The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the most unique franchises around. Right down to their very origins as a parody comic from Frank Miller's 1980s writing tour on Daredevil to their recent Michael Bay movies, the franchise has seen a lot of stuff in its life. But perhaps aside from television, no medium has been as good to the turtles as th🍷e world of video games.

While licensed games oftentimes have a reputation for being games you wouldn't even want to give a dollar for, TMNT was usually bucking that trend by delivering solid title after solid title in the 1990s. Most of these were beat em ups which while repetitive and derivative, were still extremely fun games that drive a massive following to this day. But there are times when the franchise has tried to dip their stubby little toes into other kinds of games like fighting games, platformers, 3D action, and Metroidvania games. When t⛎he franchise has tried to enter into those realms the results have been mixed but no doubt they have been weird.

Whether it be odd choices of console, them appearing on bizarre pieces of hardware throughout the decades, or baffling gameplay mechanics, there are definitely games in this storied franchise that make you shake your shell in disbelief. Well, here I'm going to give you ten of the weirdest TMNT games ever while giving you the ten best. So order some Pizza Hut, make sure there are no anchovies on t🥀hat slice, and munch away as I delive💞r this list.

20 🍷 Weird: TMNT Training Laꦗir

Hey... remember that game Fruit Ninja? Yeah, that was a pretty fun game where you use either the motion sensor controls if you're playing on a game console or the touch screen if you're playing on a handheld and slash up all the fruit that flies across your screen. Well, how would you like to play꧃ that game... but with Ninja Turtles?

Why am I hungry for Pizza Hut out of nowhere?

Released as a free tie-in for the 2014 movie, the game is literally just Fruit Ninja except you swap the delicious colorful produce for Pizza Hut product placement and random pieces of vaguely ninja things. It's har𓄧d to critique as a free game, but I'm just wondering how the publisher didn't want to milk the franchise by making a paid mo﷽vie tie-in game. Sooo bizarre.

19 Best: TMNT 3 Rad🍸ical Rescue

The final title in the Game Boy trilogy of TMNT games, TMNT III: Radical Rescue brought new elements to the formula of pre🥀vious games to create the mo💛st advanced and complex game of the bunch.

Anyone else think Raph and Donnie's powers should be swapped?

While the previous two games were standard side-scrollers where you moved right and destroyed everything in sight, this game is more of a Metroidvania style. As you progress through the stages you rescue more of your brothers each with their own unique abilities to help you progress through the stages.  As you can see on the box Le🎉onardo can drill through rocks, Michelangelo can hover with his nunchaku, Donatello can scale walls and Raphael can curl up in his shell to get through tight spaces. Not bad for Nintendo's first handheld.

18 Weird: TMNT Tournament Fighters (NES ꧋Version)

Two of the most popular things in the early 90s🍒 were the Ninja Turtles and 2D fighting games, so it only makes sense to put them in a blender. Where it gets weird is that this game wasn't jus𝓡t released for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1994, but also the NES.

The turtles don't use their weapons in this game. Why????

In North America, only 12 titles were released for the NES in its final year of production and this was one of them. The difference from one generation to the next was obvious though as the roster was less than half of its SNES brother and the movesets were pared down as well. The game goes for hundreds of dollars on eBay so if you ﷽have hundreds just lying around, blow it on an inferior version of a game for the SNES!

17 Best: TMNT 2007 (GB🐻A) 🦩

While the home console version of 2007 TMNT movie game was a bland lifeless Prince of Persia rehash, the Game Boy Advance version went for something akin to the ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚbeat em ups of eras gone by. That isn't to say th🍃ough that the game didn't add some new tricks up its shell.

The game feels like the perfect evolution of games like Turtles In Time. The controls are basic, but🅘 with them you're able to throw objects, kick foes into each other, and juggle opponents for massive combos. You can also exchange money for more upgrades in between levels. Combine that with beautiful p♋ixel art graphics and you have one of the best brawlers for the GBA.

