TMNT: Turtles In Time Wave 1 Figures by NECA - Toyark Photo Shoot - The Toyark

In 1991, Konami released a sequel to their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game. The original game became an instant classic, spawning ports for the NES, and multiple computer systems at the time. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, Konami took everything fans loved about the first game, such as cartoon accurate graphics, four-player co-op, catchy tunes, a vast assortment of enemies, and fun boss battles, and made one of the best TMNT games ever released. In Turtles In Time, you take control of one of the four Turtles and set out to track down Shredder and Krang after they steal the Statue of Liberty during a live news broadcast. But, as the Turtles get close, Shredder sends them through a Timewarp, where they heroes must battle through pirate ships, Prehistoric Times, and the future to make their way back to modern day NYC and save the day.

The games only true port was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. Several major changes were made for the home release. The game was limited to 2-player co-op, some animations were cut, and the audio was scaled back a bit due to system limitations at the time. However, Konami added a new level, enemies, and bosses to the game to make it a more special release. New bosses included Slash, a fight against Bebop and Rocksteady, and Super Shredder.

NECA is releasing a series of figures based on TMNT: Turtles In Time as part of their Classic Video Game Appearance line. They are mixing in characters from both the arcade and SNES versions. Wave 1 is in stores now, and includes Leonardo, Donatello, a Foot Soldier, and Slash. Each features a cel-shaded color schemes. The Turtles and Foot Soldier also include Surf Boards from the Sewer Surfin’ level. These figures were supplied by sponsor Entertainment Earth. Check out our gallery and review after the jump.

Related Entertainment Earth Links: Turtles In Time Wave 1, Turtles In Time Wave 2, All TMNT Figures

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time Wave 1 by NECA

Pros

Packaging is a great homage to the arcade game
Great for those who missed the SDCC Arcade releases
Sculpts are still solid for Turtles and Foot Soldier
Slash looks fantastic
The Surf Boards work really well

Cons

Paint chips easily on the Surfboards
Donatello’s staff is a very soft plastic

Overall
The Turtles In Time figures come packed in collector friendly window boxes. The packaging is inspired by the games arcade cabinet. It uses the absolutely hilarious looking “live action” Turtles from the cabinet’s artwork. It’s a great throwback, and should bring a smile to fans of the classic game. Leonardo includes two katanas, two sets of hands, and a surf board. Donatello includes a bo staff, two sets of hands, and a surf board. The Foot soldier includes a katana, a gun, two sets of hands, and a surf board. Slash includes a sword and grenade. Each figure includes a cardboard backdrop based on the game.

I’m always happy to see more Classic Video Game Appearance figures, as it was the line that originally got me into NECA figures with their original NES Jason. It’s even better when those figures are combined with a great license like TMNT. NECA released two four-packs of TMNT arcade figures for San Diego Comic-Con 2016. With the Turtles In Time releases, it gives fans another shot at video game inspired TMNT figures. Even better, these are seeing general retail releases. With Wave 1, you get two Turtles, a Foot Soldier, and the all-new Slash figure. Leonardo, Donatello and the Foot Soldier are using the same mold we’ve seen for the original arcade release, as well as the cartoon TMNT releases. The paint schemes, while similar, have been modified from the SDCC 2016 releases with different cel-sheded paint jobs. Outside of the new Surf/Hover Boards, the accessories are items that came with each version of the figures. Donatello still has a very soft bow staff, and it’s the one weapons I wish they would update with a stronger plastic.

The molds on the figures still hold up well, with the only real updated needed is maybe double-jointed elbows on the Turtles. But, we’ve gone over these molds a few times, and there’s no surprises when compared to older releases. The major new release in this wave is Slash. The figure is based on one of then SNES exclusive bosses. The figure uses parts from the Turtles releases, and adds on a new head sculpt, a new spiked shell, new hands, new feet, and new armor pieces. It comes together to form a fantastic figure, and one that looks more menacing than the upcoming cartoon version of slash. The colors looks spot on to the game, and the cel-shading doesn’t detract from the overall look. However, I can see a lot of people opting to repaint this to fit with their cartoon figures.

One of the items that really separates these figures from previous previous uses of these molds is the Surf/Hover Board. These large accessories look fantastic. Each one is color coded for their specific figure. The figures are held onto the boards with a single peg that connects to one of the feet of the Turtles or Foot Soldier. The connection is surprisingly strong, and the figures held into place no matter how I titled the boards. The boards can be displayed using an included stand that connects using a single ball joint on the underside of the boards. I was impressed with how strong that ball joint was, even with the weight of the board and figure. Be aware, the purple and blue paint that was used on Leo and Donnie’s boards scratches easily.

With movie, cartoon, and video game based TMNT figures all hitting at the same time, NECA is getting some great mileage out of the license. The Turtles In Time figures share a lot in common with the cartoon releases, but unique color schemes and game themed accessories keep the lien feeling fresh. The second assortment hits this Summer. It brings along the remaining two Turtles, and two more villains in Super Shredder and Leatherhead.

Check out a selection of photos below and the full gallery after that.

Backgrounds featured in some of the pics are from Extreme Sets – use code TOYARK at checkout for 15% off your order!