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List of video games featuring Batman

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Batman has been adapted into a video game on several occations.

Batman (1986)

Prior to the film licenced version of the games, a 3D isometric adventure was also released under the Batman licence by Ocean Software. This was written by Bernie Drummond and Jon Ritman and was very similar to Head over Heels, arguably their most successful title. The Tim Burton film had not yet been released, and the game was based on the original 1960s series. In this game Batman has to rescue Robin, but to do so he must collect six parts of the batcraft hovercraft. During the game you pick up various items to help you, like boots that make you jump higher. A remake, called Watman, was produced for PC in 2000 as a DOS game.

Batman: The Caped Crusader (1988)

Ocean Software also later released Batman: The Caped Crusader, a two-part platform adventure also based on the original series.

Batman - The Movie (1989)

The simple but effective box cover of Batman that matched the original video (and later DVD) cover

A video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC. A number of factors including licensing issues and system limitations created the unusual scenario of each game being quite different on the different systems, particularly between the console and platform versions.


ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC versions

These versions were licensed to then Manchester based Ocean Software (now Infogrames), who were famed producing a wide range of film-licensed games that consisted largely of a series of sub-games. When the Batman games were released in 1989, this style was relatively new, and the game was well-received by the video gaming press. British ZX Spectrum magazine Your Sinclair awarded the game 91% on release.

Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC versions

These versions were similar to the above 8-bit versions, but the more advanced technology (for the time!) allowed more sophisticated effects to be used. The extra memory, processor power and graphic capabilities were put to use in the second and fourth levels, creating a full 3D effect instead of the side-scrolling subgames present in the 8-bit versions.


NES version

The console versions, specifically the NES and Mega Drive versions, were developed by Sunsoft. The NES version was a four-way platform action game featuring the locations of the 1989 movie. The NES title had five levels culminating in a showdown with the Joker in Gotham Cathedral. The game had a much more futuristic feel to it than the movie, with robots, jet-packs and mutants.


Mega Drive version

This version was also produced by Sunsoft, and was not well-received despite being a port of the more popular NES game.


Non-console version levels and relation to the film

Level 1 - The Axis Chemical Plant - A standard platform level, Batman must fight through the Chemical Plant dispatching Jack Napier's henchman, before a showdown with Napier himself. Batman must knock him into a vat of toxic chemicals, following the plot in the film. The game deviates from the film plot considerably in one respect however - in the film, Batman attempts to save Napier from falling into the chemicals, but fails, and in the game, Batman makes an active attempt to knock Napier into the vat.

Level 2 - The Batmobile - Batman must escape to the Batcave with Vicky Vale in the Batmobile with the Joker's henchmen in pursuit. Here the game differed greatly between the 8-bit and 16-bit versions. The 8-bit (Spectrum, Commodore and Amstrad) versions featured a side-scrolling game, whereas the 16-bit versions (Amiga, ST and PC) featured a full 3D "into-the-screen" racing game. Nonetheless, the features of the level remained similar - Batman must occasionally turn corners either by normal turning or by means of throwing the Batarang around a lamp post to swing the Batmobile around to the correct direction.

Level 3 - Chemical Analysis - Here Batman (as [[Bruce Wayne) attempts to decipher the combination of products that the Joker has used in creating the poison "Smilex". It is a simple puzzle game similar to various versions of Mastermind, where the player must use logic and no small amount of guesswork to establish the correct group.

Level 4 - The Carnival - Batman, in control of the Batwing, must cut all of the Joker's Smilex-filled balloons to avoid a public massacre. If too many balloons are missed or Batman collides with too many balloons, releasing the gas, Batman loses a life. There is a minor difference between the game and film. In the film, Batman collects the balloons, and releases them later, whereas in the game, they are cut loose immediately.

Level 5 - Gotham City Cathedral - Batman must chase the Joker into the Cathedral, dispatching the Joker's henchmen along the way to a final showdown on the Cathedral's roof with Napier himself.

Batman (1990)

In 1990 Atari released an arcade game based on the Batman movie. It was a scrolling fighter. [1]

Batman Forever (1996)

In 1996 Acclaim released another arcade game. Like the previous it was also a scrolling fighter game. The player controls either Batman or Robin and has to guide them through various stages that are taken in 1995 movie.

[2]

Awarding of licences

Batman, Batman: The Caped Crusader and Batman: The Movie were produced by Ocean Software, before the Batman Returns licence was passed onto Konami, and the Batman Forever and Batman and Robin licences were awarded to Acclaim. The upcoming video game version of Batman Begins is being published by Electronic Arts.

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