TMNT: The new king (Kong) of easy achievement points

by Christopher Grant { Mar 22nd 2007 at 3:25PM }

Ubisoft's TMNT title learned a couple things from Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, their video game adaptation from last year. First, long names are best left as acronyms (PJKK: TOGotM). Second, spice up a less-than-stellar licensed game with 1000 additional reasons to buy it regardless. Yup, it looks like TMNT is poised to take away the easiest 1000 Xbox 360 achievement points crown from the previous king, err, King Kong.

Let's see what the critics have to say about the game's easy points:

IGN says "the new king of easy Achievement Points has arrived."
GameSpot offers, "There are also achievements to consider, but they also happen to be incredibly easy to acquire, with many of them relegated to points for beating levels and pulling off individual special abilities. Even still, the better graphics and achievements ultimately make the 360 version the best by default."
Finally, Team Xbox says, "If there's one good thing about TMNT, it's the fact that the game steals the title of 'Easiest 1000 Achievement Points' from Ubisoft's own King Kong. You'll probably be able to get all 1000 in less than 4 hours."

We wonder if achievement points will really be a quantifiable factor in picking which console to buy that multiplatformer on.

Tags: AchievementPoints, Gamerscore, TMNT, Ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Intentless @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:37PM

I wasn't going to get this... But 4 hrs huh... 1000 Acheivments huh.... Must resist temptation....

KaneRobot @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:38PM

I think so.

It's not something that will necessarily decide the console you buy to begin with, but when faced with a multiplatform choice, the achievement points are a worthwhile bonus that you can't get elsewhere.

They also get me to keep games a lot longer than I normally would. Heck, I still have Call of Duty 2 because I still plan on going back and finishing the last two levels on the hardest difficulty.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:38PM

I would buy this, get the 1000 points, sell it, then buy TMNT on XBL.

hvnlysoldr @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:39PM

What kind of ninjas linger for hours? The kill needs to be swift and then leave without a trace, besides the dead corpses of achievements.

azesino @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:56PM

Iam buying this monstrousity just to get the archivement points too,

Stephen @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:57PM

I still think Fight Night Round 3 has the easiest achievements. There are only 8 of them, and they are either 100 or 150 each. You get them for winning big fights.

Dark Morford @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:48PM

Sounds like rental time!

Agent MOO @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:48PM

That's sounding like a tempting rent...

Joe @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:59PM

Rent it.

That's the best you should do.

mike k. @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:49PM

I'm renting this game tonight. No need to buy though.

Mr Khan @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:55PM

Chalk one up for the case against MS forcing developers to put those in games

If they just made it an option, it would insure that only developers that cared about achievements would put them in

Agent MOO @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:58PM

FNR3 achievements are very odd, you get them before even completing career mode

Iced_Eagle @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:21PM

Renting this tonight for the sole purpose of 1000 achievements points.

It's also the reason why I rented King Kong.

Ken @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:11PM

Achievements are great IMO.

Although I bought Castlevania: SotN because: 1. it's a great game, and 2: I thought it'd be easy achievement points. But alas, there's only like 12 achievements to unlock in it.

Oh well, I may rent TMNT now.

LunarDuality @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:15PM

@ Ken
*Only* 12 achievements? All arcade games have a 12 achievements/200 gamerscore limit (more can be added through DLC).

As for this game, looks like it'll be the one that clogs up Gamefly when the next "Old Spice Experience Challenge" type contest comes out.

Speaking of which...if you won stuff in that, go login and check it out...there are codes for Contra and the MS Points and stuff up to redeem (under My Rewards).

Ken @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:18PM

@LunarDuality

Didn't know all arcade games were like that. Though I've done the trial edition of most every XBLA game, this was the only one worth purchasing for me.

razer @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:36PM

I think they need to walk a fine line with achievements. Although I don't think they should be easy as they were in TMNT. I hate just as much those stupid 10,000 kills or find 450000 orbs, etc. Insane achievements like that are just as lame. Same with achievements that can only be recieved in Ranked Matches(hello Gears!). Multiplayer games have the skill rankings leave the friggen achievements to Campaign/solo games. Nothing worse than some 13yo twit trying to get a kill achievement ruining games or people taking things so serious when you are just trying to have fun and get a certain achievement.

LedRush @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:45PM

Gamespot often gives games better scores for achievements...it did the same for the TMNT arcade game. If that gamer were on the Wii (yes, meaning there wouldn't be online multiplayer) it would have gotten a 4.5. On the 360 with achievements and multiplayer, it gets a very good score.

Tom @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:41PM

I'd rather EARN my gamerscore in Gears of War than have them given away in TMNT. Nevertheless, I'll be buying this game due to my obsession with Turtles. Please don't think any less of me... :)

Ryan Renna @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:29PM

" Chalk one up for the case against MS forcing developers to put those in games

If they just made it an option, it would insure that only developers that cared about achievements would put them in
"

So because they've taken a great concept (achievement point system) and havn't used it to it's full potential (by implementing it WELL) it proves it shouldn't be mandatory?

