Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Gameplay

All four turtles are equivalent except for their weapons. It is not really a good idea to just stick with your favorite turtle from the comic books or cartoons, because their strengths and weaknesses vary widely. You should use the turtle best suited for the task.

Leonardo
Named after Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo is meant to be the general-purpose turtle, and early in the game he serves this role well. His blade has average strength, speed, and range.

Raphael
Named after Raphael Sanzio. His sai are the quickest weapons in the game, but they have an extremely limited range and are not stronger than the weapons of the other turtles. The sai cannot be thrust downward.

Michaelangelo
Named after Michelangelo Buonarroti. His weapon of choice is the nunchaku, trading range for speed. Essentially, he is a clone of Raphael with a slightly slower weapon speed and slightly greater range. The nunchaku cannot be swung downward.

Donatello
Named after Donatello de Betto di Bardi. His weapon is the slowest, but the most powerful. His range is quirky: certainly the bo extends further than any other weapon, and even extends backward a bit (try it: thrusting forward can hit an enemy behind you). Keep Donatello alive because his extra attack power becomes important starting in area 3 and only becomes more essential as the game progresses. This means it is OK to use other turtles for easier segments in order to protect Don from damage.