Overall 8.5 Graphics 8.3 Sound 9.5 Addictive 7 Story 7.6 Depth 7.2 Difficulty 8.8
9.1
Batman on the Nintendo NES?! What a dream come true THEKILLERJUNKER
When you where a kid back in the 80's what were your obsessions? Comics? Games? Movies? Action figures? Well during the 80's no console was as successful as the Nintendo Entertainment system. It simply blew every one's mind seeing that games could last more than 5 or 6 minutes as Atari was the big game king of the industry with the revolutionary 2600. But once Nintendo hit the shelves back in 1985, everybody soon realized that games simply weren't about getting the high score; it was about the adventure! But it wasn't long before companies like LJN found that they could make easy profits just by doing a half - baked game. Many companies in fact focused just for the money and not the satisfaction of customers. And what better than to do a movie based game? Just imagine; your a little kid in a video rental store and you come across some games that look fun... but don't let that fool you. "Oh boy Ghost busters on the NES? That has to be good! What? Jaws on the Nintendo? I have to have that! " But when you go home and pop that game on your Nintendo you realize you made an awful mistake. Crappy controls, terrible graphics, mediocre game play - these were just one of the many problems that many movie based games had and still do. And then you stare at the television screen in anger realizing that you spent $39.99 or more on a broken down mess of a game. So once you get over the news your Father comes downstairs and flashes Batman : the movie. Of course, being the kid you are, you watch it and realize in such amazement on what a great movie it was. So wait a week later, your Mother shows her appreciation for getting a 90 on your Math test by taking you to the video store. And once you open the door you see a familiar face - Batman on the NES. But you simply ignore it and check out Bubble bobble. But before you back away in disgust you see that there is no rainbow on the cartridge like you did in Jaws or Back to the future but the Sunsoft logo which reminds you of a really good game; Blaster Master. So being the Kid you are you get curious and finally can't take the temptation and finally buy the game. Now all you can do is wait. Will it be as bad as Ghost busters? Will it be good? Will it blow? That's all you could think on the ride back home. But once you come back home, popped the game in the NES and get greeted by the amazing cut scene and music you realize that you didn't just play Sunsoft - you LIVED Sunsoft. So what is it about this movie game that's different from the rest anyway? Has it aged as well as many other NES classics have? Let's see.
Graphics: 9
When you think of NES graphics you think....meh. Well nowadays. But back in 1989..... man was it a different story. You couldn't keep your greedy eyes off the screen once you started playing this game. The title screen, the cut scene, the way Batman and the Bat - Mobile looks; it was an eye catching view - and that was just the cut scene - you still had the rest of the game to go through! And once you started the level you saw what probably was the most technically advanced game you have ever seen. The background, the enemies, the power ups and your character where all amazing to look at. And with another six or seven levels to go you were too impatient to wait and see how different the next stage was compared to the last. And to add things up, the game had that film noire feeling like the movie did and gave you that eerie feeling that you didn't get in most games like Super Mario Bros or Pac man but games like CastleVania and Ninja Gaiden where your atmosphere looked and felt corrupted and infested with evil and darkness. And ,to be honest with you, the game offered the same feeling you got when you saw a dark corridor in the movie - a sense of fear and hopelessness. And while the NES had a limited color palette I have to say that this game did the right combination of colors to give the mood unlike some games that failed to impress the eyes like X-men from LJN. And with that said, the game succeeds in delivering the graphics with its film noire style and look. So in my opinion I have absolutely no problems with the graphics. So for me comes a 9 for the graphics.
Sound: 9
The truth is that the NES didn't have that good sound quality like an arcade machine did or a VHS player did but the truth is, it didn't have to. The NES has its own unique music style that really can't be repeated. So along with games like Castlevania and Super Mario Bros this game has an unforgettable soundtrack to it which is why it's one of the best on the system. From just punching....PUNCHING ( It didn't even have to be on an enemy ) IN THE AIR you got a sense of power... like you were BATMAN, as if you were fighting the Joker's henchmen horde by horde. And the music? Aw man was it amazing back then to hear music this good on the NES. Each stage has its own well thought and original music that gives you that adrenaline to move on throughout your quest which is very generous of the creators to do unlike some games where the same music is played throughout the stages like Super Mario bros 1-3. No not at all. This actually has original music and it sounds good too unlike games like Ghostbusters where you want to mute the television. This isn't the best music from the NES but it's far from terrible and it fits with the dark and eerie graphics. Instead of these upbeat and catchy tunes you get dark and captivating tunes from this game which to me is just as important as the game play. So without further adieu comes another 9 for this games well thought and dark music.
