For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to mephea's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) maps.
No, we're not talking about the 1940s research and development program, directed by J. Robert Oppenheimer, that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II, but rather, Shredder's scheme, involving Krang's alien technology, to lift the island of Manhattan into the sky, and hold it hostage until he gets his revenge on the Turtles.
This TMNT game is a "beat-'em up" like its immediate predecessor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES), and its immediate successor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (Super NES), but has the distinction of being an original game on a home console not previously seen in arcades.
Though still an arcade-style game, and a linear one, at that, its maps are still useful, if not necessarily for navigation, then for information. mephea has taken the time to label each "Scene" map with tips, such as what obstacles and enemies to expect. Her boss strategies can lead you to victory and, for some additional info, see the photos of the bosses' original action figures. There are the original toys of Bebop and Rocksteady, of course, and Leatherhead, sure, but also Dirtbag and Groundchuck; why not? The tips were already above and beyond, and the inclusion of these images is yet another nice touch; it's the sort of thing that would be intriguing to see on game maps more often, whenever possible.
So to recognize the effort put into going above and beyond when mapping this mutant mayhem, mephea's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for August 2023.
