The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the most unique franchises around. Right down to their very origins as a parody comic from Frank Miller’s 1980s writing tour on Daredevil to their recent Michael Bay movies, the franchise has seen a lot of stuff in its life. But perhaps aside from television, no medium has been as good to the turtles as the world of video games.

While licensed games oftentimes have a reputation for being games you wouldn’t even want to give a dollar for, TMNT was usually bucking that trend by delivering solid title after solid title in the 1990s. Most of these were beat em ups which while repetitive and derivative, were still extremely fun games that drive a massive following to this day. But there are times when the franchise has tried to dip their stubby little toes into other kinds of games like fighting games, platformers, 3D action, and Metroidvania games. When the franchise has tried to enter into those realms the results have been mixed but no doubt they have been weird.

Whether it be odd choices of console, them appearing on bizarre pieces of hardware throughout the decades, or baffling gameplay mechanics, there are definitely games in this storied franchise that make you shake your shell in disbelief. Well, here I’m going to give you ten of the weirdest TMNT games ever while giving you the ten best. So order some Pizza Hut, make sure there are no anchovies on that slice, and munch away as I deliver this list.

20 Weird: TMNT Training Lair

Hey… remember that game Fruit Ninja? Yeah, that was a pretty fun game where you use either the motion sensor controls if you’re playing on a game console or the touch screen if you’re playing on a handheld and slash up all the fruit that flies across your screen. Well, how would you like to play that game… but with Ninja Turtles?

Why am I hungry for Pizza Hut out of nowhere?

Released as a free tie-in for the 2014 movie, the game is literally just Fruit Ninja except you swap the delicious colorful produce for Pizza Hut product placement and random pieces of vaguely ninja things. It’s hard to critique as a free game, but I’m just wondering how the publisher didn’t want to milk the franchise by making a paid movie tie-in game. Sooo bizarre.

19 Best: TMNT 3 Radical Rescue

The final title in the Game Boy trilogy of TMNT games, TMNT III: Radical Rescue brought new elements to the formula of previous games to create the most advanced and complex game of the bunch.

Anyone else think Raph and Donnie’s powers should be swapped?

While the previous two games were standard side-scrollers where you moved right and destroyed everything in sight, this game is more of a Metroidvania style. As you progress through the stages you rescue more of your brothers each with their own unique abilities to help you progress through the stages.  As you can see on the box Leonardo can drill through rocks, Michelangelo can hover with his nunchaku, Donatello can scale walls and Raphael can curl up in his shell to get through tight spaces. Not bad for Nintendo’s first handheld.

18 Weird: TMNT Tournament Fighters (NES Version)

Two of the most popular things in the early 90s were the Ninja Turtles and 2D fighting games, so it only makes sense to put them in a blender. Where it gets weird is that this game wasn’t just released for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994, but also the NES.

The turtles don’t use their weapons in this game. Why????

In North America, only 12 titles were released for the NES in its final year of production and this was one of them. The difference from one generation to the next was obvious though as the roster was less than half of its SNES brother and the movesets were pared down as well. The game goes for hundreds of dollars on eBay so if you have hundreds just lying around, blow it on an inferior version of a game for the SNES!

17 Best: TMNT 2007 (GBA)

While the home console version of 2007 TMNT movie game was a bland lifeless Prince of Persia rehash, the Game Boy Advance version went for something akin to the beat em ups of eras gone by. That isn’t to say though that the game didn’t add some new tricks up its shell.

The game feels like the perfect evolution of games like Turtles In Time. The controls are basic, but with them you’re able to throw objects, kick foes into each other, and juggle opponents for massive combos. You can also exchange money for more upgrades in between levels. Combine that with beautiful pixel art graphics and you have one of the best brawlers for the GBA.

16 Weird: TMNT Turtles In Time Re-Shelled

To many fans, TMNT: Turtles In Time remains the pinnacle of Turtle gaming to this day, despite being released over 25 years ago. So when a remake to the game was announced in 2009, fans’ ears perked up and took notice. But the result was less than expected.

You know a remake is a failure when it can’t top a title from 1991.

The game still has the same style of moving to the right, destroying every enemy in sight and moving on to the next foe. But while the previous game felt satisfying, this one just feels floaty and joyless. You can also attack in eight directions which should be an upgrade but actually just makes the game feel way too chaotic. A noble effort, but stick to the SNES or Arcade versions.

