Players choose one of four turtles and fight through side-scrolling stages filled with Foot Clan soldiers, mutants, robots, and other enemies. Movement is primarily horizontal, but the characters can jump, attack, grab opponents, and use special techniques.

Stages end with boss encounters drawn from the TMNT cast. Defeated enemies provide no role-playing levels or equipment upgrades; progression comes from clearing stages, managing health, and learning enemy patterns. Cooperative two-player play allows two turtles to advance together, although crowded encounters can make positioning important.

Keep enemies at the edge of the turtle’s attack range, especially when several Foot soldiers approach at once. Jumping attacks can help bypass crowds, but repeated jumping is risky against bosses.

In two-player mode, avoid standing on opposite sides of the same enemy group. Focus attacks on one target, save special moves for crowded encounters, and learn boss attack rhythms before committing to close-range strikes.