Batman: Revenge of the Joker for Genesis

Image: MobyGames

Batman: Revenge of the Joker

Batman v Boxes

Genre: action - gun

Publisher: Sunsoft

Year: 1993

System: Genesis

Gameplay Score: 1

Gameplay Notes:

This is the last of the four Batman games that I played on the Genesis and the first three were underwhelming so I was holding out hope that this one would be the best of the bunch. Unfortunately it's completely incoherent. I don't know what the developers were thinking but this game is unapproachable. First off, it's a gun game. I don't know how you make a Batman game where you're firing weapons constantly and never using your punch or kick but Sunsoft achieved the impossible. The core gameplay involves breaking boxes which have all have a power up that lets you select which weapon you use - spread, a wave beam or a bomb like gun. And then you run up on enemies who fire before you can get a chance to get a shot off and they all take multiple hits. That means you get hit virtually every time you see an enemy. Despite this, most damage comes from environmental hazards that drop out of the sky randomly to score cheap hits. Movement is fast but not particularly responsive. So movement doesn't feel good at all. You jump and momentum carries you whichever direction you were headed. Dropping down even small ledges happens over a long animation. So again, it's nearly impossible to avoid taking damage. The first screen is hard to survive. The difficulty of this game is insane.

Level Design Score: 1

Level Design Notes:

As mentioned before, the level design is basically a set of platforms and boxes and obstacles with enemy placement and environmental hazards that are built to score cheap hits constantly. I barely made it through a couple of sub levels before I got so tired of the game that I turned it off. Not a complete train wreck but it's close.

Theme Score: 2

Theme Notes:

This is the kitty version of Batman in his gray suit with blue cape. He looks like the 1960s TV show character and not the Batman animated series version or even the movie Caped Crusader.

Art Style Score: 2

Art Style Notes:

When I first saw it I thought maybe this was a port of the NES version. The quality of graphics here are really low for a 16-bit title so I thought it had to be a port but in playing it I don't think it is. I think this is an original game just with amateurish artwork. Again, the character model looks like he's from the 1960s TV show or the early '80s comic book and not the more modern versions. But even then he looks squat and fat. He's not a menacing looking character. The backgrounds are also lacking in any detail.

Audio Score: 2

Audio Notes:

Okay, the music is not terrible but I'm not going to listen to the music outside of the game for sure. It's also too upbeat for a serious Batman game. Definitely weaker than the other Batman games in the 16-bit era.

Overall Score: 25

Review ID: 771