Isn't that the problem with the game itself though? That it doesn't live up to it's potential? I don't see some developers "not caring" about achievements, I see developers who put as much effort into the achievements as the rest of the product.

PerfectCr @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:30PM

NBA 2K6 is an even easier 1000. Took me all of 10 minutes to get all 1000 of them.

T @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:32PM

Ubi's got it figured out. Release a crappy game, slap on 1000 easy points, and watch the point hoarders lap it up.

...And you thought the Wii's controls were gimmicky.

juanotejano @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:37PM

It's reason enough so that atleast up until the PS3 home stuff comes out that there is no reason to buy a game that is on PS3 and 360 on the PS3.

Zatch @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:10PM

I rented it 2 nights ago and got all the achievements in under 5 hours. Under 4? That's a tall order. It did take me 47 minutes to beat the boss though...

I am ashamed this is my first 1000/1000 game.

Twist @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:36PM

Achievement Unlocked: You successfully inserted the disc into your console. +200 Points.

Okay so maybe it isn't quite that bad but some games gives points for the lamest things like completing tutorials that you have to complete even if you don't want to. I really think developers should put a little more thought into it. Maybe about half the points should be unlockable through the course of a normal game but the second half should at least be something of a challenge. I am not a gamerscore whore but I do like the challenge of unlocking a difficult achievement as long as it is actually a challenge and not just drudgery (like some of the Perfect Dark Zero ones for example).

Andy S. @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:56PM

It's sad to see how many people are willing to buy this game just to get the easy achievement points. Nevermind that the linked reviews top out at a score of 6.4 out of 10, which is hardly impressive. Nevermind that buying crappy games just for achievement points is basically like admitting to game devs that, hey, don't bother making the games any good, just give us a lot of easy achievement points and we'll buy it anyway!

Think about this next year when _Drake Of The 99 Dragons 2: The Dragoning_ is the top-selling game because it grants an easy 5000 achievement points.

Russell @ Mar 22nd 2007 7:28PM

I'll give this a rent... I don't care about the points, other than for the Rewards program (why I'll be renting it :D)

Kye @ Mar 22nd 2007 6:16PM

A thought just occured.

Why do the turtles wear masks?
What are they trying to do? protect their identities?

Chances are, if you see a huge turtle, walking on its hind legs and speaking, it's one of only 4 individuals, not thousands.

Chances are even higher its Raphael if he's weilding a pair of sais.

But yeah - it does make them look cool so f*ck it.

Turtle Power!!

Intentless @ Mar 22nd 2007 6:29PM

The masks are for color codeing.... Lets just say you wouldn't know who was who in the bath tub........ Although if he is unconcious its probably Raphael....

Justin @ Mar 22nd 2007 8:18PM

What are achievement points?

Jake @ Mar 22nd 2007 6:56PM

I don't really care about achievements. I doubt it takes away the incentive to make a great game. It isn't like TMNT is going to sell a million copies. King Kong had mad easy achievements and it didn't sell very well. Easy achievements will sell you a few extra games. But cool achievements will sell you a few as well. One of the funnest parts of Crackdown was getting its random-ass achievements like body juggling and such.

bus @ Mar 22nd 2007 7:15PM

wow.. achievement points are a selling point for a game?? what bunch of complete and total dorks would buy a crappy game just to get some achievement points?? why not just sell a game that requires you to press x and you get 1000 points? i guess thats what microsoft will be doing next..

LongshotX @ Mar 22nd 2007 7:27PM

It isn't sad I love achievements easy, medium, and hard. Sometimes its nice to play an easy achievement game. King Kong wasn't half bad. This doesn't look half bad.

hodgie @ Mar 22nd 2007 8:16PM

Hey guys if you want easy acheivments and if you have a friend with you you can get all 1000 in nhl 2006 in about.. an hour i would say.... so that right there is the quickest 1000 acheivement points on the 360.

Destructoid > Goatse x 5> Joystiq @ Mar 22nd 2007 8:47PM

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/home/showachievements.php?type=Retail&gameID=210

Holy shit. I'm getting this game tomorrow.

BIGGEN @ Mar 22nd 2007 10:59PM

@Jack of No Trades
i have to ask. why buy the game? rent it, save $55 or $45 or however much this one is, and buy TMNT on XBLA. point is, you'll save money.

anyway, the worst achievement system for a game has to be FEAR. 5 points for each one is VERY lame. i only got 80 points out of that game.

i love the achievement system though. it really means nothing, but there's just something hearing KAPLOOK! and seeing((X)ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED)
love it.

LaughingTarget @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:20AM

We're looking at this all wrong. The worse a game is, the easier the achievements should be. Achievements are a method to keep players playing the game. Had a slew of achievement points not been given to you after each level, the player would say, "Damn, this game sucks," and return it for another title at EB or GameStop (gotta love their return policy).