The first game in a series of Game Boy titles by Konami, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle , brings the popular comic book and cartoon series to life. The story follows four humanoid turtles - Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo - who live in a sewer in New York. After being exposed to radioactive goo, they gain human intelligence and are trained by their sensei, Splinter, in the ways of ninjutsu. With their newfound skills, they must fight crime and rescue their TV reporter friend, April, from the clutches of the evil samurai, Shredder.
The gameplay involves standard side-scrolling jump-and-attack action, typical of a platformer. The Turtles' quest to rescue April is fraught with danger as they navigate through levels set in various locations around New York City. Hidden bonus games occasionally appear throughout the game, awarding extra health points to the player's chosen turtle.