Batman: The Video Game

Batman: The Video Game is a side-scrolling platformer for the NES, developed by Sunsoft and based on the DC Comics character, with a tie-in to the 1989 film. The game contains five levels. Instead of a grappling hook—which appears in Sunsoft's separate Genesis version—Batman can perform a wall jump, a mechanic reminiscent of wall scaling in Ninja Gaiden and uncommon for platformers at the time. He uses three projectile weapons: the batarang, batdisk, and batpoon, all powered by pellet cartridges.

Although officially linked to the 1989 live-action movie, the story diverges significantly from the film's plot. The stages include Gotham City Streets, Axis Chemical Plant, Gotham Sewers, Mysterious Laboratory, and the Gotham Cathedral Belltower. Several DC Universe villains appear as minor enemies, such as Deadshot, KGBeast, Maxie Zeus, Heat Wave, Shakedown, and Nightslayer. Bosses include Killer Moth, the Machine Intelligence System, Electrocutioner, the Dual-Container Alarm, Firebug, and the Joker. If the player has already reached the Joker in a previous playthrough, the penultimate boss is skipped, allowing a direct fight with the Joker.

For development, Sunsoft—which had transitioned from arcade games to home consoles with titles like Super Arabian (1983)—licensed Batman from Warner Brothers for US$1 million (¥150M). Negotiations began before the movie was finished, and the development team visited Tim Burton's set in London to capture the film's look and feel. The prototype differed notably, featuring a 1UP icon and entirely different cutscenes. Originally, Firebug was the final boss, and the Joker did not appear; instead, Batman defeated the Joker in the ending cutscene. Art and dialogue were later changed to better match the film's events and appearance.

The game received generally favorable reviews. Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers praised the intermission cutscenes, challenging bosses, and varied weapons, though they felt the graphics—while matching the film's mood—detracted from overall appeal and noted repetitive gameplay. Computer and Video Games' Paul Rand lauded the forbidding backgrounds, Batman's sprite, cutscenes, soundscapes, and frenetic gameplay. ACE's Eugene Lacey praised the atmospheric presentation and gameplay but said appeal depends on being a Batman fan and noted the difficulty. Joystick's Jean-Marc Demoly called it an excel