Probably one of the most under-appreciated licensed games on the Genesis.
Plot
The plot follows that of the Tim Burton movie but deviates in one way. Instead of just having Jack Napier fall into the acid, you have to punch him. It makes it look as though Batman tried to kill him which is something Batman doesn't do (disregard the films please). Then you go on and fight some stock bosses and enemies, most of which look like pirates. After the Museum level you see a cutscene. The cutscene shows Batman rescuing Vicki Vale but it's very hard to tell what's going on. The last cutscene shows the Joker falling from the Cathedral tower. It's a pretty cool cutscene at has some cool lines at the end.
My only problem is the stock bosses, I'm fine with using a few stock bosses (because the film didn't really have too many villains to begin with) but why didn't they use Bob the Goon? Bob the Goon is one of the best parts in the film, instead we get some cutlass waving pirates and a (presumably) ex-wrestler. Why? Why am I being depraved of some awesome Bob the Goon action? It's a minor gripe sure but I feel it to be a reasonable one.
Graphics
The graphics in this game are pretty good actually. I was surprised when I saw them. At first, I didn't like the way Batman looked. He looked far too stiff but he has a lot of cool animations and he just moves fluidly. In fact, the entire roster moves fluidly. The bosses look good and their somewhat detailed even though they do like kind of generic.
The enemies are also generic but they at least look nice, they aren't non-descript blobs and the mime and clown enemies look cool. The Batwing and Batmobile look cool too, not to mention the other vehicles and enemies you fight during those scenes.
The levels look really cool too, the first level has a part in which you walk past a rainy alley, it's really moody and cool for a Genesis game. The later levels are no slouch either, Axis Chemicals has tons of weird things going on the background, the museum has a lot of paintings and the like in it. The best part is that the paintings are fairly detailed, how odd is that! The cathedral really displays the Gothic scenery that Burton was going for in the movie and it's quite amazing to see it in 16-bit glory.
Music
Oh My God, this MUSIC. This music is absolutely phenomenal and probably some of the Genesis's best. This is especially impressive considering how early this game came out and how mediocre the Genesis's sound card is. It doesn't follow the Danny Elfman score but who said that's a bad thing. Sunsoft's masterful composers were able to compose a wonderfully dark and exciting score that fits in with the Batman tone and the action of the game. It isn't on par with Elfman's score but it's wonderful in its own right. that Sunsoft is able to compose some great music and this is no exception. If this game had its own CD, I would buy it post-haste. It's that good.
Gameplay:
The game can be described as an action-platformer. Some may say it's a run and gun but that's completely wrong as you don't use a gun, you punch, kick and Batarang your way through levels. There is also a hefty amount of platforming which requires precise jumps and quick reflexes so it doesn't feel like a run and gun in any sense.
The game has some really fun levels too. Axis Chemicals has tons of crap to dodge, punch and grapple in it. Gotham Cathedral is an all out brawl, with all sorts of enemies and bosses coming at you from all sides. The best part is, that it's manageable. You're able to keep the enemies at a respectable distance although sometimes you'll get hit which could be really bad.
That's one of my problems with the game, the game seems very inconsistent. Sometimes, the enemies will do one hit point worth of damage and the next time, they'll do 3 hit points worth of damage. It just doesn't make any sense. If you're careful it shouldn't matter as you'll be able to kill most everything on screen at that point in time but it's still a flaw.
I know I said Batman's character model moves fluidly but he doesn't control fluidly. It looks nice but it feels sort of rough. You become accustomed to it but when you first play the game, you'll notice that it just doesn't feel right. He doesn't duck fast enough to avoid some enemy fire, jumping can be very irritating, especially when you're trying to double jump. Batman does this weird somersault attack while double jumping. It's awkward to control and you'll often find yourself getting injured during the last few frames of the animation. Like I said, you'll get used to it but it's a huge flaw that could severely hamper one's enjoyment of the game.
