Batman (1989 video game)

Lore & Background

The game's five levels follow the film's plot. The first level is side-scrolling through the Axis Chemical Plant, where Batman uses Batarangs and a grapple gun to defeat enemies and confront Jack Napier. The second level involves driving the Batmobile across Gotham City, dodging traffic and using a grapple to turn corners; missing three consecutive turns results in a life loss. The third level is a Mastermind-like puzzle in the Batcave, where Batman must identify three of eight consumer products tainted with Smilex, incurring a health penalty for incorrect selections.

Reader's Guide

The fourth level has Batman flying the Batwing during the Joker's parade, cutting away balloons filled with Smilex gas without crashing. The fifth and final level is side-scrolling up Gotham City Cathedral to stop the Joker from escaping by helicopter. Commodore UK bundled the game with Amiga 500 computers between October 1989 and September 1990, selling 186,000 units in Batman-themed boxes, making it the most successful Amiga bundle ever sold by Commodore. The game received awards including Crash Smash, YS Megagame, SU Classic, and C+VG Hit, was number 1 in the Spectrum charts for February 1990, and was awarded Game of the Year in Crash magazine. Computer Gaming World recommended the Amiga version to action fans but reported the Commodore 64 version was too buggy, though Commodore Format magazine saw it as one of the best movie tie-in games for that platform.

Did You Know?

• The health gauge is represented by Batman's face turning into the Joker's.
• Missing thr

Development & Production

Sunsoft's entry into the Batman space marked a pivotal moment in the studio's evolution. Having shifted its focus from arcade titles like Super Arabian (developed in 1983) toward home console publishing, the company secured the DC Comics license from Warner Brothers for a reported one million dollars (¥150 million). Notably, negotiations for the game rights were already underway before Tim Burton's film had even wrapped production. The development team was granted the opportunity to visit Burton's set in London, allowing them to absorb the visual tone and atmosphere of the movie directly. This access proved crucial, as the prototype version of the game differed substantially from the final product. In early builds, Firebug served as the ultimate boss, the Joker appeared only in a closing cutscene where Batman defeats him, and the game featured a 1UP icon alongside entirely different interstitial sequences. By the time the cartridge shipped, the art direction and dialogue had been reworked to align more closely with the film's gothic aesthetic and narrative beats.

Gameplay & Design

Despite its tie-in status, the game's narrative shares little with the 1989 film. Players traverse five distinct stages—Gotham City Streets, the Axis Chemical Plant, the Gotham Sewers, a Mysterious Laboratory, and the Gotham Cathedral Belltower—facing a roster of DC villains serving as low-level enemies, including Deadshot, KGBeast, Maxie Zeus, Heat Wave, Shakedown, and Nightslayer. The combat system centers on three projectile weapons—the batarang, batdisk, and batpoon—all powered by pellet cartridges. One of the game's most distinctive mechanical choices is the wall jump, a movement option that was unusual for NES platformers and drew comparisons to the wall-scaling found in Ninja Gaiden. The boss encounters escalate through Killer Moth, a device called the Machine Intelligence System, Electrocutioner, a machine known as the Dual-Container Alarm, and Firebug, before culminating in a showdown with the Joker. A clever continuity mechanic allows the penultimate boss to be skipped if the player has already encountered the Joker, streamlining the final stretch of the run.

Critical Reception

Critical response to the title was broadly positive, with reviewers consistently singling out its atmospheric presentation as a standout. Electronic Gaming Monthly's panel highlighted the intermission cutscenes, the challenge posed by each boss, and the variety offered by the three weapons, though they noted the dark visual style could dampen overall appeal and that gameplay occasionally felt repetitive. Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games celebrated the forbidding backgrounds, Batman's sprite work, and the frenetic pacing, while Euguene Lacey of ACE praised the audiovisual atmosphere but cautioned that enjoyment hinged on being a fan of the character and warned of the steep difficulty. Jean-Marc Demoly of Joystick called it an excellent NES achievement, lauding its sordid mood, music, and responsive controls. Patrick Giordano of Player One admired the gothic visuals and animated sequences but flagged the learning curve. Heinrich Lenhardt of Video Games commended the thrilling score yet criticized the cumbersome weapon-switching scheme. Despite these minor gripes, the consensus leaned strongly in the game's favor, with multiple outlets ranking it among the finest platformers and superhero titles on the NES.

Legacy & Accolades

Long after its 1989 launch, the title has accumulated a remarkable shelf of honors. In its home market of Japan, Famitsu recorded lifetime sales of approximately 78,437 copies. That same year, Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded it the "Best Movie to Game" distinction. Over the following decades, the game has been repeatedly cited among the greatest titles on the NES and among the finest Batman adaptations ever produced. In 2009, IGN placed it at number thirty-three on its Top 100 NES Games list, citing its gameplay and punishing difficulty. Digital Trends included it in its 2014 list of the fifty best NES games, while acknowledging the storyline diverged from the source film. Destructoid's 2022 top-ten NES list went so far as to argue the game was better designed than Ninja Gaiden, even while flagging its challenging nature. Den of Geek's 2023 roundup of the fifteen best NES movie and TV tie-ins further cemented its reputation. In retrospective commentary, Hardcore Gaming 101's Chris Rasa declared that Sunsoft's first attempt at a Batman game remains its best, a sentiment echoed across the critical community.

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