Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Famicom under their original Japanese title. Snappy Konami action-platformer. The four turtles' adventure is identical to the western version. A franchise classic.
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Category
Shooter2 players7+
Description
Beat-'em-up featuring the four Ninja Turtles battling the Foot Clan through New York and time, original Japanese version. Published by Konami, released in Japan in 1989. Four turtles with distinct techniques, New York and era-spanning levels and manga bosses. Original Japanese version of Konami's TMNT masterpiece on Famicom.
Gekikame Ninja Den review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The Japanese edition keeps the game's structure but polishes its presentation screens, with an illustrated title and cards drawn in the style of the original comic. In play, the four turtles keep their coloured bandanas and distinct weapons, and the overhead city map remains the only overview screen of the run.
The musical ordering follows the zone structure rather than narrative progression, each sector of the city keeping its theme from start to finish. The pieces work the chip in dense layers, and the calmer map motif serves as a breathing space between two plunges into the levels proper.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Original Japanese release of Konami's first TMNT game on Famicom, issued as Gekikame Ninja Den ahead of the Western adaptations. The very high price reflects its standing as a Konami benchmark, the original Famicom box, and crossover demand from Turtles collectors and Konami eight-bit catalogue followers. The angle specific to this edition is that of a founding milestone, the starting point of a major console franchise.
Is Gekikame Ninja Den still worth playing in 2026?
The Japanese version of Konami's first Ninja Turtles, Gekikame Ninja Den has the four Turtles fight across New York and time against the Foot Clan, alternating exploration, platforming and combat with turtle switching. The faithfulness to the license and the variety of phases make its appeal, but a notoriously brutal difficulty, notably the infamous dam phase, made it a dreaded title. A piece of history for Ninja Turtles fans and lovers of demanding, nostalgic NES action.
