Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

The player chooses from one of the four Ninja Turtles: Leonardo , Michelangelo , Donatello , and Raphael . Depending on the version of the game, the characters are either chosen via an in-game select screen or based on which coin slot the player placed their credit into. After Shredder kidnaps the Turtles' friend April O'Neil and their mentor Splinter , they must give chase, save their comrades, and defeat the evil Shredder. Up to four players (two in some versions) can take control of any of the Turtles.

Donatello has slower attacks but a longer range, Michelangelo and Raphael have faster attacks but a shorter range, and Leonardo is a well-rounded Turtle with average range and speed. The eight-way joystick controls the movements of the Turtle, the jump button makes them jump and the attack button makes them hit in front of them using their weapon. The Turtles can also perform special moves, including throwing Foot soldiers overhead and performing a special attack by pressing the jump and attack buttons; Raphael rolls along the ground and finishes with a kick, while the other Turtles do a sweeping jump attack with their weapons. The Turtles can also spring off the wall in certain areas.

Enemies can be defeated more quickly by slamming them into walls or solid objects. Many objects such as traffic cones, parking meters, fire hydrants and exploding oil drums can be hit or damaged with attacks in order to help defeat nearby enemies. In the attract mode , the game shows the first part of the cartoon opening, along with a portion of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song. Most of the enemies the Turtles face are the Foot Soldiers , all color-coded to indicate their attack patterns and weapons of choice.

Some enemies, such as the standard purple-clad Foot Soldiers and Roadkill Rodney robots, have the ability to restrain the Turtles' mobility and drain their health, leaving only the player open to attack for other enemies. The bosses in the game include Rocksteady and Bebop (individually at first in that order, and later the two of them together), Baxter Stockman (in his human form), Granitor, General Traag, Krang , and Shredder himself. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection , the Arcade version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has six enhancements. Level Select – Allows the player to start at any level of their choosing.

God Mode – Allows the player to become immune to most damage and defeat most enemies with a single hit. Remove Penalty Bombs – This enhancement disables the "Penalty Bombs" that the game drops on players in certain circumstances. Nightmare Mode − Enables a mode in the game that dramatically increases the number of enemies. Starting Lives − Adjusts the number of lives at the start of the game from 1 to 5.

Difficulty − Adjusts the difficulty of the game from easy to very difficult.