Addictiveness:10
Addictiveness is a must have when it comes to a game or else what's the use? And is this game addicting? YES. Besides the different style in stages you also have a unique set of enemies ranging from henchman of Joker's to robotic monstrosities. And of course your going to get hit. But unlike a game like Silver Surfer where you die in only one hit this game offers a life bar like Ninja Gaiden or Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles 2 ( the good one that isn't as hard as heck ) which is good considering that this game is hard. But besides your punch you also have a variety of weapons like Contra or Castlevania. Besides your measly punch you have your classic Bata rang, shuriken, pistol and many more! And each of your weapons have a different attack and each inflict damage in a different way. Some weapons are harsher than others but it all depends on how to use it. Then there's the jumping. Instead of mediocre plat formers like Back to the future or Friday the 13th where the jump controls are slippery this game has jumps that feel perfect. And to top things off, Batman can wall jump! He can jump like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden which is pretty unique and can really help a player get through some harsh levels and enemies through the game which is a good add on to an already great game. All these plus the music and graphics make this game what it is. A masterpiece. 10 points.
Story: N/A
As far as I'm concerned, this game does not have a story because what do you know, it's movie based. And for those who haven't seen the movie why would I spoil it for you? Go see it! I guarantee that it will make you play this game even more. So with that said, it simply does not have a story. Period.
Depth: 8
When it comes to replay ability this game is strong with that. Because of different set of enemies, original gameplay, awesome set of weapons, this game gets far from getting old. And with this game comes a challenging but not too challenging game ( I'm looking at you Ninja Gaiden 3! Curse you and your stupid game overs! ) this doesn't get annoying either which keeps the game from getting too easy or hard like Felix the Cat or Silver Surfer. So what isn't to like about this game? It has everything a game needs: Perfect controls, good music, nice graphics and gameplay. Man did Sunsoft change this game from being an unoriginal, dull, and frustrating game like Ghostbusters. So with that said this game has everything that a game needs to be a success in this industry. Which is why this game is considered a classic in the NES library instead of a rushed money maker like Top Gun or Jaws which is why this is one of the only good movie based games on the NES along with other good titles like Gremlins and Duck tales. Which is why this game deserves an 8 for its depth.
Difficulty: 9
Like I mentioned earlier, this game can get hard and frustrating sometimes. But bad controls or poor level design are not to blame for this game's difficulty. It's like Ninja Gaiden - you simply need to get the hang of the controls, stages, enemies, and ( not to mention ) each of the bosses patterns. But even with that, this game can be unforgivable sometimes which is why you need to master the controls and get the hang of it. Only then can you stand a chance against Joker or any of the bosses in the game. It's a test to the fullest. To see if you have what it takes to say " I Beat Batman on the NES!" and look at your victory in triumph as you show that you deserve it. But like many NES games like Contra, this game doesn't have mercy like Super Mario bros. This game is Castlevania plus Mega Man hard which isn't that bad as long as you play this game more than once. Trial and error, that's our lesson here. So to wrap things up, here comes a 9 for this game's difficulty.
Overall: 9.1
Out of all the terrible movie based games to come out for the NES, this was not among them. What Sunsoft made in fact, was a classic NES game that is remembered by many game collectors out there as great NES game. I suggest that you pick one up if you have the chance because this game is simply amazing for the NES and a surprise for many kids from the 1980's because out of a sea of terrible movie based games like Ghostbusters, Jaws, and Top gun, this game was a classic and it's still a blast from the past to play if you have an NES. Pick it up if you have the chance! :o)
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Depth 8 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 09-09-13
Review Replies: 4
8.3
Batman Review Jynx
Wow, I did a terrible job with Sonic Month. Anyway, due to the complete failure of Sonic Month, how 'bout another month with something I'm sure to do a lot better with, Movie Game Month. A month where I review a game based on a movie or TV show. So let's start with a classic among classics, Batman.
