The Adventures of Batman & Robin

"Bat's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it"

Deep within the bowels of Gotham City, an evil organization is plotting to destroy Batman's reputation. Disguised as a simple video game company known as Acclaim, these villains have dedicated their lives to starring the Caped Crusader in a series of generic Final Fight rip offs based on his feature films. Batman, the Dark Knight himself, is powerless against these fiends, as they continue to ram his name into the ground with generic games. However, there is still a last beacon of hope...

In the night sky, a familiar symbol appears. Commissioner Gordon has turned on the Konami signal, and the symbol of that Japanese developer flashes above the sky of Gotham City. They are the last hope to save Batman's reputation in the video game industry. Racing to action, the developers at Konami of Japan assemble, and combine their forces to create one of the best Batman games ever made. Batman's good name has been restored once again!! But, for how long?...

Released in the mid 90s, Konami's Adventures of Batman & Robin is a side-scrolling action adventure game that is more than just your average generic beat 'em up, like you'd expect. Basing the game on the hit cartoon series that was airing on Fox at the time, Konami surpasses all previous attempts at the Batman license, because they actually require you to use your head, as well as testing your button-mashing skills.

There is no overall storyline to this game. Each level has its own story and scenario. These missions can range from rescuing hostages from a museum during a hold up, to pursuing the Catwoman across the rooftops of Gotham City. Each level varies in length and difficulty, and no two levels are exactly alike, which gives the game its diverse charm. Along the way, you will battle some of Batman's greatest foes, including The Joker, Poison Ivy, The Penguin, Two Face, Catwoman, The Scarecrow, The Riddler, and Clayface.

A majority of the levels are your typical 2D side scrolling platform levels. You take on the thugs of that level's particular villain, as you advance, solving simple puzzles along the way. Batman's most basic attack are his fists, but he can rely on his vast assortment of gadgets to help him. Grappling hooks, Batarangs, and smoke bombs can come in handy when our hero is in a pinch. At the beginning of each level, Batman must select the items he'll take with him. Sometimes, he needs a certain item in order to advance in a level, so you often have to choose carefully. (Don't worry, Batman's faithful butler, Alfred, will usually make suggestions if an item is necessary for a mission.)

However, not all of Batman's items are offensive. Some items are needed to help avoid traps, and keep you alive. For example, in one level, you are trying to stop a hostage situation at a museum. The lights are out, and there have been land mines (!!) placed on the floor. Since it is too dark to see the mines on your own, you must make sure you bring along the flashlight. Only with the flashlight can you see where the mines have been placed, so you can successfully jump over them. Or, in another level, the Scarecrow is filtering poison gas through Gotham University's ventilation system. Batman must have his gas mask equipped in order to remain unharmed for most of the level.

What gives Batman & Robin its appeal is that it really gives you the feeling you are living the TV show. Each level starts with an episode title card, just like the cartoon would. Also, each level has its own unique storyline which often slowly reveals itself as you get further into it. What's also great is how diverse the levels are. One minute, you're battling The Joker on top of a speeding roller coaster, and the next, you are trapped in a virtual reality maze where you have to solve puzzles and riddles from The Riddler himself. Each level's unique theme gives the game an episodic feel. It's what keeps you playing, you want to see what the programmers are going to throw at you next.

I also like how each level has a different feel. Some are fast-paced action themed, while others are slower, and rely more heavily on problem solving. Some may not like that, but I found it a welcome change of pace. The only level I did not like in the game was the Batmobile level, because the car was just too hard to control. The level was a cool idea, but was not designed as well as the others. It is the only downside to this otherwise great game.

The graphics in the game are certainly nothing eye-popping, but they're still very good. They manage to perfectly capture the feel of the Fox cartoon series, and it's unique art style of 1930s film noir crossed with modern day references. The character sprites are kind of small, but superbly animated. Batman's cape flows realistically when he runs, and the major villains all have their own unique animations. (Harley Quinn, the Joker's assistant, will mockingly smile and wave at you, Catwoman will bend her whip in her hands, etc.) Konami obviously went to great lengths to capture the unique look of the cartoon, and they have succeeded.

The only area where the graphics slip is, once again, the Batmobile stage. Instead of the cool Mode 7 3D-style driving stage that was featured in Konami's earlier Batman game, Batman Returns, the programmers decided to go for an overhead bird's eye view this time. Seen from above, the Batmobile almost looks like a big black shoe driving around the streets. Also, all the other cars look exactly the same, so it's sometimes hard to differentiate the enemies from innocent bystander cars that you have to avoid. It really makes you wish Konami had just removed this stage all together, since it really takes away from the entire experience.

The sound is fortunately just as strong as the graphics. The music appropriately fits the dark look of the levels, and many of the tracks are taken directly from the show's soundtrack, giving the music a symphonic feel. The sound effects are great, too, with powerful-sounding punches and explosions. I also liked the very brief samples of digitized voice. (The Joker's laugh, the shrieking hiss of The Catwoman's cat, etc.) The sound effects effectively pull you into the action, and if you have a good sound system set up, it's even better.

The Adventures of Batman & Robin is pretty much everything a fan could want in a Batman game. It does great justice to the license, and is one of the few licensed games that actually makes you feel like you are playing the TV show, based on its episodic nature. The only fault I can find, besides the driving stage, is the fact that the game is a bit short. Once you get the hang of it, it should only take about an hour or so to beat. The game is so full of great and diverse ideas, you wish it could go on a lot longer. I also wish Konami had come up with a few more creative levels, like the one where Batman is trapped in a virtual reality chess game. Here, he has to avoid giant pieces, and checkerboard squares that break apart when he steps on them.

These minor faults do not take away from the fact that this is probably the best use of the Batman license in a video game ever. It's too bad very few people have played this game, since it did not get a very wide release over here, despite the show's popularity. It's light years better than Sega's inferior (and insanely difficult) take on the cartoon that they did for the Genesis. In my opinion, this is the game in which all future Batman games shall be judged.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/02, Updated 06/09/03