Alright, time for Batman impressions!
Starting the game
As a fan of Sunsoft, the Game Boy and licenced games, I have, of course, played this little gem of a platformer before. However, I'm pretty sure I haven't beaten it so that's what we're gonna do this time!
The game starts off with a spinning Bat logo and a kicking tune. I was all ready to sit here and listen to it for awhile but sadly it doesn't loop properly. Oh well! Start pushed.
Level 1-1 - Gotham City
Ah yes, I haven't forgotten about this track. What an awesome way to kick things off. Also, I have now been made aware of the fact that Batman holding a gun is pretty weird or something. Comics!
First things first: Figuring out my arsenal of weapons and moves. The jump has a bit of floatiness to it, just the faintest hint, and it feels really good. I can shoot while standing straight and while ducking, that's gonna be key. I remember different weapon types will come up as pickups later so I look forward to those.
The first destructible block already contains a power-up for my gun. Also, it makes the player weary of the slightly darker blocks in the future. They seem comparable to the lanterns in Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden, in the sense that they're a grab bag in terms of usefulness, so while you can skip them if you feel like it, chances are they might contain significant aids for your journey.
Already getting careless against the first enemy with a gun. Breaking my rule of always proceeding with caution, obviously a piece of advice that has become mostly obsolete in modern games.
The game teaches you quickly that even the white blocks are destructible, as you have to shoot one to free the block next to it. Oh, by the way, have I mentioned that I really love the little Batman sprite? Quite adorable.
Moving onwards, I get my first Bat option which whirs around me and, presumably, soaking up shots. Some accurate jumps also nail me the wave gun which I'm already iffy on. Wave guns usually are a double-edged sword in 2d side-scrollers. We'll see how it'll treat me.
Only now do I learn that I can't backtrack, as I move past a box to get to it from the other side and being prevented from doing so. Fair enough! At the next stop, I figure out that my Bat option kills enemies after it touches a bad guy with me standing on a platform above him.
While I move on to the exit, I notice the upper path which would have led me to a grey box. I'll just go ahead and assume that it contained a 1-up. Also, taking the upper path - always advisable but rarely feasible!
Level 1-2 - Chemical Factory
The music grows a bit more sinister as we make our way to the heart of our first boss encounter. The shooting baddies start taking two hits. I also find out that I can crawl as I make my way under a staircase to grab two power-ups on the other side. Always the most simple and effective solution to teach the player that stuff.
Moving on, I pick up another P-item for my gun which gets rid of that darn wave shot. Instead, I shoot big bullets now. Way bett-- welp, just lot it again to an S-item. Fantastic. And I fall to my doom after going for a heart power-up. Good going, dream.
Anyway, I nail the rest of the level and continue to be delighted by the fact that you shoot the door open at the end.
Level 1-3 - Chemical Factory
The enemy frequence is clearly increasing. Not only that, but the little robots are more difficult to hit and the patterns can be erratic. Outjumping them is a very valid option, though.
I pick up the Batarang item (which I immediately like) and a 1-up before falling into a pit. Not too bad considering my health was whittled down after those robot encounters. I also learn that 1-ups don't respawn which is too bad! At least you keep your weapon when you die which is pretty atypical of a game in this genre.
I manage to avoid a 1-up that is clearly placed to lure you into a pit but I accidentally pick up a weapon power-down. No, not the S-item but the opposite of the item that increases your fire rate. Pretty mean.
Batman vs. Jack
The first boss fight is expectedly easy but I end up cutting it way closer than necessary. I think my baterangs are doing less damage than the regular shots which makes me grow less fond of them. Anyway, I don't know who this Jack guy was but he falls in some sort of liquid so maybe he'll turn into an even badder bad guy later (Two-Face?).
After a creepy Joker cutscene (those hands!), it's time to go after the main guy himself? Maybe? I suppose we can always roam around a bit in the streets of
Level 2-1 - Gotham City
I find it kind of cool that you return to this environment as it does make sense after leaving the factory. I barely manage to avoid two boulders dropping on my head in the beginning. Seriously a single-pixel affair, wow. Is the city falling apart? At least I have two options following me around now, that's always a relief.
The falling debris really keeps you on your toes in this level.
