Nightmare outing for Turtles

Konami of Europe has announced it will release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in April.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare pits all four of the 'heroes in a half shell' against a new foe. A giant planetoid is approaching Earth, and is home to the technologically advanced, and short-tempered, Triceratons. The Triceratons are seeking the power of teleportation and wish to recruit Professor Honeycutt - a scientist acquaintance of the Turtles - who has since left Earth for a more peaceful life on the planet Utrom. Unfortunately, on learning that Honeycutt is not there, the Triceratons refuse to believe the news and instigate a full invasion of Earth in their search for him.

Thus, starting in their native New York, the four Turtles face a 'Story Mode' of three episodes and comprising 60 missions that span a number of game genres and chart their mission to avert the Triceraton menace. Within this, up to four players take control of each Turtle and use their individual weapons and skills with a series of running battles and tailored sub-games.

The Turtles can also add new skills and combination attacks to their repertoires through the collection of special crystals, while additional attacks are attained via a new 'Ougi' bar. An Ougi Attack is a special move taught from master warriors to novices, and can be used when a special bar has been filled after fighting a set number of enemies. The Ougi gauge can also facilitate special group moves between the four heroes. A group attack is triggered by one Turtle, with the others joining when summoned to wipe out particularly hardy attacks. Using these moves, the player moves from New York and into space as the battle is taken to the Triceraton fleet - and where a familiar foe awaits...

Initially, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare is limited to its 'Story Mode', but a wealth of additional game modes can be unlocked as key objectives are met. New modes include a 'Free Battle' option, which offers additional bonus opportunities but considerably stronger adversaries.

The game also includes hidden 'Challenge' tasks in the form of 'Score Attack' and 'Time Attack' modes. 'Score Attack' sets the player the task of felling as many foes as possible within a two-minute period. Similarly, 'Time Attack' is opened on completion of the 'Score Attack' stage, and pits the player against 30 adversaries in a rumble set against a strict time limit. An 'Arcade Mode' featuring a perfect conversion of the popular 'Turtles in Time' arcade machine is also unlockable, offering a slice of classic gaming from the Turtles' past.

With a cast of familiar Turtles friends and foes - including April, Splinter and Bishop - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare perfectly captures the frenetic pace and comedic moments of the ever-popular cartoon and comic book series. With its complex yet accessible moves and a wealth of hidden secrets and bonuses, it will delight and surprise gamers when the Turtles reappear.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare will be released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in April, 2006. For more information please contact Steve Merrett at Voltage PR on 020 7903 5122 or email steve@voltagepr.com.