Batman: The Movie
This arcade game has received almost universal acclaim. I don't mean to be contrary, but all I can say is, "Why?" Of course, it's tied in with one of the biggest marketing successes of the past decade, but that type of commercial relationship certainly didn't help INDIANA JONES: THE ARCADE GAME. (This review is based on the Amiga version; Atari ST and Commodore 64/128 version notes follow.)
Before I carp too loudly, though, let me say that BATMAN: THE MOVIE (not to be confused with Data East's BATMAN: THE CAPED CRUSADER) is nicely implemented: The graphics are solid, detailed, and smooth, and the soundtrack is full of really funky music and great digitized voices. Game control is uncomplicated, and each of the levels is quite large.
Ultimately, though, BATMAN: THE MOVIE is nothing more than the all-too-familiar platform-and-ladders game combined with the typical 3-D racing/flying arcade-style game. Oh -- there's a rudimentary pattern-matching game thrown in, too, but at least it provides a nice break.
The first section puts you in the Axis Chemical Factory, up against Jack and his henchmen. You have to counter bullets, thrown knives, and thrown bombs with your batarang. You can also use the batarang to rappel from platform to platform (instead of using the ladders, where they're available). This technique is one of BTM's more innovative elements, smoothly programmed into the design. There are nicely drawn details (all taken from the film), but the section is basically repetitious in both appearance and play. Certain portions of the Factory are much harder to get through than others, but on the whole, the process is rather straightforward (and to the right).
In section two, you get to hop into your Batmobile and do a _film noir_ version of OUT RUN. This portion of the game features a really nice, semi-digitized graphic background of the city, against which are highlighted your Batmobile, other cars, and an incredibly fast-scrolling road. You use your batarang to turn sharp corners at high speeds; if you fail to make a particular turn after more than three tries (i.e., the turn comes up two more times in subsequent blocks), you run into a police barricade and the game's over. The road is a fun, slick rollercoaster ride (your car goes flying into the air when it hits a few particularly steep bumps), but nothing we haven't seen before.
In section three, you have to defeat Jack again by figuring out which three consumer items have been combined to make the deadly poison; each time you select an item, a number indicates how many of the selected items are correct. You never know which of these are right, so it takes a little concentration to figure out what you're doing. The whole process is timed, and when time runs out on you, so does your luck.
In the next section, you rush on to the big party Jack throws for Gotham City in your Batplane, and have to cut the ropes holding the balloons filled with poisonous gas before they explode. There are 99 balloons to begin with, and it takes quite a long time to cut all those ropes. If, in the process, you hit the birthday cakes to which the balloons are attached, you damage your plane a bit; do enough damage and you go down in flames. On the other hand, if you hit a balloon, you release poisonous gas over the city. This section looks a heck of a lot like the Batmobile section (though the basic task is different), but it's nevertheless nicely animated and designed. Once again, the 3-D bit-mapped graphics scroll quite smoothly and rapidly, and the balloon sprites are designed to extend from far to near perspective without a flicker or a hitch.
Breathless from all this, yes, you finally get to climb to the top of the Cathedral for your final confrontation with The Joker. This part of the game is a clear reprise of the opening platform-and-ladders design, with slightly different enemy sprites and a moderately different combination of platforms and ladders to handle. Still, if you liked the Axis Chemical Factory game, you'll also like the Cathedral game, although it may seem even _more_ endless than the Factory.
BTM comes on one copy-protected disk, which can be left write-protected if you don't want your high score saved. It requires a joystick for play, and runs on A1000s, A500s, and A2000s. It's not hard-disk installable and does not multitask.
The game isn't really bad, as you can tell...just nothing new. Most of the action sections are a little more exciting than their cinematic counterparts, which could be one reason the game's such a hit: It fulfills the promise held out by some of the less successful portions of the film. And I suppose identification with the much-beloved comic-book characters keeps things interesting. Finally, game control and difficulty level are pitched right. Nevertheless, as with the film, the excitement generated by BATMAN: THE MOVIE is fundamentally incomprehensible to me. Maybe I just don't respond to hype as well as I should....
ATARI ST VERSION NOTES
BATMAN: THE MOVIE for the Atari ST offers excellent graphics and animation, five scenarios, joystick control, and copy protection. You'll need 512K and a color monitor.
BATMAN: THE MOVIE is a fine game, great-looking and easy to learn. It's fun to play but tough to master, regardless of how many times you might've seen the film. Depending on your point of view, its impact will be enhanced or blunted. Why? Because Data East will no longer be supporting the Atari ST: BATMAN: THE MOVIE, along with NORTH AND SOUTH and DRAKKHEN, are Data East's last releases for this machine. Why? Too many Amigas and too much ST piracy. So it goes.
As mentioned in the main review, five scenes from the film form BTM: the Axis Chemical Factory, the Streets of Gotham City, the Batcave, Gotham City's 200th Anniversary Carnival, and the Cathedral.
The ST screen display consists of the current scenario: Axis Chemical scrolls in all directions, according to the Dark Knight's movements, and has brick walls, platforms with railings, dripping acid, and ruptured steam pipes; the Cathedral is similar. The Batmobile and Batwing screens move in the manner of road races; and while in the Batcave, cosmetics appear on the Batcomputer, and you must select the three that contain the Smilex elements.
Below the action screen are high Batscore, current Batscore, Batlives remaining, a Battimer, and a graphic of Batman's face. You begin with three Batlives. As Batman absorbs Batinjuries, the Batface graphic alters to become The Jokerface graphic; when Batman is gone, so is a Batlife.
BTM is controlled with a joystick. In both Axis Chemical and Cathedral scenarios, the stick alone makes Batman walk left and right, and climb and crouch; with the button held, the stick throws Batarangs, jumps Batman down a level, and spits out the Batrope, which can be throw diagonally (and on which Batman can Batswing).
In the Batmobile, the stick steers, accelerates, and brakes, and the button fires the Batrope, which is helpful for cornering. In the Batwing, the stick moves the craft left and right, and lifts and drops the nose; with the button held, the stick steers, accelerates, and brakes.
The game package comes with one copy-protected disk and an instruction manual. There is no save option.
BTM looks great on the ST: Items appear as items (rather than iconic representations), JokerGoons look like JokerGoons, and the scenery is marvelous. Animation is smooth and lifelike, and sound effects are sparse but effective. The joystick worked perfectly. BATMAN: THE MOVIE is difficult, but nowhere near as tough as BATMAN: THE CAPED CRUSADER.
BATMAN: THE MOVIE is an excellent game, both to look at and to play. Too bad for us that Data East has given up on the ST.
COMMODORE 64/128 VERSION NOTES
The Commodore 64/128 version of Data East's BATMAN: THE MOVIE is more or less identical to the Atari ST version described above. Although the overall quality of the graphics is lower (not unexpectedly), BTM on the C64 looks just fine. Everything is clear and understandable, and the characters are nicely animated.
The joystick works the same in both versions. The C64 package comes with one copy-protected disk and an instruction manual.
BATMAN: THE MOVIE on the Commodore 64 is a fine game. The added bonus is that Data East plans to continue its C64 support.
BATMAN: THE MOVIE is published and distributed by Data East.
