Batman: The Video Game

being attacked by Heat Wave in the first stage Batman: The Video Game is a platformer that has five levels. The game has a feature that was unusual in side-scrolling platformers at the time, largely to the NES itself. Unlike Sunsoft's Batman for the Mega Drive/Genesis, that features the grappling hook, Batman has the ability to do a wall jump, which is reminiscent of wall scaling in Ninja Gaiden. He is able to use three projectile weapons: the batarang, batdisk, and batpoon, which are powered by pellet cartridges. Though officially tied to the 1989 live-action adaptation, the plot bears very little resemblance to the story of the film. The stages consist of the Gotham City Streets, Axis Chemical Plant, Gotham Sewers, Mysterious Laboratory, and the Gotham Cathedral Belltower. A number of notable DC Universe villains appear as low-level minions, including Deadshot, KGBeast, Maxie Zeus, Heat Wave, Shakedown, and Nightslayer. The bosses are Killer Moth, a device called the Machine Intelligence System, Electrocutioner, a machine known as the Dual-Container Alarm, Firebug, and the Joker. The penultimate boss will be skipped in the continued play if the player reached the Joker previously, so the Joker can be fought directly next time. == Development ==

After games like Super Arabian (developed 1983) began Sunsoft's transition from arcade games to the home console market, the developer turned to IP, licensing Batman from Warner Brothers for US$1 million (¥150M). Negotiations for the game rights began before the movie was completed, and development staff were able to visit Tim Burton's set in London to better understand the look and feel of the film. The prototype version had some significant differences, like a 1UP icon and entirely altered cutscenes. The final boss was originally Firebug, and the Joker was not present. Instead, Batman is shown defeating the Joker in the ending cutscene. The art and dialogue were changed from the prototype to the final version to better reflect the look and events from the film. == Reception ==

Batman: The Video Game garnered generally favorable reception from critics. Electronic Gaming Monthlys four reviewers praised the intermission cutscenes, challenging bosses, and different weapons. While the graphics received praise for matching the film's mood, they felt it detracted from the overall appeal and added that its gameplay could get repetitive. Sales and accolades According to Famitsu, Batman sold approximately 78,437 copies during its lifetime in Japan. In 1989, EGM gave it their "Best Movie to Game" award. Furthermore, it is also listed among the best Batman games. In 2009, IGN placed the title on their "Top 100 NES Games" list at #33, citing its gameplay and high difficulty. In 2014, Digital Trends named it one of the fifty best games for the NES, although the publication noted storyline changes from the film on which it was based. In 2022, Destructoid identified it as one of the ten best games for the NES, opining that it was better designed than Ninja Gaiden, but highlighted its difficult nature. In 2023, Den of Geek listed it as one of the fifteen best NES games based on movies and TV shows. ==See also==