Batman (NES)

Batman was released for the Famicom in December of ‘89, and in America on the NES in February of 1990.  The game was a movie tie-in, following the heels of the hugely successful 1989 Tim Burton film Batman.  As such, some character design and plot points take their cues from the film, but other than matching its design and style and a very loose look at the plot, the game cuts its own territory, becoming a dark comic-book story of its own and bringing other DC supervillains into the fray.

Although film adaptations are notorious for poor quality, Batman got everything right and is not only one of the best movie adaptations ever made, but also one of the best games in the NES library.

The game was developed by Sunsoft, who had already proven their worth in ‘88 with the exceptional Blaster Master.  Batman was a less ambitious title, but brought the same quality in every area.  The soundtrack is a great example of what the NES can do, being evocative, dark and layered and doing a good job of setting the mood, even if it is an original soundtrack (you won’t find Danny Elfman’s iconic theme here, unfortunately).  The graphics are detailed, dark and gritty, perfectly fitting the dirty, gothic style of the film’s Gotham City.  The gameplay is an action platformer that is very reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden in terms of play style and control.  The game is also quite challenging, but thankful it does not bring the kind of brutal frustration and unforgiving gameplay that Ninja Gaiden is known for.  Just don’t expect it to be a walk in the park.

Although arguably The Joker stole the show in the film, Batman is in the spotlight here.  He really feels like a superhero, from his billowing cape, strength to beat down enemies with his bare hands, and the wall-jump ability which lets you spring off of vertical surfaces like a ninja.  Batman also has use of his iconic Batarangs as well as a throwing blades and a rocket-powered spear gun, particularly useful in bringing down bosses like the Killer Moth, Electrocutioner and Fire Bug, who make an appearance as the Joker’s henchmen.  These battles are both fun and very challenging as each enemy has his own unique attack pattern.  “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”  You will here, as there are often no safe zones or cheap means to bring down the bosses, just precision as you track their movements and perform a harrowing dance of death with them.

I could go on to say a lot about the gameplay, but let this suffice: Batman has had a solid share of game adaptations, and unlike a lot of licensed games, the Batman franchise as seen a good number of decent titles.  This one, however, stands the test of time both within the NES library and also within the years-spanning legacy of Batman titles.  It is unlikely that the game met its match in turns of quality and treatment of its subject until the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, 20 years after the release of Batman on the NES.