Batman: The Video Game

The Good
The gameplay's fast, dynamic and very retro in its charm and vibe. It's an honorable extension of Batman's legendary status as a pop-cultural staple of a character. The action's nice and crunchy, satisfying and the platforming is tricky yet very fulfilling once you've mastered the controls.

The Bad
The platforming can be imprecise sometimes, but that's really the only gripe I have with the game. It encourages you to overcome the game's challenges anyway.

The Bottom Line
This was Batman's first golden moment on console gaming, and this game plays like a superhero crossed with Double Dragon, Super Mario Brothers and Metroid. It's damn good fun.

The Good
The music in the game Batman is really good, that's one of the things that kept me playing this good game, from the music in Gotham City's Streets, to the boss battles (that can take a long time to complete if you aren't great at this game, like me) the music sounds quite amazing for just an 8 bit system.

The gameplay is also quite good, you have the ability to use a wall-jump, and an ability to use 3 different weapons: A short-missile launcher, a Boomerang, and 3-way splitting discs. along with your trusty fists.

The Bad
The difficulty of this game, for me anyways, is kind of insane, I don't see anyone getting through this game with the 3 lives you start out with in the beginning, and even though it doesn't mention it in the game, you have a limited number of continues.

What also bothers me, not as much as the difficulty, is the fact that this game really doesn't have much of a connection to the movie, maybe it has cut scenes, and 1 boss/enemy from the movie (Joker, final boss) and the stages are sort of connected to it. But the additional hazards (like the electric floors in 2-2) aren't from the movie, not a big deal to most of you, but it bothers me.

The Bottom Line
Batman is a side-scrolling 1 player action-adventure game that pits the Caped-Crusader against the evil-doers of Gotham City. Batman has not only his trusty fists as weapons, but can also be equipped with 3 other good weapons. He also has a useful wall-jumping technique. For you side-scrolling fans that enjoy a good challenge, great music and game play, Batman is for you, but if you expected this to be like the blockbuster film, you'll be disappointed to know, it's not quite the same.

The Good
There is a thing going on that movie-based games are usually made with little effort, the only idea behind them being a quick cash grab following the success of a popular movie. For the most part it's true but this game proves that movie-based game can be made with care and attention to details.

Story: I really enjoyed the Batman movie from 1989 and since this game is based on that movie it already has my attention. All you need to know is that Batman goes after the Joker. Good enough for me.

Gameplay: It is a solid platformer with some Ninja Gaiden elements. Batman can jump from wall to wall (which is completely necessary to master in order to beat some of the later levels) and he has an assortment of gadgets at his disposal which help the player approach situations differently. The levels are all memorable and do the movie justice. There is a good variety of enemies and all of the bosses present a challenge worthy of any hardcore NES gamer. Speaking of which the game is quite difficult but it's a fair challenge since the game has very little handicaps. Beating the Joker is almost impossible and it took me around 15 tries. As the credits rolled after that I felt like a long and successful day at work was over. It felt satisfying.

Graphics: For NES standards the game is beautiful. It's dark and atmospheric just like the movie. The levels are nice to look at and the in-game sprites are well animated. There is no choppiness and everything runs really smooth. The cutscenes are awesome and set the mood for the upcoming levels.

Music and Sound: Pure awesomeness! The music score is one of the best I've ever heard on the NES and fits each level perfectly. Each song is catchy and memorable, and many of them linger in my head long after I've put down the controller. The sound effects are also pretty good, my favorite one being when Batman punches. My keyboard makes the same sound when I bash it against my desk.


The Bad
I have a few gripes with this game but it's mostly nitpicking.

Story: No complaints.

Gameplay : Same problem as Ninja Gaiden. When Batman gets hit he jumps backwards and some times right into a bottomless pit, though it does not happens as often. Some of the jumps are outrageous. The Joker shoots lightning....I am speechless.

Graphics: No major complaints. The Joker is fairly large and he makes Batman look like a kid.

Music and Sound: Absolutely no complaints.

The Bottom Line
This should appeal to both NES fans and Batman fans. The combination of solid platforming, great graphics, amazing soundtrack and challenging difficulty make this an awesome movie-based game and one memorable 8-bit experience.