Batman–Nes Game Review

Batman
Developed by SunSoft
Original Release Date 12/22/89
2D Action-Platformer

So, it's 3:35 pm. You just got off the bus after a long day of school. After your customary grilled cheese and MacGyver session, what are you gonna do? Play Batman for the NES of course. Ok, maybe you aren't like me and don't have an afternoon ritual like that, but you should still play this game.

Everyone knows the premise of the original movie's story: Batman knows that the Joker killed his parents so he hunts him down to kick his ass and ultimately throw him off the top of a *SPOILER*clock tower. Pretty badass. In the game, you jouney through 5 stages set up around Gotham. You do battle with a decent variety of enemies that all have different attack patterns. Batman can Punch, Jump and use a really neat "wall-kick" technique that allows him to vault off walls in the opposite direction. On top of that, his big sexy yellow utility belt comes equipped with three different gadgets for extra crime-fighting bad-assery. His trusty Batarang™ is as strong as his Bat-Punch™ and travels out about a quarter screen length then returns to his Bat-Hand™. The Bat-Gun™ fires a full screen length but does half the damage of the Batarang™. Finally, the Bat-Three Disc Shooter Thingy™ the fires three discs that cover a height about equal with Batman and have the same power as a Batarang™.

Each of the five levels are opened with a short animated cut scene showing Batman's arrival at the hideout in question (City, Factory, Sewage, Lab, Tower). Each stage also has a boss at the end that will force you to use all your Bat-Wits™ to conquer him. Incidentally, almost nothing in this game save for Batman and the Joker have anything to do with the movie, but you know what? I think the movie would have been better if Batman was forced to fight giant fire-ball shooting tanks in an underground cave, but maybe that's just me.
Graphically, this game isn't astounding, but it isn't utter Bat-Shit™ either. The sprites are nicely animated and the backgrounds of the stages give you a gloomy Gotham City feel. The control is spot on, there is no way you can blame a death on the controls which is unlike Kid Kool, where 98% of your deaths are caused by the controls. The wall jumping works the way it should and scrolling through your Bat-Gadgets™ is a breeze with the start button. This game is also a lot of fun to play. Once you get used to the wall jumping you will be having a breeze playing it. There really isn't much I can say bad about this game other then "why the fuck is Batman purple?".