First, a little background. In 1989 Tim Burton had made a Batman movie simply titled Batman. It was huge success and stands as one of the best Batman movies. So naturally, a video game would be made based on the movie. And it was made by Sunsoft, so we're in good hands.
The title screen is nothing to behold. It's just Batman standing there. Starting the game is where it really gets good. The graphics are really good. Somethings look really odd, for example, it kinda looks like one of the enemies is a slot car, but I digress.
The music is fantastic. It's catchy, and memorable. But no Batman theme song though. Y'know, the Danny Elfman one. I digress. This game is unbelievably fun. In fact, everyday I have to play Batman or else the music will never go away.
The story is the exact same as the movie. Which I kinda thought was all over the place. Although, I feel like some scenes came WAAAAAAAAY too early. Like the cutscene where the Batmobile shoots a door open. That came near the end of the movie.
Oh, by the way, THIS GAME IS DANG HARD. Want proof? Did you check out the second boss?
Overall, Batman for NES is not the cash-in you expect. It's actually a really well made game. My only complaint is that the controls are reversed. Start scrolls through weapons and
Select pauses. Batman gets and 8.3 out of 10.
Graphics 7 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Story 6 Depth 8 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 3.5/5
Submitted: 09-01-13
Review Replies: 2
9.2
Its a movie tie-in game, don't run, its really good! endings
Batman, that DC Dark Knight. He's been making comics and money for years. This game is based off his 1989 movie, and while the game loosely follows part of the plot, you kind of don't mind. Is this what made the movie game awesome - that it used creative liberty with some of the stages, introduced bosses not present in the movie - and other touch-ups? Quite possibly! This game boils down to being Batman, and trying to stop the Joker. Thats all its about, forget Bruce Wayne, forget Vicki Vale - forget Commish Gordon or that annoying reporter guy, Alfred -nope! Its just Batman's nonstop crusade to crush the Joker's plans and eventually the clown prince of crime himself.
This game will give you a Batman at his best when he's rapidly punching - seriously, wail on that button when you're close up - you'll often freeze your foe with the rapid-fire attack. There is a small
selection of ranged weapons too, batarangs (of course) and a gun and throwing star weapon. Actually its a bit of overkill, and I found myself using the batarangs almost for every situation as its cheap and racks up multiple hits.
Graphics: 9
The dark, brooding graphics are perfect for this character, and match Tim Burton's depiction of a gloomy Gotham. The liberal use of light and shadow is fantastic, and enemies are well sculpted. You may not be able to tell exactly what it is - I don't remember remote control mines in the movie - or those funny box robots - but you won't mind. Batman is purple, which at first seems kinda weird, but no, he's totally awesome once you start seeing him punch the daylights out of bad guys. The wall spring, the excellent bat-shaped fireball our hero goes up in when he loses his life -- its great touches like that that make this game so fun.
Sound: 9
But good graphics are not all! The music and sound effects are excellent, above and beyond. Sunsoft was a developer that really had a great composers and musicians - even oddball titles like Fester's Quest had good music. The first two stages music are very appropriate and good, if you don't mind a heavy drum beat. As befitting a great sound team, the sound effects are on point - I mentioned Batman's death being a fireball shaped like a bat - it also has catchy tune that plays over that. Even Batman's punches have a sound as they strike the air. I was so close to giving this a ten, it really only lacks one thing, and the fact its a movie tie-in makes it noticeable. It doesn't have any of Elfman's score for the movie, which had an iconic Batman theme that the team just didn't slip into the game.
Addictiveness: 9
Who doesn't want to play as Batman? He's awesome! You will likely die a lot, so this game forces you to push yourself better and better. Fortunately, its not a long game - so its quite beatable. The bosses are creative and require you to think and often punch/batarang as fast as you can before seeking safety.
Story: 6
Well, its lacking - as it only follows a couple scenes from the movie, then makes some up. But some additions are great for a video game - such as adding minor d-list enemies of Batman like Killer Moth, Firebug and Electrocutioner as bosses working for Joker. The Axis Chemical factory is present, as is the giant bell tower at the finale of the movie - but the rest is kind of thrown on. It works though, but since its based off the movie, I feel the need to mark it down just a bit. The cut scenes that play are short and don't do really much. A batmobile shooting down a garage door (yet you never control it in the game) uh.. ok?
