Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project

Game Overview

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project is a side-scrolling beat ’em up developed and published by Konami for the NES. Released in Japan in December 1991 (as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Manhattan Project) and in North America in February 1992, it is an original home-console title rather than an arcade port.

While the turtles are on vacation in Florida, Shredder raises Manhattan Island into the sky with a massive spaceship and captures April. The heroes must fight their way back through beaches, battleships, bridges, city streets, sewers, the Technodrome, rooftops, and finally Krang’s spaceship to stop the scheme and defeat Super Shredder.

Players choose one of the four turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, or Donatello—each with a signature weapon and a unique special attack (Sword Spin, Drill Attack, Kangaroo Kick, or Knockout Roll). New mechanics include a downward throw (Down + B) and the ability to toss enemies into others. Two-player modes allow either friendly fire or no friendly fire. The game features eight scenes with memorable bosses such as Rocksteady, Bebop, Slash, Leatherhead, Tokka, and Super Shredder, delivering polished action tailored specifically for the NES hardware.

Quick Specifications

• Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
  
• Japanese Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Manhattan Project
  
• Platform: NES / Famicom
  
• Developer: Konami
  
• Publisher: Konami
  
• Release Dates: Japan – December 13, 1991; North America – February 1992
  
• Genre: Beat ’em up / Action
  
• Players: 1–2 (simultaneous co-op)
  
• Playable Characters: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello
  
• Stages: 8 scenes
  

Key Features

• Simultaneous two-player cooperative play with optional friendly fire
  
• Unique special attack for each turtle
  
• New throw mechanic (Down + B) that lets players toss enemies
  
• Improved graphics and stage variety compared to the previous NES title
  
• Eight distinct scenes ranging from beach to outer space
  
• Classic bosses including Rocksteady, Bebop, Slash, Leatherhead, Tokka, Krang, and Super Shredder
  
• Pizza for health restoration and extra lives from scoring
  
• Original NES-exclusive content (not based on an arcade game)
  

Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Is this a port of an arcade game?

No. Unlike TMNT II: The Arcade Game, The Manhattan Project is an original title created specifically for the NES.

Can two players play together?

Yes. The game supports simultaneous two-player co-op. Players can choose whether friendly fire is enabled or disabled.

Do the turtles have unique moves?

Yes. Each turtle has a different special attack performed by pressing A and B together: Leonardo’s Sword Spin, Raphael’s Drill Attack, Michelangelo’s Kangaroo Kick, and Donatello’s Knockout Roll. Using a special attack costs a small amount of health.

How many stages are there?

There are eight main scenes that take the turtles from a Florida beach all the way to Krang’s spaceship high above Manhattan.

Was the game released in Europe?

No. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project was released only in Japan and North America.