I really needed a game like Hurdle Turtle. My brain actually had to bribe my hands to pick up a controller again after the muscle-cramping disgrace of Avatar Ninja and the totally uninspired cash-in, The American Hot Dog Race, and I was in dire need of some good old-fashioned retro-game loving. Hurdle Turtle thankfully delivers and is the total nostalgic package, complete with authentic 8-bit sprites, chiptune music and of course, quarter-munching difficulty.  The namesake hero is a delightfully designed reptile donning a white cotton headband and sweatbands on all his tiny turtle feet. As his name indicates, he’s a bit of a track and field fan, and the purpose of the game is to survive as long as possible on three increasingly difficult courses. It’s a simple game to understand, yet it’s surprisingly fun and becomes quite difficult in a hurry.

There are two types of obstacles that must be avoided: one that can be bypassed by guiding the turtle up and down on the track and another that has to leapt over.  Every few seconds the turtle’s velocity increases and in short time, the obstacles are flying at our poor little reptile friend. Turtles can apparently get those stubby legs moving at an enviable pace, which means that avoiding the obstacles becomes no easy feat.

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