Level 2-2 - Flugalheim Museum
Oh, is this structured after the Burton movie? I seem to remember a museum in that, it's been quite a few years since I've seen the film, though. Anyway, way to not use an 'ü', Gotham, jeez.
The music turns appropriately museum-like for this section. With enemies now being able to aim their shots at me, I decide to book it throughout most of the level, only stopping to check out some boxes which end up bumping my life count up to five and leaving me with the measly version of my gun. All the more reason to keep moving!
Level 2-3 - Flugalheim Museum
Oh dear, barely visible cracks in the floor! My gun luck continues to leave me as I manage to collect another 1-up while still having trouble shooting anything. Gotta make every encounter close and personal instead.
I make it through with a decent gun (the one with range) and all my lives intact. The final jumping bit reminds of the endings to Super Mario Land levels, just from the arrangement of the platforms. After a nice side-view of the Batmobile, it's time to..
Level 3-1 - Batwing Stage
..take to the skies! Yup, I remember this stage all too well.
Here, the main task becomes to avoid bullets less so than shooting down planes. Although you can still aim to do that, of course, and the boss obviously requires shooting, so the option to just hold down the button is very much appreciated. The pattern of the boss is easy enough while still managing to feel rewarding after you emerge victorious by way of making the bullet patterns seem pretty intimidating. So that's neat!
Level 3-2 - Batwing Stage
And the fun don't stop! With the flying can taken care of, it's time to face off against.. giant ducks? Wait, did I see that ri-- oh, and there's the boss already. I take a death here since I'm low on health but the pattern seems clear even here. Getting into a good up-down-rhythm is key, for sure.
And, go figure, that wasn't even the boss of this level. Seeing the next enemy, a chopper, set up his deadly net of bullets reminds me where I stopped playing last time. This time, I dispose of the boss for the price of two or three lives. Gonna have to look up how speedrunners take care of that part, knowing speedruns they probably take that thing down before it even fires off a shot.
Looking at Batman in the next cutscene, that seems like a Clooney chin. Yeah, definitely a Clooney chin.
Stage 4-1 - Gotham Cathedral
This stage has some really cool visual design that is very evocative of the edifice it's supposed to represent. Really fantastic track to go along with it, too. Love that hint of organ in there.
The stage itself is rather tame but you do get the sense that it is building up to something.
Stage 4-2 - Gotham Cathedral
That something being an auto-scroller stage, hoo boy. This stage really puts your quick reflexes to the test, especially in a section which, on top of requiring a lot of jumping, pits you against turrets that need to be shot down. Nothing insurmountabe, though, not by any means!
Stage 4-B - Batman vs. Joker
Welp, here we are. This fight is certainly reminiscent of NES Batman (but also of the first boss fight from this game). Basically a 1v1 duel with you jumping around maniacally, hoping to avoid Joker's bullets and, uh, body, while getting as many batarang hits in there as possible.
As far as I can tell, there's no clear pattern here, so you just gotta be a bit lucky and, well, on point with your game and you should be victorious sooner or later.
"Joker, the evil leader, is defeated after the final battle with Batman." Yeah, right! "He leaves behind him a weird laughter that echo's throughout Gotham City." Just like my weird laughter after that grammatical error! Well, at least the final credits shot is pretty sweet.
Closing thoughts
Since I do like the game, I'm gonna get my nitpicks off my chest first. The third stage - I'm very much in agreement with Leaf and his impressions above - was well-intentioned, but ultimately falls a bit flat, both feeling misplaced and being an outlier in terms of challenge. More bosses and boss variety would have been a better way to go, for sure.
Other than that, I can't help but to like this game for a lot of reasons. For being an early Game Boy game, it pretty much nails most of the points expected from a Batman platformer. It's tailored to the platform's strengths and, as a whole, pretty impressive for a game from the early GB era.
It obviously helps a lot when you have the minds of Sunsoft behind the game mechanics (and the soundtrack) which are simple but offer a lot of replay value on their own, as the player tries to find the optimal route, granting him the right weapons, power-ups and the maximum amount of options (in case you're only reading this part, I refer to the little drones flying around you as 'options', Gradius-style).
Ultimately, it's a likeable and worthwhile platformer that (should have) taught a lot of early GB games of a similar ilk how to do things on this new and popular piece of gaming hardware.
