I got this game for the Christmas that followed it's release. Though I did mostly like it, it was certainly an interesting game, it was also pretty challenging and even a bit odd. Definitely a practice makes perfect affair; I'd keep playing and get further and further each time, and faster because I would quickly make it through levels I had already previously mastered. Within time I did finish the game, and I used to know the most direct way in the complex levels from the beginning to the boss/end.
For kids today......nah. The game demands a line of thinking that I would argue was in line with what we were used to be back then, but might be more than a little obtuse for kids today. Knowing which turtle to use, how to negate the instant death traps, and figuring the way through the complex levels, all without the ability to save or continue (unless you play it on an emulator I guess) makes it something that would probably turn off most people who don't have the patience for that.
Heck, I have pretty good memories of it, thought it was a good game, and even I don't have any desire to ever play it again. I got my fill of it back then, and there was one time a few years ago (likely about 10 years at this point) that I replayed it for nostalgia, and the practice and memory kicked it, and I finished it, but I was definitely rusty and had like one turtle left (Raphael lol) by the time I finished it.....and he had a fucking sliver of health left. Needless to say, if I had got a Game Over, I likely would have just turned it off and called it day.
I don't know if it's looked back on fondly or not, I'm assuming it isn't, but I don't recall too many at the time that didn't like it when it was new. Anecdotal to be sure, but I remember most people I knew liking the game but with the caveat of admitting that it was definitely a challenge. I think once Turtles 2 (Arcade Game) came out on the NES, that became the preferred game and this one kind of fell behind as the universally accessible beat em up Turtles games became the norm.
I also remember how many outright weird enemies this game was packed with. I don't know if any of them came from the original comics or not (I had them back then but it has been so long), but I remember the dudes that were on fire, the weird flying things, enemies that looked like the Bic Razor man hopping around, and the guy who looks like he's squatting and wants to take a shit, but gets pissed when you approach him and starts unloading on you. It's bizarre, damned bizarre, but I actually kind of like it for some reason. It is Ninja Turtles after all, so I always figured it was a bunch of freaks who came from Dimension X or something like that.
Just as an aside, I remember playing Fall of the Foot Clan on the Game Boy and after the challenge that TMNT on the NES presented, I was actually pretty surprised at how unbelievably easy Fall of the Foot Clan was; like, I finished that game not too long after opening it for the first time and putting it into my Game Boy.
Oh yeah, I always loved the cover artwork for this game; I'm pretty sure it was from one issue of the comics (again, it's been so long and I don't have them anymore) but it was (still is to me) so badass looking. I was a big TMNT fan, and liked the cartoon, loved the first movie, but I adored the gritty look of the comics and the related artwork. TMNT 2 Arcade Game used the TV cartoon look, but it was neat to see Manhattan Project use the comic style again.