The Adventures of Batman & Robin

"Holy Konami, Batman! This is the best Batman game to date!"

The Adventures of Batman & Robin is based on the cartoon of the same title. The cartoon was revolutionary in its own way. It had some of the prettiest animation ever seen. It also had great storylines, colorful characters, and was just an overall good show. Konami, maker of some of the greatest games ever made, obviously realized that the Adventures of Batman & Robin license is something that they should look into. The result is the best Batman game ever created thus far.

Graphics
The graphics are a lot like their cartoon counterpart. The backgrounds have all of the same colors and curves as they do in the cartoon. They look like they are art deco...probably because it is art deco. The colors are excellent. The designers made the landscape and the buildings lush and full of dark color. The characters themselves are well-done, as well. No, they are not as good as their cartoon counterpart, but they are still very good. They look very ''cartoony.'' The combination of the beautifully done art deco backgrounds and the colorful, cartoony characters produces one of the best graphical experiences ever seen on the Super Nintendo (just wait until you get to the Scarecrow's level!!!). Graphics: 10/10

Sound
The music is very dark and very tranquil. They are actually soundtracks from the cartoon. If you are a fan of the cartoon, you will know that the music makes the cartoon very dark and mysterious. Well, it has the same affect in this video game. It just sets an overall mood of suspense and fright at the same time. The sound effects are done nicely. Batman makes a weird noise when he jumps, but that is really the only downside. But the excellent soundtrack more than makes up for that one little problem. Sound: 10/10

Controls
The controls are very quick and responsive. They are essentially jump, attack, weapon select, weapon attack, and block. They are laid out so you can execute these moves quickly and easily. Controls: 10/10

Storyline
There really is no mainstream storyline. There are mini-storylines for each level. But they really shouldn't be considered a story. It is really like, ''The Penguin broke into the museum. Stop him.'' That really isn't a story. Storyline: N/A

Replay
You will replay this game again. It is very fun, and very addicting. You will not play it constantly like other games, however. This game is essentially a side-scrolling beat-em-up with puzzles, but that still gets old after time. Replay: Medium

Difficulty
When you play the first three stages, you will be shocked at how easy the game is. You will think that the game will be a breeze. Trust me, once you get to Stage 4, the game becomes real difficult, real fast. I highly suggest playing on easy mode the first time through, just to get the feel of the game. Difficulty: Moderate-High

If you are a fan of the Batman cartoons, or just a general Batman fan, you should pick this game up. It honestly is the best Batman game out there. Non-Batman fans probably should steer clear, since the game really ties in to the Batman Universe. I would pay around $15 for this game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/12/01, Updated 04/12/01