Beloved April has been kidnapped by Shredder, a villain more vicious than an army of mind-altered Bruce Lees. Now you must play the role of your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and rescue her before she becomes a brain-washed member of his nasty Ninjitsu Foot Clan.

Starting your rescue mission.

To begin, press the ON/START Switch to display the high score. Next, press the GAME SELECT Switch, either one, two or three times, depending on which game you want to play (Note: challenge more than triples from game one to game three!) Finally, press the ON/START Switch again to swing into action.

Fighting for your life (and April's).

From the start, you'll have three Turtle lives to lose. Each time you're touched by the Shredder Shuriken, the Pizza/Turtle Cutter or one of the Shredder's hench-creatures (Mouser and Flap Jaws), you'll be turned into turtle soup. You'll also be shell-shocked if you bump into the Great Electro-Barrier Reef.

A final death threat is the Underwater Time Limit in games 2 and 3. If it reaches 0, your breathing days are over.

Object of Game 1

The simplest of your rescue missions, all you need do is battle your way into the water, find the Freedom Key, then unlock April's chains. Wait, that's not so simple! Considering you can't enter the water until you've knocked off a horde of hench-creatures, and you can't reach the key without avoiding the treacherous sea hazards.

Object of Games 2 and 3

Like Game 1, you have to battle past land enemies before entering the water. Only now you must retrieve bombs and set them off around Shredder's Asylum until the shatter-proof shield shatters (careful - if the bombs aren't perfectly placed, April will go up in smoke).

Hot on the tail of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comes this sewer stalking challenge of a lifetime. You'll play the role of all four Turtles (one at a time, of course) as the evil Foot Clan throws everything it has at you on your way to a final showdown with Shredder.

Cowabunga and other words of wisdom

If you hear words of encouragement during your mission, don't be surprised. It's just one of your Turtles lending words of support. So listen closely, because the better you fight, the more you'll hear. Who knows... you might even hear Splinter speak!

How to start your stroll through the sewers.

To begin, remove the plastic cover on the screen before starting your adventure. Next, press the ON/START Switch and the high score will be displayed. The word "SELECT" will appear on the screen along with the four Weapon/Turtle selections. The flashing weapon represents your current selection. Change Weapons/Turtles by pressing the Turtle Select/Control Button to the Left or Right. When your choice flashes, press the ON/START Switch a second time. Then prepare to kick some shell.

The core of the Big Apple (Shredder's slasher stages).

The only way to zero in on the Shredder is to successfully fight your way through five Turtle stages, each one tougher than the last. In the first stage you'll confront Mousers, Foot Soldiers and Tubular Transports. In the second stage, Foot Soldiers will again back the attack with a barrage of boppin' and bustin'. The third stage will end with a fight to the finish with Bebop. The fourth stage will require you to polish off rappin' and whappin' Rocksteady. Finally, if you make your way through the fifth stage you'll get your "chop chop" chance to make mincemeat out of Shredder.

In order to advance from stage to stage (sewer to sewer), you must defeat the enemy at the end of each stage. After surviving a stage, your Turtle's Life Gauge will recover automatically. At this point you may choose to select a different Turtle by pressing the Turtle Select/Control Button, then the ON/START Switch.

All the right reptilian moves

Enemies will attack from every direction, so you'll need to be nimble and quick. Press the Control Button to the left and the Turtle will face left. Press it to the right and, you guessed it, he will face right. Press the Attack Button and the Turtle will attack in the direction that he's facing. Press the upper part of the Control Button and the Turtle will jump.

Shredder's ready to do some shell shucking. He's unleashed two new Turtle thrashers from his lab in the bowels of the Big Apple - Metaligore and Rotagilla. This is Shredder's last stand, and he doesn't plan on losing to four cowabunga cryin', mozzarella munchin' reptiles.

How to take your life into your own hands

Peel the plastic cover on the screen before you skin Shredder's clan. Press the POWER ON/START Switch to turn the game on. The high score will be displayed. Press the TURTLE SELECTION/CONTROL Button to select your halfshell hero. Leonardo has Katana Blades, Michaelangelo uses Nunchukus, Raphael wields Sai Daggers ad Donatello battles with his Bo. When your chosen Turtle's initial is flashing, press the ATTACK button to begin.

The stage is set and the cast awaits you

A body cast, that is. You must face an evil array of attackers in five sinister stages, each one more dangerous than the last. A boss character also awaits at the end of each level. Good news is, in the slim chance you survive a stage, you'll regain all your life back and get to select another Turtle before you launch into the next stage.

Your life is measured by the Life Gauge. When you get pounded five times, you become nothing but a messy memory. When all four Turtles die, the game is over and Shredder claims victory.

Keeping Shredder's scum under your thumb

Believe it or not, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the evil Shredder have agreed to set aside their differences, and their weapons, in order to meet on the basketball court. In this first annual classic, you'll always control the Turtles on offense, trying to run up the score against a shrewd Turtle thrashing team.

Pre-game strategy

Remove the plastic cover on the screen before taking the court. Press the On/Start Switch to turn the game on. The highest score to date will be displayed. Press the SHOT Button to select level 1 or 2. Press the On/Start Switch again to start the game.

Ready for a little one-on-four, dude?

You'll play four 2 minute periods, each one with a different Turtle. After the 1st, 2nd and third quarters there will be a Bonus Period lasting 30 seconds. If you miss a shot or have the ball slapped away from you, the ball is thrown in to the H, I or J positions.

How to take your best shot

Press the ACTION CONTROL Button to move your player to any one of the 10 positions on the game screen (A-J). You can push the ball upcourt by moving vertically or horizontally, but not diagonally. When you have the shot, press the SHOT Button. The point value for each basket varies, depending on your position.

A TMNT slam jammin' hint