For some game licenses, things just click. Konami got lucky when they licensed Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to video games. The quartet of amphibian crime fighters made for some hefty gaming adventures over the years, starting way back in the arcades and on the NES and eventually moving up to modern day platforms. And with a new CG movie due for release in 2007, there's no reason for the license to let up now.

So let's take a look back at the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, and what Konami did right (or wrong) with each game.

It all started back in 1989, a couple of years after the animated show debuted on local networks all across the land. Konami released not one but two different games that year with the Ninja Turtles label. One was the four player arcade game that would become something of infamy, racking up thousands of dollars in revenue and allowing up to four turtles to take up in the fight against the evil Shredder and his minions. The other was a platforming game produced under the Ultra Games label for the NES, where you could select from any of the four Turtles during the game and would find yourself roaming the streets, battling the Shredder's minions. It was a bit primitive in terms of design, but still became quite addictive for die-hard NES players.

Things picked up a year later in 1990, as that would be the year two more games would come around. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan would give the heroes their handheld debut for the NES, allowing gamers on the go to battle the evil Foot Clan while, ironically, on foot. The second was a slight port of the arcade game for NES, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. Like Super Mario Bros. 3 before it, The Arcade Game would be a 4-MEG cartridge, allowing for the most compatible space at the time with the NES format. Two players could take part in battling bad guys, and the port was mostly a success, even with minor graphic glitches here and there.

Around came 1991, and Konami once again brought the Turtles back to the arcade with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time. This time around, the controls were shifted a little bit, allowing the likes of Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael to throw enemies into the screen and fling them around with ease, as well as do running attacks. The design was much more intricate than the first game, although the fun was about the same. Another Game Boy advance game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, also debuted, but ended up being a poorly designed affair.

1992 would turn out to be a better year for the Turtles. This time, Konami opted for three platforms, the NES and, for the first time, the Super NES and Sega Genesis. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project debuted for the 8-bit NES console, bringing with it an entirely original adventure and new moves for the Turtles. It wasn't too well received, but it did moderate business. The big hit, however, was the home version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time for the SNES, bringing all the action of the arcade game as well as new elements not included in the arcade game, including three new boss battles and better design. The game was a smash hit and remains a SNES favorite to this very day. Rounding out the releases for the Christmas rush was one of Konami's first Sega Genesis games, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, a modified version of Turtles In Time but with new bosses and levels. It too became a hit, although not as high in quality as the SNES game.

1993 would be the last big year for the Ninja Turtles for quite some time. Konami went for a new kind of release with the focused fighting game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, seeing releases across the board for the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis. The NES version would mark the first and only fighting game for the 8-bit platformer, and it was alright for what it was. The Genesis version, however, was a complete disaster, lacking in controls and character design. Only the SNES version surfaced unscathed, with excellent controls and graphics that would easily be identifiable to a dedicated fighting fan.

Ten years later, Konami would make a return to the license after Fox TV came forth with an all new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. The result would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC formats. A 3-D brawler with stylish combos and cool graphics, the game would become too much of a pushover for experienced players but just right for kids. It sold rather successfully, as did the portable version for Game Boy Advance.

Konami followed suit in 2004 by listening to fans and including four player gameplay in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus for all platforms across the board. Also, they threw the classic first arcade game in for good measure, as a "goodie" hidden and waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, they also fiddled with the gameplay to the point that it became unenjoyable, relying more on a timing system than simply beating up enemies. The results struck a nerve with older gamers and fans nostalgic for the original coin-op.

Konami's luck didn't get any better in 2005 when they released the budget Smash Bros.-like brawling game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee for the Xbox and GameCube. The game leaned a bit too much on simplistics, entertaining less experienced gamers and frustrating those looking for the next great fight. Even its budget price didn't really help its case.

Fortunately, it looks as if Konami's learned from their mistakes, and their next Turtles release for 2005, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare for the current generation consoles, could be the good Turtles game we've been waiting for. Konami will bring back the expansive style of gameplay to make the game a fun ride, as well as co-op fighting amongst four players and the ability to upgrade your characters. The return of unlockable arcade games and new riding stages should also add to the variety of the game. On top of this, Konami has a Nintendo DS game in the works as well that will allow players to fight together through Wi-Fi play.

It's been sixteen years since the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license debuted in video games, and it's been a wild and unpredictable ride through amazing classics and blundered duds. However, one has to admit that the license has had longer legs than most before it, and the future could be looking brighter than we believe. If that doesn't make you say "cowabunga", nothing will.