TMNT: Mutant Madness

While some will wish this was more hands-on, most fans of the these cartoon heroes will enjoy this fast and furious strategic fighting game. Based on the recent cartoon that airs on Nickelodeon (as opposed to the old cartoons, the movies, or the original comic books), TMNT: Mutant Madness once again has Shredder trying to destroy the heroes so he can finally take over the world. That's why you spend the bulk of your time in this game fighting members of the Foot Clan as well as such Shredder sidekicks as Bebop and Rocksteady. But unlike previous TMNT games, where you controlled every combat move, this is more about having squad goals. Instead of mashing buttons to tell Donatello when to hit Shredder with his staff, he does it automatically; your job is mostly deciding who to send into battle, and when to use resources to upgrade a character's stills.

That's not to say this is entirely hands-free. When fighting, Donatello and his pals have rechargeable special attacks, and it's up to you to decide when they use them. You can even choose who to attack from afar when using such long-range characters as Super Irma. Still, as exciting as fast-paced as this may get, people who'd rather be in control -- and thus wish this was more of an arcade or straight fighting game -- will be disappointed by how hands-off this can be. It also won't appease hardcore strategy fans, as this isn't as deep as the best of those. Though having said all that, with simple controls, fun fights, and Shredder egging you on, TMNT: Mutant Madness will still be fun for most fans of these reptilian rogues.