Depth: 6
The difficulty will add some time to your role as the caped crusader. Once you lose your lives, you can start over at a boss, so its a bit forgiving - but the enemies sometimes have tricky positioning. And as I've said, Batman can punch with the best of them, but he needs more. Fortunately, this game gives us that. I like that you also get to use Batman's batarangs, as well as a gun and some thrown glaives of some kind. They add much-needed range to his punch-happy arsenal at the cost of using some of his special attack bullets. He can carry 99, but each weapon takes 1, 2 or 3 with each shot. Its not that bad as enemies drop new ones. There's no secret stages or secret characters - you already have Batman what more could you want - but the challenge will add most of the depth.
Difficulty: 8
This is a pretty hard game. But its short, only 5 stages. Electrified walls and floor, poisonous vats you can fall in, there's many dangers in the environment, not just your enemies. Some stages have a mini-boss, or even sub-boss on them, but with practice, you will meet the Joker, who well, he's doing some things not seen in the movie, but at least you get to beat the daylights out of him.
Final score: 9.2
This is a fantastic NES game, with a killer soundtrack and moody graphics to match the tone of the movie. Love it for that, just don't be expecting to play a lot of scenes from the film.
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 9 Story 6 Depth 6 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 09-21-14
Review Replies: 2
6.8
Batman (The Video Game) luigi25
This game is based off of the classic Tim Burton Batman film that was released in the cinemas in the summer of 1989. About a year later, in 1990, a video game was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've been playing this game for a while now on Vizzed, and I can see why people like it so much. However, I don't find myself enjoying it like they do. The gameplay just plain sucks!! I swear to God, it's just as bad as Mega Man 1! It may even be worse in some ways! I think most people like Batman on NES because of all the other positive aspects of the game, but I can't rate it as high as other people did.
Graphics 8/10: Most of the areas of this review I can rate pretty high. The graphics are one of the game's finer points. The cut scenes look really cool, and the Joker looks just like Jack Nicholson who made Batman "The Movie" such a great film! I don't know what to say about the rest of the levels. They look okay, I guess, but not like the cut scenes that lead into the stages. Batman on NES is a nice looking game, but it is still 8-bit. There wasn't a whole lot that could be done, but it still is just as good looking game as the Mario Bros. games released around that time.
Music 10/10: I could not find one bland or boring track in this game! Every song sounds so good. The one for the first stage is my favorite, but they all sound really cool. Batman on NES has an amazing soundtrack which is probably why this game is so popular with people. Good music can only do so much, but it does make me want to come back and at least play it just for that reason alone. This is why I can recommend this game. It has a unique and original soundtrack that is nothing like the music in the movie. It is something entirely different, and it works extremely well. This is why the game stands out so well, and the music made it so popular.
Gameplay 1/10: Batman on NES plays a lot like the Mega Man games. It is an action/shooter/beat'em up/ platformer style of game. Batman can beat up his enemies with his fists, or he can shoot them with his gun, boomerang, or this other weapon that shoots projectiles in a scattered pattern sort of like a shotgun. There is no time limit in the game, and pushing the Start button switches from weapon to weapon. The
Select button pauses the game. Batman also has to do a lot of platforming just like in Mega Man.
You also have a health meter just like in Mega Man. When you kill enemies, they drop you health and ammunition. Batman has to wall jump in this game too while avoiding taking damage. Most of the stage hazards won't instantly kill you, but it is impossible not to take damage. I find myself falling in chemicals and not being able to get out of them which leads to me losing all my health and dying! The controls are also unresponsive. Your jumps are almost impossible to control, and I just can't get used to things no matter how much I play this game!!
These stages are pretty long, and guess what, if you die, YOU HAVE TO REPLAY THE ENTIRE STAGE FROM THE BEGINNING!!!! WHY!? It takes all day for me just for finish one level! And, it already starts to get hard on Level 2. Level 3 is even worse, and I can never avoid getting hit by enemies, falling on spikes and not being able to get off of them!! Batman the game, just trolls you!! Not to mention, the boss in stage 3 is impossible to beat!! I did manage to beat him one time by accidently finding a glitch in the game.
It's almost like there is no point in even playing this game!! It's impossible!! I play it for the music and all, but after Level 1, the game starts trolling you, and by Level 3, you can't win unless you can find some kind of glitch where the boss in that level freezes and can't move and Batman has to shoot him 20 times to kill him!! I honestly see no reason to even play this game much. It'll take you forever the get to the boss in Level 3, and once you get there, you'll die and have to replay the level from the beginning just to get another shot at this impossible boss fight.
