A giant, Foot Soldier manned Mouser robot. They can be encountered as sub-bosses in the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project.
Trivia
- These foes can be found on two levels, Scenes 5 and 8, in the TMNT III: The Manhattan Project video game. The one in Scene 8 has two differences from the one in Scene 5. First, it, and its' driver, have a pink color scheme, rather than blue, and, second, it can toss out two normal Mousers at once instead of one at a time. In all other aspects, they behave the same.
- Four TMNT video games were released on the NES: TMNT, TMNT II: The Arcade Game, TMNT III: The Manhattan Project, and TMNT: Tournament Fighters.
- This model was made specifically for a custom TMNT figure contest at The Technodrome Forums.
- Historically, 'The Manhattan Project' title is best known as the code-name for the endeavor to create the first nuclear bomb in the 1940s, during World War II. In the TMNT III game, New York's Manhattan Island is literally raised from the ocean and stolen by Shredder and Krang.
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BACKGROUND:
Mousers--mechanical rodent catchers--are the invention of the scientist Baxter Stockman. The evil ninja master Shredder frequently employs these robots against his enemies, namely the TMNT and their allies. Baxter Stockman does not appear in the TMNT III: The Manhattan Project video game, so it is unclear, what, if any, ties he has to the Mother Mouser. It's likely Shredder and/or Krang modified Stockman's Mouser designs to create this Foot Soldier controlled battle walker.
ABILITIES:
Built into the Mother Mouser's torso is a complete, miniaturized Mouser production facility. This device can produce fully-functional, 'normal' Mousers at the impressive rate of about fifteen-units-per-minute. Raw materials, used in the construction of these smaller mechanoids, are teleported directly inside the tiny factory from stockpiles located inside the Technodrome--this completely eliminates the need to carry excess, bulky weight and makes it possible to produce an almost unlimited number of Mousers on the battlefield in a very efficient manner. The robot's mouth houses a napalm launcher that ejects fireball-like projectiles. If necessary, the jaws can also be used to bite opponents in close quarters combat, although this tactic is seldom employed as it places the Mother Mouser's operator in a situation where he/she/it can be harmed directly or unseated. Powerful rocket boosters, built into the machine's legs, allow it to make short leaps.
WEAKNESSES:
Unlike normal Mousers, which can act independently (within the confines of their programming), the Mother Mouser requires someone to operate it. If the driver is severely injured, rendered unconscious, or slain, the Mother Mouser, lacking a controller, ceases to be a threat. As the machine offers little protection for the operator, who is quite exposed while sitting in its seat, such injuries are likely to occur in a battle. The Mother Mouser's large head--which shifts its center of gravity forward--sometimes causes balance problems, particularly when negotiating uneven or steep terrain.
Materials:
(Mother Mouser)
Cardboard, newsprint, wire twist ties, white glue, hot glue, and acrylic paint.
(Foot Soldier)
Newsprint, cardboard, lined notebook paper, tissue paper, wire twist ties, white glue, hot glue, and acrylic paint.
(Mousers)
Cardboard, newsprint, tissue paper, wire twist ties, white glue, hot glue, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions*:
(*The dimensions of these models can vary, depending on how the joints are positioned. The numbers given are for 'neutral' standing poses.)
(Mother Mouser)
9.3 cm/3.7 in. x 7.3 cm/2.9 in. (highest point x widest point)
(Foot Soldier)
6.3 cm/2.5 in. x 2.5 cm/1.0 in. (highest point x widest point)
(Mousers)
3.0 cm/1.2 in. x 2.2 cm/0.9 in. (highest point x widest point)
Articulation:
(Mother Mouser)
Fourteen points total. The jaw is hinged. The gun inside the mouth pivots. The neck has two joints, one at the base of the head and another where it connects to the torso. The controllers have two joints each for a total of four; the 'joysticks' bend and the 'arms' rotate and move inwards and outwards. The legs have three joints each, for a total of six; they move at the hips, knees, and ankles.
(Foot Soldier)
Fourteen points total. The neck and waist rotate. The arms have three joints each for a total of six; they move at the shoulders, at the elbows, and at the wrists. The legs have three joints each for a total of six; they move at the hips, knees, and ankles.
(Mousers)
Each Mouser has eight points. The jaws are hinged. The neck rotates and moves up and down. The legs have three joints each for a total of six; they move at the hips, knees, and ankles.
Time:
Approximately five days total. I made the Foot Soldier in one day (7/8/07); the Mother Mouser took three and a half days (7/9/07-7/11/07); and the three Mousers took about half a day (7/11/07).
For comparison purposes, below is a Mother Mouser game sprite from the TMNT III: The Manhattan Project NES video game:
REFERENCES:
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project video game.
- NES Player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project sprite page.
- Various NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project FAQs at GameFAQs.
- Wikipedia Manhattan Project article.
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Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted here belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Mirage Studios.
The background images are sprites/tiles from the TMNT III: The Manhattan Project video game that I edited.
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