Batman: The Video Game
System: Genesis
Release Date: June 27, 1991
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Genre: Action
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? Because you’re going to in Batman: The Video Game! Gotham City’s 200th Anniversary Festival is coming up with all the glitz and glamour you would expect. The notorious criminal Jack Napier is in the way of the Caped Crusader, but a vat of acid transforms him into the even more insane Joker. Can you fight through 6 levels of action and put an end to the Clown Prince of Crime?
The levels follow the plot of the movie just as well as the NES version. Batman runs around and punches bad guys because he doesn’t believe in killing. He does have the Batarangs that he can throw with Button A if you have any in inventory. You’ll occasionally find icons that give you more Batarangs for you to use. You also get 5 any time you die, so use them if you’ve got them. Batman jumps with Button C and can do a somersault if you press it again in the air. Holding up while pressing Button C shoots your Grappling Hook into the air and can catch on some platforms.
There aren’t really a lot of different enemies that you have to fight, so learning their weaknesses comes pretty quickly. There are two levels that leave the fist fighting behind and put you behind the controls of Batman’s vehicles. First, the Batmobile. You just drive and shoot like you do in any side scrolling shoot ‘em up. Batman uses guns in this stage, as well as missiles instead of the Batarang. You also get in the Batwing and despite being in the air, the controls are the same. Once you know the patterns of the enemies, these aren’t any trouble getting through.
The end of each level has a boss battle of some sort. These have their patterns and their weaknesses for you to learn and exploit. You’ll get smashed the first time through, but sometimes you get the pattern down right away and take them out. I learned that jumping on some bosses will hurt them and keep you away from their attacks. You get to show your skills in the penultimate level when you have to go through a boss rush, but you’ve learned what to do, so should fly through.
I’ve been reading along with old school EGMs when I get to a new month. The past several issues have had a lot of talk about this game being the import darling of the time. I wonder how people actually felt, as I don’t think this is anywhere near as good as the NES version from a year earlier. Sure, it looks good, but the levels are smaller and less interesting. The boss battles are all easier, especially the final battle against the Joker where I smoked him with the Batarangs I had saved up in the ascent of the Cathedral. The icons replenish when you leave the screen, so you can go in totally overpowered.
Graphics: 3.5
This is a good looking game, but Batman runs like he has a stick up his butt.
Sound: 3.5
Some of the music is pretty great. Sunsoft usually brings the goods in this category and didn’t let me down.
Gameplay: 2.5
The fighting, platforming, and shoot ‘em up stages work, but really aren’t anything special, which is a huge disappointment.
Difficulty: 3.0
Levels are short, you can set the number of lives you get to get you through, and you have continues.
Fun Factor: 2.5
I really can’t say this is much fun. I’m actually pretty disappointed that Sunsoft made a much better version on the NES.
Overall Rating: 3.0
Batman: The Video Game earns a B. Look, it’s not a bad game, but it really should have been a lot better in order to make a mark on the Genesis.