Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game is fairly straight forward, but the following content on this page will help you be aware of some of the basics.
Selecting the number of players[edit]
From the title screen, press 
to toggle between one or two players, and then press 
to confirm your selection. Remember that you will face more enemies and more durable bosses in 2 Turtles mode.
Character selection[edit]
After selecting the number of players you want from the title screen, and before the intro cinematic plays, you will be able to choose from one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Use 
to select the character (denoted by the blinking 1p or 2p symbols and colored portrait), and confirm by pressing 
.
Each turtle has their own unique animations, but they do not have unique abilities. They all have the same attacks, take the same amount of damage, are the same height and width, and move at the same speed.
User interface[edit]
You should be aware of the data that is displayed while you're playing in the top margin of the screen. On the left is data that applies to player 1, and on the right is data that applies to player 2 (if a second player is not present, the TMNT logo will take its place). The following key points are marked in the image:
- Character name: the name of the character you chose.
- PTS.: points; you can acquire points by killing enemies or attacking certain objects (i.e. traffic cones, candles, etc.). For every 200 points that you acquire you will receive another rest (life). In 2 Turtles (2P) mode there are about 1100 points to be had (5-6 extra lives), although you have to share them with a teammate unless you decide to go it alone (although there is no official hard mode, starting a 2 player game and then killing off the second player will force you to face more enemies and stronger bosses).
- LIFE: this is your health, you start with 12 bars (24 HP). If you have an odd number of HP left, it will be rounded up (so 1 hit left will look like 2 hits left). If you run out of bars, you lose a rest. Remember that each enemy deals slightly different amounts of damage: the basic foot soldier will only punch you for half of a bar, but strikes from bosses will usually deal a whole block. Also note that some strikes have a random component to it, enabling you to avoid taking damage.
- REST: these are your lives. If you run out of lives, you must restart the game.
- Player 2's data: information regarding player 2 appears here.
Combat[edit]
- Defending
There is no way to block an attack, however you can dodge enemy attacks, destroy or repel certain projectiles, and take advantage of the AI to prevent your character from taking damage.
- To destroy a projectile, simply attack before it hits you. You can destroy shurikens, knives, and boomerangs with any well-timed attack.
- To repel a projectile, simply attack it before it hits you. You can repel manhole covers and tires.
- Dodging
To dodge attacks, move up or down a safe distance, move far away horizontally, or jump. If the enemy is running, you should move up or down as quickly as possible. If the enemy has projectile attacks, also move up or down quickly, or jump over them (you may want to attack away to avoid taking damage; this applies to longer projectiles like the rapid shots of the machine guns). In some cases, the only way to avoid projectiles is to stand behind, below, or above the enemy.
Remember that some enemies, like the basic purple Foot soldier, can grab you if you are too close. If you don't struggle to get away, the Foot soldier will hold you until you die. To get away from a grab, simply press a button (or all of them) rapidly until it lets go. If you are quick enough, you can be released before taking any damage.
- Attacking
There are three methods of attack in the game:
- Normal attack: press
to perform this move while on the ground. Your character will swing its weapon in one of two animations (they have the same range, delay, and damage). Deals 2 damage. - Jump kick: press
to jump, and then after you reach a certain height (just below the peak of your jump) to perform a diagonal jump kick. If you do this while moving, you can cover large areas of ground quickly. Remember that you can delay your kick and unleash it just before you reach the ground. This attack is most useful against bosses and dodging attacks. Also note that if an enemy attacks at the same time that you attack, both of you may take damage. Deals 3 damage. - Special attack: press + to release the most powerful attack in the game. You should use this attack against regular enemies as much as possible because it kills foot soldiers in one hit. It has a slight delay (the animation takes about 1 second to complete), which is bad for bosses who will counter you quickly, but good for killing groups of foot soldiers who may walk into the attack half a second after it started. Deals 4 damage.
Power-ups[edit]
There is only one power-up in this game: pizza! The pizza slices you can collect will restore your health to full, so if you are already topped off, don't grab the slice until all of the enemies are you are dead.