Is it even worth the effort? Every time they make a video game out of a movie, the gameplay is crap!! This is just another example of that here. The music and story are pretty cool, but there is no improvement with the awkward jumps that seem unresponsive at times and the amount of damage players take in the game. You'll never beat the stages in one go unless you're an expert. THIS IS YET ANOTHER REASON GAME GENIE WAS INVENTED!! THUMBS DOWN!!
Story 10/10: Now, I have to say, Batman on NES has an interesting story that is similar to the one in the film. It's not the same one where Batman goes after the Joker and saves Vicki Vale from getting thrown off the top of the Bell Tower. Although, Batman does fight the Joker at the end in the Cathedral. Vicki Vale isn't in this game. It's just Batman and the Joker, and the both characters look just like Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Batman fights his way through Gotham City and Axis Chemicals, but he encounters all kinds of monsters in this game.
This game is really weird because it is nothing like the movie. The music is a lot different too, and this plot and soundtrack are the main reasons I like playing this game. The gameplay is an epic failure, but this storyline is something unique and isn't anything like the film. Why did Batman go down in the sewer in this game? Is this a look ahead to "Batman Returns"? Like I say, the final area, I believe is the Cathedral without our damsel in distress, but I still like the whole concept of this new storyline.
I guess, this is another reason this game was so popular. The plot really hit a nerve with me and made me curious. Where did these monsters come from? Maybe they used to be humans who fell into the chemicals like Jack did! This is a good story, but I wish they would've included the part where Jack electrocuted that guy and told him he was glad that he was dead!
Content 5/10: Batman takes about 30 minutes to beat if you are an expert with this game! It includes 5 different areas: Gotham City, Axis Chemicals, The Sewer, The Art Museum, and The Bell Tower Climb. I have to say, even though I hated the gameplay, I do like how Sunsoft patterned the game after the movie. I hate how a lot of video games are nothing like the movie at all, but this one is similar to the film but with different characters other than Batman and the Joker. The stages are from the film but with different enemies and a different plot. There just isn't much to it, and players won't like how short it is.
Difficulty 10/10: I think I've already spent too much time complaining about the difficulty for Batman on NES. I like everything else about this game, but I hate how hard it is. The glitches really suck! I just watched a video on YouTube where the player had to rely a lot on these glitches in order to defeat the bosses. Games like that are just impossible to play! The unresponsive controls really affected my jumping which slowed down my progress I was making with the platforming. Not to mention, poor enemy placement, not being able to avoid taking damage, dying, and have to REPLAY THE LEVEL, REPLAY THE LEVEL, REPLAY THE LEVEL!! Next time, I'll just watch gameplay videos or watch the movie.
Overall 6.8/10: What really hurt this game for me was how hard it was. The difficulty was just plain impossible, and it felt like you had to rely a lot on glitches too much. There also wasn't much content to it. The music and plot of the game are what saved it and kept it from falling into the same category as games like, "Rocky". MAN THAT GAME SUCKED!!! This one is quite an improvement over that one! The story is something entirely different, but it is based off of the movie with Michael Keaton and the iconic Jack Nicholson's Joker! If it weren't for the bad controls and glitches, this would be a great NES game just like Tim Burton's movie was.
Graphics 8 Sound 10 Addictive 1 Story 10 Depth 5 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 03-15-21
Review Replies: 0
9.6
Batman ZacharyPiskura
The NES has always had it's selection of superhero games, but one that I think is just an incredible masterpiece is Batman. Well the game is based on the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The graphics offer a great depiction of Batman, but it's no Xbox360! The music in this game is a nice 8-bit tune, however I think it would be interesting if the actual theme to the movie was used. This game is addictive, but not very much I play it every once and awhile. There is quite a bit of story, you're Batman and you beat up bad guys, plain and simple. This game has quite a bit of depth in it and takes a bit of strategy to know how to defeat certain enemies. This game is pretty difficult, but not so much that you'll throw a fit. Overall this game is a great game, and proves it pays to take a look at the more unknown games on the NES!
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 7 Story 9 Depth 9 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 1.8/5
Submitted: 08-12-11
Review Replies: 1
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