16 Weird: TMNT Turtles In Time Re-Shelled ☂

To many fans, TMNT: Turtles In Time remains the pinnacle of Tღurtle gaming to this day, despite being released over 25 years ago. So when a remake to the game was announced in 2009, fans' ears perked up and took notice. But the result was less than expected.

You know a remake is a failure when it can't top a title from 1991.

The game still has the same style of moving to the right, destroying every enemy in sight and moving on to the next foe. But while the previous game felt satisfying, this one just feels flဣoaty and joyless. You can also attack in eight directions which should be an upgrade but actually just makes the game fe🔯el way too chaotic. A noble effort, but stick to the SNES or Arcade versions.

15 Best: TMN🐭T Fall Of The Foot Clan

Released during the height of Ninja Turtle fever in 1990, TMNT Fall of The Foot Clan could have easily been a mediocre title for the Game Boy and it still would have been eaten by the masses of children hungry for artistic fighting reptiles. Luckily, Fall of The Foot Clan is a good title.

The game is extremely basic (as was the case with most original Game Boy games) but still satisfying. It's a typical side-scrolling affair where you move through the level and defeat every enemy in your way but it works well. Not only that, but the presentation for thi♊s game is excellent with a catchy soundtrack and nice big sprites.

14 🎃 Weird: TMNT 💫Manhattan Missions

While most people associate the TMNT games of the early 90s with Nintendo consoles and the arcades, those weren't the only places to go for mutant reptile action. If you had a DOS computer, you could always pick up TMNT: Manhattan Missions.

The game's art style is somewhere between the movies of the time and the cartoon and looks great.

Whereas most games from this era were straightforward platformers or beat em ups, this one combines that with some RPG elements. You are given 48 in-game hours to complete all the titular missions and you have to manage your time as well balance out your four turtles if you want a chance at stopping Shredder. A decent but forgo🌸tten game for computers ཧof 1991.

13 Best: TMNT 2 Back From The Sewers ☂

One of the criticisms levied against the original TMNT game for the Game Boy was that it was too darn easy. Well, Konami must have heard those criticisms for the second game because TMNT 2: Back From The Sewers doesn't hold back on its challenge rating.

The game's transition screens are ripped straight out of the cartoon.

While the game is more difficult, it also improves on its predecessor. Now each turtle plays differently with their own strengths and weaknesses like Donatello have a slow but long-range attack while Raph is fast with short range. The game also adds more stage hazards which spice up the platforming. Finally, as is the case with most TMNT game🐽s, the soundtrack is top notch.

12 Weird: TMNT Mutants In Manhattan 💜 🅷

The most recent Ninja Turtle game to release for consoles, Mutants In Manhattan on the surface seemed like it was gonna be a great addition to TMNT's long history of video games. With acclaimed developer Platinum Games (the developers behind Bayonetta) behind the title, this hack and slash multiplayer game🌜 couldn't have failed. U🐷ntil it did.

No. Local. Multiplayer. That's all.

Instead of the satisfying and responsive combat of previous Platinum Games, here we get boring and loose combat wherꦫe all the turtles feel the exact same. The game's running time is pitiful at merely a few hours and funnily enough, was only available digital for 8 months before being pulled due to Activision's license running out. This game screams of a rush job.

11 🎃 Best: Injustice 2 🙈

So technically this isn't a TMNT game entirely and could certainly be a part of the weird section on the countdown, but Injustice 2 is su෴ch a sweet game that🌟 I just have to put it on the best section.

Who doesn't want to see the TMNT make a shish-kabob out of fascist Superman?

For those who don't know, Injustice 2 is a fighting game starring characters from DC Comics and a whole bunch of guest characters including Netherrealm Studios' Mortal Kombat characters and other comic characters... including the TMNT. They share one character slot but can be swapped out and they each play differently. I൩n a loaded fighting game with excellent and responsive fighting, this guest role is just what the Turtles needed in 2018.