TMNT: Tournament Fighters Sega

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters" represents a unique slice of gaming history where the same title across different platforms offered significantly different experiences. The Mega Drive/Genesis version had its own distinct features that set it apart from the NES and SNES versions. Here's a more detailed look at what the Mega Drive/Genesis version of the game offered:

Controls and Gameplay Mechanics:

• Three-button Controller: The game was designed to use the standard three-button Genesis controller.
• Attacks: There are two attack buttons for punch and kick. Stronger attacks require players to hold the directional pad towards the opponent while attacking.
• Taunts: The third button is used for taunting, which was a unique feature for a fighting game at the time.
• Special Attacks: Each character has special moves and a powerful 'killer' attack, which becomes available when their health is critically low.

Characters:

• Playable Characters: The game features the four Ninja Turtles, Casey Jones, April O’Neil, Ray Fillet, and Sisyphus (also known as Musha Beetle).
• Character Customization: Players can adjust their character's power and speed after selection.

Environment:

• Interactive Stages: Some stages have destroyable elements that open up new areas, adding another layer of strategy to fights.

Audio:

• Music: The soundtrack, composed by Miki Higashino in collaboration with Masanori Adachi, was praised for reflecting each character's personality.

Game Modes:

• Single Player: In the main campaign, players fight against clones of the game's characters while traveling through Dimension X to rescue Splinter.
• Final Stages: After defeating the clones, players face off against a Triceraton, Krang's Android, and Karai.
• Two Player Mode: Allows for head-to-head combat between two players.
• Practice Mode: Offers a single 1-round match against the computer to practice moves and strategies.
• Tournament Mode: A challenging mode where the player must defeat 88 opponents consecutively with a single life gauge.

Each version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters" brought something unique to the table, with the Mega Drive/Genesis version standing out due to its interactive stages, unique combat mechanics, and the killer attack feature. This diversity among platforms was more common in the 90s due to the differing hardware capabilities and design philosophies, leading to unique experiences even under the same game title.