Batman Forever

• Release Date: 1995
• Genre: Action
• Style: Side-Scrolling Combat
• Similar Games: Batman Returns (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Mortal Kombat (Macintosh), Mortal Kombat (Game Boy), Mortal Kombat (Sega CD), Mortal Kombat (Sega Game Gear), Batman: The Video Game (Sega Genesis), Mortal Kombat (Sega Genesis), Mortal Kombat (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Mortal Kombat (Arcade), Mortal Kombat (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Longtime superheroes Batman and Robin battle kooky villains Two-Face, The Riddler, and their henchmen in this video game based on the popular Joel Schumacher film. To assist them in their pursuit of justice, Batman and Robin are equipped with various gadgets including Batarangs, grappling hooks, flash pellets, slippery goo, and sticky goo. Of course, their fists and feet are their primary weapons. In the two-player mode, Batman and Robin can fight crime cooperatively or competitively.

Batman Forever features eight levels of villainous mayhem taking place at key areas throughout Gotham City. Locations include Arkham Asylum, an institution for the most dangerous criminals; the Second Bank of Gotham, where Two-Face plans to hijack an entire bank vault; the circus, where Two-Face has planted a bomb; the Ritz Gotham, a swanky joint where Ed Nygma (better known as The Riddler) has unveiled his latest dangerous invention which steals the mental powers of Gotham citizens; an abandoned subway, where Two-Face tries to make his big escape; Wayne Manor, home of the Dynamic Duo; and Claw Island, The Riddler's hideout.

As you battle through this game as either Batman or Robin, you can solve riddles placed in your path by none other than The Riddler. The answers to these riddles are clues that will help you get through each level. Scattered Two-Face coins will renew much-needed energy or give you an extra life. Before the action begins you have the option of training in the Batcave Gym, where you can hone your skills fighting holographic images of the bad guys.

Do you have what it takes to assume the role of the Caped Crusaders, using your brains, brawn, and gadgetry to triumph over the dark forces of evil? Find out with Batman Forever for the Genesis.

Roots & Influences

Batman has been a frequent subject of video games since Tim Burton's enormously popular movie in 1989 began a new Batman craze. These games include, among others, Batman (1989) for the NES and Batman (1990) for the arcades. Batman Forever contains the basic look and character animation of the Mortal Kombat series.

Review: Overall

Batman, probably the most frequently licensed character in all of video games, and Robin look awfully good in this game produced by Acclaim, makers of the Mortal Kombat series. As a matter of fact, this game features character animation and graphics similar to the Mortal Kombat games, but instead of spine-ripping gore, you've got cartoonish violence. And instead of a series of single screen one-on-one fights, you've got an action/platform game with a comic book story setting, where Batman and/or Robin beat up lots of thugs along the way.

This game handles well. The various bat gadgets Batman and Robin use are easy to manage. The graphics are nice; the shiny black bat suit is extremely well drawn, and the backgrounds create a dark mood. The one-player version of this game is the best, but the two-player competitive mode is kind of amusing. It's funny playing with a friend and watching Batman and Robin duke it out with each other while at the same time fending off villains. The two-player cooperative mode is pointless; it lacks the novelty of the competitive mode and it's not as fun as the one-player mode. The screen gets a little crowded in both two-player versions, and when Batman and Robin are on opposite ends of the screen, each trying to go his own way, the action stalls.

The sound in this game is very distinctive. The music is an extremely successful blend of dark eeriness and circuslike fun. Overall, this is a neat game with challenging clues, darkly rich graphics, and movie-quality sound.

Review: Enjoyment

The clues can get a little frustrating, and it can be slow going at times.

Review: Graphics

The graphics are extremely realistic, and the character movements flow naturally and rhythmically.

Review: Sound

The sound effects are convincing, and the music is rich and moving, but the voice effects are merely adequate.

Review: Replay Value

The fighting tends to get repetitious after a while.

Review: Documentation

The instruction manual features plenty of text, but the photos are too dark.