Batman Game Retrospectives

[The Laughing Fish]

I found this nice video by game designer Jon Burton, as he analyses how the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of The Adventures of Batman and Robin pulled off some of its most impressive animation effects in the console's history.

Here is the second part of the game's animation breakdown.

This game and Toy Story were really creative in circumventing the Genesis/Mega Drive's hardware limitations. Beautiful looking games.

[The Laughing Fish]

A YouTuber called PatmanQC has a channel reviewing retro games, and he made a couple of videos focusing on game adaptations of Burton's Batman.

The first video I'm posting looks back on the rare arcade game based on B89 by Atari.

Like PatmanQC, I played the game on a MAME emulator a decade ago. What struck me is the sequence of levels are very similar to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game by Sunsoft, except the Batmobile and Batwing levels were in first person/rail shooter mode in the arcade. I thought the 2D scrolling levels for both vehicles in the Genesis/MD game were much more fun to play. The level design for the game was definitely a highlight and the backgrounds were near accurate to the movie, but I never liked the awkward way of Batman walking around with his cape wrapped across his chest. His sprite movement should've been better too.

I never knew Jack Nicholson had a final say of approval for the game. It must've been written in his contract among all the royalty and marketing bonuses he would get for the movie. I read someone saying on Reddit that the revisions for the game concerned recording new lines as ordered by Nicholson, but I don't know if that's true. The only unfamiliar voice clips I recognised in the game that wasn't in the movie was Joker's laughter in Flugelheim Museum.

It's an entertaining game to play for half an hour, but despite its superiority in level and sound design, I prefer the 16-bit Sega game by Sunsoft.

The second video is a compilation of all licensed games based on BR.

I've only played three BR games: the SNES game by Konami, the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game and the Sega Master System version. Unsurprisingly, the SNES game is by far the best. I'll go far and say it's the best 16-bit movie tie-in game, and the game itself could've been played at an arcade. Plus, you gotta appreciate how you can replicate some moves from the film i.e. pulling off the "You missed" speargun trick against the stun-gun clown at the start of the first boss battle, and butting both criminals' heads together. My only criticism of the game is the difficult Catwoman boss battles, she can kill you instantly after two or three hits if you get too close to her. The game could've used a Bat-Skiboat level like in the Sega CD level, but overall, it's a great beat 'em up game.

The Sega Genesis/MD and Master System versions were rubbish. Drab graphics with awkward and unreasonably difficult gameplay. I never liked how the boss battles on the Master System version suddenly blacks out the entire background either. This must've been due to hardware limitations.

The Sega CD may seem better thanks to the Batmobile and Bat-Skiboat levels, but it otherwise retains the same ugly level design as the 16-bit version, just with better music.

The MS-DOS looks very imaginative for its time, and the point-and-click gameplay fits right at home with Batman's ability to do detective work. But it looks pretty time consuming.

[The Laughing Fish]

Upon watching the review for the B89 Sega Mega Drive game, I forgot you could make Batman block, like you could in the BR SNES game. I remember I once tried to recreate the moment in the film when Batman ricocheted Jack Napier's gunfire right back at him, but I could never pull it off because there wasn't enough room and space. A rather useless function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0VrheLt89k&ab_channel=SegaLordX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A-ca29WKD8&ab_channel=SegaLordX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1PdtMnSfLU&ab_channel=SegaLordX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igNKpQ0UADc&ab_channel=SegaLordX

[Silver Nemesis]

[The Laughing Fish]

[The Laughing Fish]

[GBglide]

I have played both of my two choices on the original hardware.

Best Batman 1989 game: The arcade game by Atari.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell where to go (Axis Chemicals level) and the action feels a little like Rolling Thunder. But with movie accurate enemies and the only '89 game with Danny Elfman's music, this one wins just as much on its movie authenticity. It feels like the movie.


Best Batman Returns game: SNES
This one wins on its movie accuracy and its gameplay. I've never seen another Final Fight clone that has this many moves. Truly the greatest licensed game of the 16-bit era. I can't recommend this one enough!

[Travesty]

I think B89 on NES is my favorite Batman game of all time. Side scrollers are still my favorite style of video games, and B89 is an incredible one on the NES. Tight controls, amazing music, fun bosses and stages/levels, it has everything you need for a fun experience. It doesn't follow the movie closely(few games did back in the 80s and 90s), but it's one of the best. It's right up there with Mario, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, etc.

I love it! 

[The Laughing Fish]

Nice compilation of all Batman Beyond game content over the years.

I played Return of the Joker on an N64 emulator years ago. Very disappointing game, it's nothing but a simple standard beat 'em up. It felt like I was playing an unfinished game at times because the gameplay was so unremarkable. It's only saving grace is it's better than Superman 64, which isn't saying much.

I don't remember there was a Batman Beyond skin in the Ultimate Edition of Injustice: Gods Among Us. It seems it uses the same skin from the Arkham City DLC, but it wasn't available in my copy of the game. I do remember the skin was available on the mobile version though.

I really like the Batman Beyond skin in Arkham Knight. It looks militaristic and futuristic all at once. Another reason they chose this design is that they needed to animate Batman to unmask himself in some scenes, and they couldn't do that if they kept the animated version.