Developer: Sunsoft Publisher: Sunsoft Released: June 1991 Genre: Action
Sunsoft were indisputably one of the best developers for the NES. Both on a technical and gameplay level they stood head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries to deliver some of the best games for the system. So it should come as no surprise that many were expecting them to continue that same level of excellence on the 16-bit platforms. But somewhere along the way their priorities shifted and needless to say they spent most of that generation making licensed Looney Tunes titles. The few times they strayed from that were not that great, beginning with the Genesis Batman: the Videogame. This is a thoroughly mediocre title that few remember and with good reason.
Batman: the Videogame is a loose port of the NES game. It shares the same framework and follows the movie even more closely. But somewhere along the way it turned out even worse than that great title. It could be a matter of timing; while Batman saw release in 1990 in Japan it took another year for its US release due to Nintendo’s stringent third party restrictions. But I would argue that even if it were released sooner it would still be an average title.
Mechanically the two titles are similar but this version updates some of the mechanics while taking some away. Batman still attacks in melee range and can punch and sweep kick enemies. The three ranged weapons have been reduced to just batarangs which are in shorter supply. The wall jumping has been removed but in its place Batman can perform a ranged flip that doubles as a falling attack. The questionable hit detection makes it useless for that purpose. In addition you can the grappling hook to climb up ledges as in Batman Returns.
On its face the game makes an addition for every feature subtracted. Unfortunately they all make for a weaker game. The incredible level design from the NES Batman is gone and is replaced with boring straight paths. While the platforming could be tricky at times it part of why the game was fun. You also felt a sense of skill when navigating the maps successfully. Here the larger sprites make any attempt at such platforming flat out bad as there is no room for complex design. That leaves the game to rely on its combat which is similarly bad. The enemies are almost always hesitant to attack and all around slow. You rarely face more than one and the roster is small. Honestly this has an amateurish feel to it rather than coming from an experienced developer.
Batman was a short game at five levels. But the difficulty was a bit high and for some it felt twice as long. Batman: the Videogame has six stages, with two taking place in the Batmobile and Batwing. They make for a nice change of pace. These are excellent shooting galleries that feel out of place in this title since they are so good, both technically and gameplay wise. The difficulty is significantly lower in this game which makes the journey feel shorter even though there are more levels. Batman can take a lot of punishment and life restoring hearts are frequent. You respawn immediately after death which makes things even simpler. The only areas you might have trouble are the brief platforming segments but that is due more to the stiff controls than the game itself. I breezed through it in one session, most will too.
It is hard to believe but the NES game looks better than its 16-bit counterpart. Even though the color palette is lower the artists at Sunsoft’s excellent use of color established a dark and gritty mood. Here the graphics are significantly brighter which ruins the mood entirely. It really is a case of sometimes less is more. The sprites are bigger and more detailed but animate worse. About the only bright spot visually are the driving levels which look like they were made by an entire different team. I will give the game credit for its fantastic soundtrack but overall that is faint praise. Even for an early title this should have looked better.
In Closing
Disappointing. That sums up Batman: the Videogame. Even if it were not a 16-bit remake of a beloved NES title it would be bad. There are better Batman titles to spend your money on rather than this.