15 Best: TMNT Fall Of The Foot Clan

Released during the height of Ninja Turtle fever in 1990, TMNT Fall of The Foot Clan could have easily been a mediocre title for the Game Boy and it still would have been eaten by the masses of children hungry for artistic fighting reptiles. Luckily, Fall of The Foot Clan is a good title.

The game is extremely basic (as was the case with most original Game Boy games) but still satisfying. It’s a typical side-scrolling affair where you move through the level and defeat every enemy in your way but it works well. Not only that, but the presentation for this game is excellent with a catchy soundtrack and nice big sprites.

14 Weird: TMNT Manhattan Missions

While most people associate the TMNT games of the early 90s with Nintendo consoles and the arcades, those weren’t the only places to go for mutant reptile action. If you had a DOS computer, you could always pick up TMNT: Manhattan Missions.

The game’s art style is somewhere between the movies of the time and the cartoon and looks great.

Whereas most games from this era were straightforward platformers or beat em ups, this one combines that with some RPG elements. You are given 48 in-game hours to complete all the titular missions and you have to manage your time as well balance out your four turtles if you want a chance at stopping Shredder. A decent but forgotten game for computers of 1991.

13 Best: TMNT 2 Back From The Sewers

One of the criticisms levied against the original TMNT game for the Game Boy was that it was too darn easy. Well, Konami must have heard those criticisms for the second game because TMNT 2: Back From The Sewers doesn’t hold back on its challenge rating.

The game’s transition screens are ripped straight out of the cartoon.

While the game is more difficult, it also improves on its predecessor. Now each turtle plays differently with their own strengths and weaknesses like Donatello have a slow but long-range attack while Raph is fast with short range. The game also adds more stage hazards which spice up the platforming. Finally, as is the case with most TMNT games, the soundtrack is top notch.

12 Weird: TMNT Mutants In Manhattan

The most recent Ninja Turtle game to release for consoles, Mutants In Manhattan on the surface seemed like it was gonna be a great addition to TMNT’s long history of video games. With acclaimed developer Platinum Games (the developers behind Bayonetta) behind the title, this hack and slash multiplayer game couldn’t have failed. Until it did.

No. Local. Multiplayer. That’s all.

Instead of the satisfying and responsive combat of previous Platinum Games, here we get boring and loose combat where all the turtles feel the exact same. The game’s running time is pitiful at merely a few hours and funnily enough, was only available digital for 8 months before being pulled due to Activision’s license running out. This game screams of a rush job.

11 Best: Injustice 2

So technically this isn’t a TMNT game entirely and could certainly be a part of the weird section on the countdown, but Injustice 2 is such a sweet game that I just have to put it on the best section.

Who doesn’t want to see the TMNT make a shish-kabob out of fascist Superman?

For those who don’t know, Injustice 2 is a fighting game starring characters from DC Comics and a whole bunch of guest characters including Netherrealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat characters and other comic characters… including the TMNT. They share one character slot but can be swapped out and they each play differently. In a loaded fighting game with excellent and responsive fighting, this guest role is just what the Turtles needed in 2018.

10 Weird: TMNT Out Of The Shadows

No, this game isn’t a tie-in for the film from 2016, but instead, this game is supposed to tie into the 2012 Nickelodeon cartoon despite its more gritty art style. Kind of weird that a tie-in looks nothing like the thing it’s based on, right?

This game introduces some mechanics not seen in other TMNT games like stealth attacks (they are ninjas, after all) and a combat system similar to the Batman Arkham games. However, the game is buggy like crazy to the point where it feels unfinished. A wild camera and unresponsive controls tarnish what should have been an excellent downloadable game from 2013.

9 Best: Turtles In Time

Ask any gamer of the era what are some of the best beat em ups of the 1990s and if they don’t mention TMNT Turtles In Time then they’re a liar. Whether you dumped tons of quarters in the arcade version or got the port for the Super Nintendo, TMNT Turtles In Time was a sight to behold.

While the SNES version had unique advantages over the arcade and vice versa, both games offer a satisfying brawler with tons of moves, balanced enemies, stunning graphics and some of the greatest music in video game history. This game doesn’t last a long time, but I guarantee you it will be one of the best half hours of your life.

8 Weird: TMNT Smash Up

For as proficient as the people in the TMNT universe are at fighting, there aren’t actually many fighting games in the franchise. But if you were going to give that job to any developer, you can’t do much better than the developers behind Super Smash Brothers.

Very clever putting the word smash in the game’s title.

