TURTLES / O2 / A+

The readers post their own reviews.
Alienblue

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Alienblue » July 17th, 2008, 6:50 am

TURTLES / Odyssey2 / A+

The Critic reviewed this game, but unlike me he never played the STERN Coin-op game. I mainly wanted to say how CLOSE this game is to the original coin-op.

For gameplay, see the Critics review. For a quick recap, you are a mama turtle that must rescue baby turtles in a maze patrolled by nasty Beetles. (Paul and John are REALLY fast!)

The coin-op version of turtles, like Pac Man, had a VERTICAL monitor, so one change is the screen is laid out Horizontaly. It's still the same maze, just rotated 45 degrees.

This conversion is actually CLOSER to the coin-op than many Colecovision and 5200 games! The O2 was weak? Not judging it by this game! There are three major graphic changes, besides the fact that the colours are of course more subdued on a TV screen.
1) In the coin-op, mystery squares were marked with a "?" not a big "X" (not sure why they changed this) 2) The brick floor from the coin-op is gone-horay! The dark blue brick floor made things hard to see. I like the O2's plain green screen better..3) the beetles are just circles with flashing white legs, instead of fully animated insects.

That's it! Everything else from the coin-op is here! As the critic pointed out, the game opens with the coin-op cartoon of mama entering the turtle motel, there are intermission screens, and the graphics are detailed...the little baby turtles are tiny yet fully animated, and the whole thing is just cute! The controls are spot-on, and if you have the VOICE, even the coin-op music will play during the game.

I find this game very fun and as typical of O2, it is UNIQUE! This is the only game system version of turtles ever made (unless you count the rare Adventurevision), and it is for now the BEST game in the whole O2 library (still waiting for KTAA). It is a very rare game as it was released in 1983, just before Odyssey2 went under (this and POWER LORDS were the last two releases) but it is on the multicart! If the O2 had more games like TURTLES, they COULD have been a major player! Too bad we had to wait till the end to see what the O2 could REALLY do!

I must point out there is,as always, NO FLICKERING in this game. In some ways that makes it closer to the coin-op then the 5200
Pac-Man! O2 rulez!




Colin

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Colin » July 17th, 2008, 6:58 am

I don't have this one, so I can't comment on the game   However, I think you'll still think it's the best game after you get KTAA.  It seems to me that with your love of Ladybug, PacMan, KC's Crazy Chase, and Turtles, you probably like maze games the most.  I don't think I've seen you comment on missile Command or Defender, which is what KTAA is a cross between (and a great one at that).

Alienblue

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Alienblue » July 17th, 2008, 11:48 am

Colin, you should really get this one! You said you liked the KC games, and as much as I like them, TURTLES is by far the best maze chase game in the O2 library (it is probably just as cheap to order the multicart though).

You are forgetting how much I love UFO! I love shooting games.. although I play UFO! as more of a "Ram the ships" game. I love side shooters. I hope KTAA is better than FREEDOM FIGHTERS!; Freedom Fighters was the O2 attempt at Defender and it really is a bad game...only one aterisk enemey laying "T" shaped mines, and you must use both joysticks to scroll which is near impossible. As flickery as 2600 Defender is, even it is more fun than Freedom Fighters. And I love Missile Command and Atlantis too. I'm looking forward to KTAA!

Colin

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Colin » July 18th, 2008, 8:50 am

[QUOTE=Alienblue]Colin, you should really get this one! You said you liked the KC games, and as much as I like them, TURTLES is by far the best maze chase game in the O2 library (it is probably just as cheap to order the multicart though).

[/quote]
I don't do multicarts.  I like to collect games as well as play them.  The multicart ruins a third of the fun for me.

[QUOTE=Alienblue]
You are forgetting how much I love UFO! I love shooting games.. although I play UFO! as more of a "Ram the ships" game. I love side shooters. I hope KTAA is better than FREEDOM FIGHTERS!; Freedom Fighters was the O2 attempt at Defender and it really is a bad game...only one aterisk enemey laying "T" shaped mines, and you must use both joysticks to scroll which is near impossible. As flickery as 2600 Defender is, even it is more fun than Freedom Fighters. And I love Missile Command and Atlantis too. I'm looking forward to KTAA![/QUOTE]
I don't entirely hate Freedom Fighters.  It's limited in that it is basically one of the Defender waves (the one after they get all the humans and the background disappears).  I think the control is actually the part of the game that does keep me playing.  I secure the second controller and use it to escape close calls only (I almost always just hit the hyperspace for a second). 

Zenzerotron

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Zenzerotron » July 18th, 2008, 11:25 am

Can't believe I'm saying this, but as far as the Freedom Fighters complaint, that's not much different then 2600 Defender 2/Stargate using the second controller for your weapons systems. Didn't 2600 Spy Hunter use the second joystick as well?? Perhaps the O2 should have had a joystick-couple'r thingie.

I've studied KTAA's instructions long and hard. This appears to be a single-screen Defender. The only Missile Command thing about it is there's various structures on the ground that you have to prevent from being destroyed.

Out of the 7 screens/levels, I like the snow/winter stage the best, while the space stage is a close second. The first stage is the least interesting, the one you see in the screenshot for the review on this site.

One thing that's bad, that really strikes me, is that both the cart and the instruction book have no artwork whatsoever!!. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Atariage goodness, but the artwork for homebrews is certainly an element of interest and fun. Artwork really helps define the attitude and personality of old games.

I won't be able to mail off KTAA untill Monday. I don't know who is more anxious about Alienblue having this game, Colinfever or Alienblue himself.

I'm not anxious, I'm supporting my sworn-enemy, the retarded O2!! boooooooo!-to-myself.


Colin

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Colin » July 18th, 2008, 2:05 pm

[QUOTE=Zenzerotron]

I've studied KTAA's instructions long and hard. This appears to be a single-screen Defender. The only Missile Command thing about it is there's various structures on the ground that you have to prevent from being destroyed.
[/QUOTE]
That, plus, as you point out, it is a single screen game (not a scrolling one), like Missile Command and unlike Defender.  Thus:
Missile Command + Defender = KTAA.

Zenzerotron

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Zenzerotron » July 19th, 2008, 1:15 pm

Let me guess, even with a super modern homebrew like KTAA, the sorry O2 still can't have a scrolling game!!

Does the KTAA cart have alot of special chips and boards and guts in it?? That cart feels awfull thick/packed inside with no empty space whatsoever.


User avatar
VideoGameCritic
Site Admin
Posts: 18074
Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 24th, 2011, 6:11 pm

Promoted.

Jake

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby Jake » September 25th, 2011, 11:37 am

Turtles,

Very good review, I think I missed it the first time around...
Turtles, is probably the best Odyssey 2 game. One reason is the stages,
change and you're given about 5 lives? to start out, not just one.

What is also cool the critic may have missed, is when you drop a
bomb, you can run through the Beetles! They are harmless as long as they stay
frozen or blasted. (2-3 seconds). So, by getting the hang of this, the game
becomes less difficult, you can totally change your path if needed. Also the bombs
you collect in the center of the screen, you can collect as many as you want
they regenerate... I got up to 15 -19 spare bombs to use on the Beetles.

There's 3 different maze layouts, including a roof, which after you complete the game, you start over on level 1. Fun game all around. A+ yes...

THE BEETLES SUCK! ; ) TURTLES FOREVER... : D
 


PacFan

TURTLES / O2 / A+

Postby PacFan » September 26th, 2011, 10:04 am

Thanks Video Game Critic. It's great to see the Odyssey2 get some spotlight time.



Return to “Reader Reviews”