The platforming is never too bad, it's mostly simple jumps that you've done a thousand times if you've played any 2D platformer. You know the drill; moving platforms, dodging enemy fire, being chased by explosions, moving platforms and grappling your way up the level while dodging dynamite. It's basic stuff unfortunately it can be really glitchy on occasion. You'll sometimes get stuck in the ceiling of the museum and die. You'll respawn in the ceiling too, meaning you'll just die over and over again until you get a game over. You also bounce backwards if you're hit by an explosion. This was probably added in to up the difficulty and add to the realism of the game. It just proves to be really annoying and I hate it when games do something like that.
The grappling hook seems finicky too. You have to press the jump button (while holding up) twice in order to activate it and then you have to press the jump button once more to rise to where the grapple is. Why can't I just hold the button and go up? Why do I have to press it three times? It's such a pain and I probably lost several lives because of the fact that I have to press the button, three times!
The driving and flying sequences are fun at first but become obnoxiously difficult the longer the level goes on for. They wouldn't be so hard if you could see the stuff being shot at you though. Unfortunately, some of the more powerful enemies drop gray bombs that blend in with the road you're driving on.The tank-like enemies during the Batmobile stage are also near impossible to kill unless you use your missiles. The only problem is, the boss of the Batmobile stage is incredibly hard to kill unless you use your missiles. If you're trying to do a one-continue or life run-through...these levels are where you're bound to lose. The flying stage isn't nearly as bad though. It only last about a quarter of the time (compared to the Batmobile stage) and it isn't nearly as hard. It's still plenty hard though as, the helicopters fire at a rapid rate. It's nothing a horizontal shooter fan shouldn't be able to handle. These sequences are fun and continue to be somewhat fun throughout but their novelty starts to wear out after you've seen the Batmobile/Wing blow up for the thousandth time.
The levels are well designed and keep the game surprisingly fresh. The first level is standard beat em up fare. The next level places a bit more emphasis on platforming. The third level is where the game becomes more difficulty. In this level, you must combine both your action and platforming skills to dodge enemy fire, leap past spikes and bottomless pits all while finding a way to knock out whomever stands in your path. The fourth level is the driving stage, which leads out to a more simplistic beat em up level much like the first level. This version has some more jumping but it's nothing like the 3rd level. The 5th level starts out with you in the Batwing, then you end up in the Cathedral, fighting against former bosses, grappling onto ancient architecture and dodging dynamite throwing gangsters. It's an all out festival of everything fun about the game. It all comes down to the fight with The Joker on top of the Cathedral and what a fight you'll have.
The boss fights in this game are fairly run of the mill. It's mostly you jumping over the enemy and punching him in the back. It takes a bit of practice to beat these bosses despite their simple patterns. Most of them just rush at you but they can still be tough. It's the right amount of difficulty. The final battle with The Joker is fantastic though. He's fast, tough and can be downright unpredictable. You may be saying that that's poor boss design, that's he's unpredictable. The thing is, The Joker's gimmick is that he's unpredictable and it's not like he's impossible. If you're quick enough you can dodge everything he throws at you. You should also have a surplus of Batarangs that you can throw at him to make the fight easier on you. The Joker is by far the best fight in the game due to the fun, frantic action that ensues. The other bosses are okay but far from memorable or original. The Batmobile and Batwing bosses are far too hard and require many missiles to beat however. Despite that, they are still somewhat fun to fight.
Overall:
The game isn't the best movie adaptation or anything but it's far from the worst movie adaptation and it's definitely not one of the worst Batman games. It's no Arkham Asylum but it's still fun in its own right. The stylish graphics and the rocking soundtrack help cement this game as one the better Batman games to come out. The gameplay is flawed but you will quickly adjust to its minor quirks and by the end of the game, you should be having yourself a grand old time. If you consider yourself a Batman fan, pick this up. You shouldn't regret it.