Top 10 Best and Worst Batman Games
Written by Ty Richardson
#5 WORST: “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” (2000)
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For a long, long time, superhero games were stuck in the beat ‘em up genre, relying on the same standard designs that had made them tolerable... for the most part. However, this little number was a sign of the times. The entire experience was mind-numbing thanks to its bland environments, uninspired enemy and level design, and abysmal controls. In other words, it was a total snooze-fest that got mildly annoying. It may not have been the absolute worst in the caped crusader's rogues gallery, but “Batman Beyond” deserved a far better game than this.
#5 BEST: “Batman: The Video Game” (1989)
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Hard to believe there was a better Batman game that was released decades before the wave of mediocrity hit the gaming population. This was a huge achievement, especially for a licensed game. Boasting some of the most detailed visuals on the NES, “Batman” was considered by critics to be the best superhero game on the console, citing its level design, inclusion of villains outside of the ‘89 flick, and challenging difficulty. Considering most licensed games were awful back then, “Batman” was a diamond in the rough. If only Nintendo could put it on the Switch Online service…
#4 WORST: “Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate” (2013)
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Next to “Arkham Knight’s” PC launch, this was probably the biggest misstep in the “Arkham” franchise’s history. Sold as a companion game to “Arkham Origins,” “Blackgate” was a side-scrolling action game taking place in Blackgate Prison. As interesting as this concept was, the game was unbelievably shoddy. Navigation was beyond grueling, enemies could often kill Batman in one hit, and the loading times were unbearably long. Oh, and if you bought this on the PlayStation Vita or Nintendo 3DS, you were for one hell of a bad day...
#4 BEST: “Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes” (2012)
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As much as we love Batman in all of his gritty, edgy flair, it’s nice to see the kid-friendly version pop out every once in a while. That’s why we have the “LEGO” games, and “Lego Batman 2” is more than deserving to be on this list. In addition to a well-written story, massive open world, and expansive character roster, this sequel was a milestone for the Lego games. Not only was it the first Batman game that featured Troy Baker as the voice of the Dark Knight, it was also the first Lego game from Traveller's Tales to be dialogue driven. It just goes to show that games for all ages can still shine!
#3 WORST: “Batman: Dark Tomorrow” (2003)
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The list of things wrong with this particular tomorrow is longer than the list of people Joker has killed. Okay, maybe that’s stretching it a bit, but still, this is one of the most appalling superhero games ever released - all due to its abnormal control scheme, tedious gameplay, and... the camera. Holy bat nipples, the camera!! As if things couldn’t get any worse, the game features some of the worst endings in gaming. Tell us, how do you expect gamers to achieve the good ending when you provide no context or direction on how you might be able to get it?!
#3 BEST: “The Adventures of Batman & Robin” (1994)
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You know, in hindsight, Batman has been a real pioneer in superhero video games. While his NES outing blew everything out of the water, this title would go on to see its own success. While the Sega CD, Genesis, and Game Gear versions received scathing reviews, critics agreed that the SNES version was superior due to its exceptional sprite animation, fantastic sound and music, along with its impressively detailed visuals. It does have a few minor flaws, but that didn’t stop us from picking it up! If only Robin had a bigger role, this could have been an amazing two-player experience.
#2 WORST: “Batman Forever” (1995)
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Time for a riddle! What mediocre movie was adapted into a game that featured uninspired backgrounds, boring combat, and Jim Carrey? The answer - “Batman Forever”! Whereas “Batman & Robin” maintained a superior version, both the SNES and Sega Genesis versions of its predecessor were appalling. Critics condemned both versions for their lack of interesting visuals, sluggish combat, and horrendous controls. The only praise given were the use of digitized actors, but even then, it brought out the game’s worst qualities Well, at least we had Jim Carrey in a video game....sort of.
#2 BEST: “Lego Batman: The Videogame” (2008)
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After the success of the “Lego Star Wars” games, Traveller’s Tales needed to prove that they could do other licensed properties justice. Fortunately, “Lego Batman: The Video Game” showed that the studio had potential. Not only was this a new license for them to work on, but this was a game that gave them room to create an original story and experiment with new designs and mechanics that we’d see polished in future franchise installments. The combat and level design was proof that Traveller’s Tales had the passion and talent, with “Lego Batman's" huge success serving a s springboard for future projects.
#1 WORST: “Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu” (2003)
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What makes this game the biggest blight on Batman's name since the Bat Credit Card? Think of it like this: take all of the qualities of the terrible Batman games we’ve discussed and throw them into one game, and you've got this forgettable failure. The gameplay is ungodly repetitive, the combat is dull and lifeless, and the graphics are a visual mess, even by early 2000's standards. Not even the story or original villain were enough to save this game, with Sin Tzu never being used again, forever buried with his one and only appearance.
#1 BEST: “Batman: Arkham” series (2009-15)
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Before we hopped into the madhouse, superhero games had a terrible reputation. They were so infamous in fact that many felt the first “Arkham” game was on track to be mediocre at best. Boy, were we wrong. “Batman: Arkham Asylum” showed the world it was possible to make a good superhero game and not have it be another standard beat ‘em up, and the rest is history. The “Arkham” franchise became famous for its engaging stories, imaginative environments, deep combat mechanics, and a firm understanding of what made the Dark Knight so captivating! Asylum, City, Knight, even Origins to a lesser extent, all proved that few can match the bat in the gaming sphere!
