live-action franchise's future prospects, that didn't stop Saban Entertainment from trying to tap into waning Turtle Mania for a Power Rangers-inspired series. TMNT: The Next Mutation debuted in 1997 and lasted only one season.