There is no doubt that the Batman: Arkham games are the definitive games about Batman. They were epic in scope, created their own mythos, and featured stellar gameplay. Many still consider the Arkham games the best superhero games of all time!
This high-tier status is well-earned, but it comes at a cost. There have been many Batman games over the years, way before the Arkhamverse. There were as many great games as there were bad. So if someone is craving Batman but doesn’t want to boot up the Arkham games, there are several options. However, there is also plenty that should never be touched!
10 Worst: Batman: Return Of The Joker (1991)
Before Batman Returns was even made, Sunsoft pushed for an immediate sequel. Joker is back from the dead and he’s creating chaos in Gotham City. Of course, it’s up to Batman to stop him.
Unfortunately, Return Of The Joker takes all the difficulty of the previous game and removes the fun. So as a result, Return Of The Joker is a rage-inducing mess with confusing layouts and constant difficulty spikes.
9 Best: Batman: The Telltale Series (2016-2017)
Rather than focusing on action and gadgets, Telltale Games came along to deliver a story-driven game. With the legendary Troy Baker as the titular character, both seasons of Batman are great! The voice acting is superb, the story is well-written, and the new take on Batman’s mythos is unique.
So why is it so low? Unfortunately, the series features a cliffhanger after season 2 and will likely never get a conclusion. It remains a fun game to play but unless Telltale announces a return, the ending will leave a bitter taste.
8 Worst: Batman Forever (1995)
One would think that jumping to the Super Nintendo would make the games even better. Unfortunately, Batman Forever is a complete mess. Batman Forever tries to clone Mortal Kombat‘s gameplay and digitized actors but fails at both.
The combat is awkward as a side-scroller, the visuals hurt the eyes, and it’s impossible to understand the objective. Batman Forever was a terrible game in 1995 and it’ll be terrible forever!
7 Best: The Adventures Of Batman & Robin (1994)
Luckily, the SNES spawned a much better Batman game. The Adventures Of Batman & Robin was based on the second season of Batman: The Animated Series at the time. With it being made by Konami during their Golden Age, it’s a vast improvement over Batman Forever.
The sprites look like they were created by Bruce Timm himself and the combat is satisfying. It’s nothing deep: just a side-scrolling adventure game fighting criminals and villains. It’s a decent gem for the 16-bit era.
6 Worst: Batman: The Caped Crusader (1988)
Not based on any movie or TV series, Batman: The Caped Crusader featured great ideas that weren’t executed properly. Each screen was represented as a new comic book panel: this would be cool if everything wasn’t so small.
Gadgets and combat in Batman: The Caped Crusader are even worse due to broken controls. The Commodore 64 would be given a much better DC game with Superman: The Game.
5 Best: Batman Returns (1992)
There is a multitude of different games based on Batman Returns with different gameplay styles. Much like Telltale, the MS-DOS version of Batman Returns focuses less on the action. Instead, it’s more of a detective point and click adventure.
The MS-DOS version takes place across several nights and forces the player to manage evidence, interrogation, and gadgets. Batman Returns makes for a relaxing yet challenging experience. Fair warning: players will likely end up restarting the game more than once.
4 Worst: Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003)
How did this happen? Not a single aspect of this game works. The combat? Broken. The graphics? Ugly. The story? Laughable at times. Similar to The Caped Crusader, there were a lot of great ideas at play here, but they all fail.
Dark Tomorrow features a new story that was meant to be similar to Spider-Man on PS1 meets Deus Ex. The ending changes based on how the player performs. However, unless the player does everything in one perfect shot, it’s almost always a bad ending. Even the good ending is not impressive.
3 Best: Batman (1989)
A movie-licensed game on the NES that isn’t terrible? Shocking news. Well, that’s because studios like LJN did not get control of this one. Instead, it was made by Sunsoft who made a few other underrated gems for the NES…and the unfortunate sequel.
The best way to sum up their Batman game is a DC version of Ninja Gaiden. Unlike the sequel, Batman features tight controls, difficult but fun gameplay, and well-made levels. Frustration can be had but never to the point of rage quitting.
2 Worst: Batman & Robin (1997)
How fitting that the definitive worst Batman movie of all time would create the worst game? Likely, most gamers have never even heard of this game. They are the lucky ones. An open-world Gotham City with different enemies and investigations? Sounds great, right?
Well, when moving from one side of a room to another feels like a century, that’s a bad sign for the rest of the game. Batman & Robin is not even so bad that it’s funny like the movie, it’s just infuriating. Batman & Robin just might be the worst game on the original PlayStation.
1 Best: LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014)
The LEGO Batman games managed to get better and better. While LEGO DC Super-Villains is even better, Batman is barely in that game. LEGO Batman 3, on the other hand, keeps him as the main character despite the massive DC roster.
The aforementioned roster is impressive but could be a completionist’s nightmare. The open-world aspect is even bigger with different planets to explore. Of course, it features the hilarious jokes and story that LEGO games are known for. Any fan of LEGO or DC should try this one!
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