Nerdicus Genesis Review #4 : The Adventures of Batman & Robin

Title : The Adventures of Batman & Robin

Publisher : Sega

Genre : Action / Run N Gun

Players : 1 / 2 Player

Release Date : 1994

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $12-$15

Here we have one of those cases where a game was released on a bunch of systems, but was somewhat different on each one. I'll go and review the SNES version tomorrow, but I figured I'd review the Genesis one first. Not to mention, this is one of THE hardest side-scrolling action / arcade style games I've ever played. And I'm proud to say that I beat it back in the day, with the help of a good friend of mine who teamed up against the forces of evil with me.

The style is based off one of the greatest cartoons ever to grace televisions back in the 90's. Batman : The Animated series. This was like THE TV show to watch. The story was dark, the characters were developed, and it FELT like a Batman show. Not like some of the sorry attempts we saw in the 2000's (although I did enjoy Batman Beyond a lot.). For the Genesis version, the story revolves around stopping Mr. Freeze who wants to, you guessed it, freeze Gotham. He's recruited the help of other villains, and as usual it's up to Batman and is ever-so-helpful side-kick, Robin.

So let's get this contra-styled game underway, and kick some Arkham arse.

You wouldn't think that a Batman game turned into a run'n'gun would be effective, but this game would prove you completely wrong. Trust me, I had my doubts when I first played it, but given that it was a Batman game, I had to give it a whirl.

The difficulty level hits you right off the bat, and it's as you would expect with any game of this type. If this was in the arcades, you would be pumping quarters into this until your pockets were drained of all but dust and few pieces of peanut butter M&M's because they are absolutely delicious. You choose to either play as Batman or Robin, and it doesn't really matter as they both have the same play style. But this game was TRULY made for a two-player endeavor. It's challenging enough as a single player, and you'll need that back up.

Like all the other run 'n' gun games out there, you know the drill. Destroy all enemies on the screen, collect power ups, and don't die. It's hard. VERY HARD. One of the hardest I've ever played and I can't stress it enough. 

But then again, Batman needs a challenge.

Control wise, it's smooth for most of the time, but I do like it when you can move and shoot at the same time. You can't do that in this game. Batman is locked in place every time you shoot, so it's all about positioning yourself so you don't get bombarded. Not as easy as it sounds.

Boss battles are common, and are even more of a hair puller. I can't tell you how many times I died on the first level boss. They're insane. You'll encounter the usual suspects. The Joker. Harley Quinn. Two-Face. Mr. Freeze. All the classics. 

Visually and sound effects wise, it was pretty impressive. It looked, felt and sounded like it was pulled straight out of the Arcades. Well, maybe sound wise it wasn't as good. Some of the sound effects were a bit harsh, but otherwise the music was catchy, if you're into that techno drone type, ha. 

Games like this were one of the reasons I loved my Genesis. It didn't get as much love as my SNES back in the day, but this was a 2 player game that got a lot of wear and tear. If it wasn't for it's frustratingly devastating difficulty level, and the fact that it was a bit too simplistic, it may have been perfect. But not quite. OH, you can do so much with Batman. 

I realize that this is just a Contra type game with a Batman facade, but it was still a hell of a lot of fun in it's day.

Final Score (out of 5) :

Until next time. Keep on gaming!