Batman

"Short but sweet platform adventure..."

This elderly NES action game is very loosely based on the Tim Burton movie, but few of the characters actually appear. Major props go to Sunsoft for making this sleeper hit, which was released with little fanfare in eighty-nine (I think) and continued to go unnoticed even after Konami released the sequels.
There's not much of a plot to explain (if you've seen the movie, you know it, and it's pretty cool), but it all comes down to Batman kicking serious ass in Gotham City while he's hunting for his parents' killer. He's got some neat tools, like the Batarang, a pistol, and an odd splitting disk of some sort. Most of the enemies and bosses were created by Sunsoft. The only copyrighted characters seem to be the man himself, Vicky Vale, and The Joker. This isn't a bad deal at all. The new creations fit right in, and I'm still not sure if they've appeared in other comics before.
The graphics fit the Batman mood perfectly: dark, sinister, and with a slightly grainy quality that was most likely intentional. At first everything looks like it was made with colored sand, but you learn to like the style. Backgrounds have great detail, also. Without much effort, you can make out signs in windows, rusty gears, and television monitors. The bosses are all well-animated, with movements and attacks fitting of their appearance.
Any music you hear during this game is pretty wonderful. Each stage has a memorable soundtrack, and they tend to stick in your head, especially if you die repeatedly. Gunshots, explosions, and other sound effects are above average, as well. None of them sound dated or hokey, and they fit the intended purpose.
Play control, while somewhat limited, is basically problem-free. Batman punches, walks, jumps, shoots stuff, and even clings to walls with no hassle. Cheap deaths don't occur too often in this game.
With all of this going for it, Batman hits a common action game pitfall: it's just too damn short. Five stages aren't nearly enough. It's quite a challenge and will take you a while to beat, but it's over too fast. Would a few more levels be out of the question? After you figure out each boss's simple pattern and how to counter it, you can breeze through the whole thing.
Other than that, Batman is some altogether ooky fun. It's overshadowed by the later and better Konami games, but that just makes it even more special.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/00, Updated 02/22/01