9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (GB)

A third Game Boy entry for the boys in green, Konami delivered yet more quality 8-bit turtling in 1993 with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue. However, this time the game took the form of a light Metroidvania which saw Michelangelo setting out to rescue his three compadres and use their unique skills to save Splinter and April from, you guessed it, Shredder.

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (GB)

The sequel to Fall of the Foot Clan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers gives the player the choice of the four turtles at the start of a level and it’s Game Over once you’ve gone through the lot. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Mikey all control slightly differently and with chunky sprites and rockin’ music, Konami managed once again to deliver satisfying Ninja Turtle action on the Game Boy.

7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES)

The NES and SNES versions of this game, despite sharing a title, are quite different — this SNES release features the Turtles entering a tournament, alongside Shredder, rather than just fighting amongst themselves. There is also a Story Mode that's all about rescuing Splinter and April O'Neil from Karai, the leader of the Foot Clan.

Fun fact: This one is known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Warriors in Japan.

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (GB)

This is a well-presented title with great music, sound effects and visuals that combine to capture the look of the show well. Gameplay is what matters, though, and this features varied levels and an assortment of different enemies that should provide a fun time even if you are not a fan of the Ninja Turtles (or this particular incarnation). The lack of adjustable difficulty is unfortunate, but otherwise Fall of the Foot Clan is an enjoyable gaming experience.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)

As the name suggests, this was a NES port of the arcade TMNT game given sequel status on console thanks to Konami's existing 8-bit Turtles title. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game was a fine 8-bit port with extra levels and new bosses thrown in for good measure, not to mention plenty of Pizza Hut product placement for that authentic early '90s feel.

16-bits of processing power would enable the SNES to more closely replicate the look, feel and sound of the arcade experience, but this NES port was pretty remarkable in its day and sticks in the memory as one of Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo's finest console brawlers.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (MD)

Hyperstone Heist is a 1992 side-scrolling beat 'em-up made by Konami, and is the first TMNT game that was made for Sega Genesis. Beloved at the time for its impressive 16-bit art, the game actually borrows fairly heavily from Turtles in Time, the Konami arcade game that was later ported to the SNES, with reused-but-tweaked assets and music.

However, the AI is more aggressive, the levels are longer, and the plot is totally new. Fun fact: This game is known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Return of the Shredder in Japan!

Note. Yes, we know this one wasn't available on a Nintendo platform until its inclusion in Cowabunga Collection! We're putting it here anyway for curiosity's sake.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)

Konami finishes up its NES trilogy in fine form with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project. Some might consider the following 16-bit instalment on SNES to be 'better', but we've still got a special place in our hearts for TMNT3TMP, as nobody calls it. NES-owning Turtles fans certainly weren't lacking for choice in the early '90s.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch eShop)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the best Turtles beat 'em up ever made, and a faster, better-looking, and arguably more entertaining affair than even Streets of Rage 4. It looks delicious, sounds superb, and rekindles childhood memories beyond all expectation, time-warping you back to 1987. Its combat system is so much fun to mine that you feel compelled to keep coming back to try new strategies, and with its awesome co-op multiplayer, the experience evolves again and again. Like any beat 'em up, it does get repetitive as you enter the last third, but that’s more a fault of the concept than the game. Shredder’s Revenge really is an unprecedented shell-ebration.

The Dimension Shellshock DLC adds new fighters and a Survival mode, too, and if you can't get enough of your Turtle-filled co-op brawlers, there's also Digital Eclipse's TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection, which features a boatload of Konami classics that'll keep you busy for hours.

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)

What's a 16-bit console without a classic arcade-style side-scrolling beat 'em up? This tapped into the zeitgeist in the early '90s and came from Konami at a time when it seemed the company had trouble producing a bad video game. Turtles in Time matched the popularity of the licence with an impressive game to boot. This is an expensive cart to track down these days and despite tricky licensing issues, it'd be a treat to see it running on a Nintendo console again — and, fortunately, we'll have just that very soon indeed! Until then, we've got our well-loved Super NES cart.

Surprised by the result? Let us know how this ranking compares to your personal TMNT list below. And remember — you can still rate your favourites in the list above and influence the real-time ranking, even now. Cowabunga, indeed.