For better or worse, the game is a complete rip off of Nintendo’s flagship spinoff franchise. The controls are the same and while there is a health bar, you can always win matches by knocking opponents off-screen. What’s baffling is that this game wasn’t released on Xbox or PS3, two consoles which could have benefited from a game like this in 2009. On the Wii and PS2, it just feels like a wasted opportunity.

7 Best: TMNT The Hyperstone Heist

For whatever reason, the iconic Turtles In Time game wasn’t ported to the Sega Genesis. Instead, they got their own game based heavily on the SNES port of Turtles In Time and guess what? It was pretty good.

The game basically plays like a stripped down version of Turtles In Time with some missing moves and elements of stages being smashed together to create new ones. It does, however, add new bosses and levels not seen before. The core gameplay is as solid as ever and while the sound and graphics are downgraded, they’re still great for the Genesis. It may be a downgrade, but a slight downgrade from the best TMNT game ever isn’t anything to scoff at.

6 Weird: TMNT Mutant Melee

If you think the TMNT license was abused by Konami in the 1990s, then you should have seen them with the 2003 TMNT cartoon. In the span of three years, four games were released for consoles and handhelds three of which were beat em ups while the fourth was a beat em up dressed up like a fighting game.

Without a doubt, the laziest TMNT game ever made.

TMNT Mutant Melee in design is something like Power Stone on the Sega Dreamcast but just comes off terribly. Although it’s a fighting game, the mechanics at play here are exactly like the previous beat em up titles which means that the fighting gets extremely boring in a hurry and character balancing is a silly myth. Stick to the other titles if you really need that 2003 TMNT fix.

5 Best: TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project

With the SNES/Genesis war in full swing by 1992, Konami could have easily abandoned the NES to focus on the new hardware but they had one more beat em up to release and it was TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project.

While not as fleshed our or advanced as Turtles In Time on the SNES, this game was nonetheless a fun outing for the four brothers. It improved the combat from the previous NES game with more moves and have all the turtles feel more distinct. The graphics have also improved. This game didn’t reinvent the wheel for NES TMNT games, but it did fine tune it.

4 Weird: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

Imagine you’re Konami in 1988. You’ve landed the license on this bizarre cartoon starring four mutant turtle brothers with various weapons taking on villains like an alien blob and the Shredder. So what do you do for a game? Well apparently, this.

Like 90% of games on the NES, TMNT is a side-scroller where you traverse through the levels beating up on enemies until you reach the goal while solving the occasional puzzle. Where the game gets weird is with its enemy variety, stage hazards and brutal difficulty. The game is designed for kids but good luck to any child foolish to try and beat this. Not only that, but loads of enemies from the cartoon are nowhere to be seen like Baxter Stockman or Krang. Still, it is cherished by people from its generation so there’s that.

3 Best: TMNT The Arcade Game

While the very first Ninja Turtles game is… not in the best category on this list, Konami’s second attempt at the franchise resulted in one of the most iconic arcade games ever simply called TMNT: The Arcade Game.

One of the first four-player beat em ups and the first to take a cartoon/comic book license, the game has a simple control scheme and is outdated compared to later beat em ups but it’s still an exciting time to play with three other friends.  The gameplay is responsive, it’s satisfying to blow up wave after wave of foot soldiers, mousers and stone warriors and the music is etched into gamers’ minds to this day. Can’t argue against a classic.

2 Weird: Tiger Electronics Games

Kids have it so good nowadays, with loads of games just bursting at the seams on the app stores of Google and Apple and Nintendo’s 3Ds having a stellar lineup as well. Back in the 90s if you didn’t have a Game Boy or shudder a Game Gear, you were screwed. Unless you wanted to play these “games”.

Released by the defunct Tiger Electronics, this company made tons and tons of these handheld 1-2 button games that starred various cartoons and movies. So, of course, the TMNT cartoon got slapped with this company. These “games” were just a single background and some flickering black lines. Poor TMNT.

1 Weird: TMNT Danger Of The Ooze

Nickelodeon’s TMNT cartoon is fairly popular with adults and children alike and of course, there are video games based off the show. While the first one was a lifeless beat em up, the second game went for something different.

This kind of game doesn’t make sense as a full price physical release.

Instead of a brawler, this game is like a Metroidvania style adventure and in ways is a spiritual successor to Radical Rescue on the Game Boy over 20 years ago. You rescue your brothers from confinement, battle enemies, acquire new skills and face off versus bosses. The game makes sense as either a downloadable game or handheld game but this was a full price physical release game.