A simple action-platformer without a whole lot of variety to the moves or mechanics, but what is there is well-tuned and satisfying – unsurprising for Konami during this period.
The art is quite good – nice big sprites of the characters, especially – and while that can be the death knell of lesser Game Boy side-scrollers (including another Batman title, Sunsoft's RETURN OF THE JOKER), Konami wisely slows the action down to a more methodical pace to keep things legible.
Unfortunately, the game’s difficulty is a problem. The moment-to-moment gameplay itself isn't particularly challenging or unfair, but you only get three lives to beat the entire game with, and from what I can tell there's no way to get any more. Levels are long and packed with enemies, so even getting near the halfway point of the game with only three tries can be tough. This is a real shame, as fans of the series will want to see all the levels and villains, but only the most dedicated will be able to do so.
Overall, a minor success, and one of the better Batman games from the era.
The art is quite good – nice big sprites of the characters, especially – and while that can be the death knell of lesser Game Boy side-scrollers (including another Batman title, Sunsoft's RETURN OF THE JOKER), Konami wisely slows the action down to a more methodical pace to keep things legible.
Unfortunately, the game’s difficulty is a problem. The moment-to-moment gameplay itself isn't particularly challenging or unfair, but you only get three lives to beat the entire game with, and from what I can tell there's no way to get any more. Levels are long and packed with enemies, so even getting near the halfway point of the game with only three tries can be tough. This is a real shame, as fans of the series will want to see all the levels and villains, but only the most dedicated will be able to do so.
Overall, a minor success, and one of the better Batman games from the era.