Batman Returns scores 7/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Batman Returns for SEGA Mega Drive
by Simon Larocca·May 1, 2024
The lighthouse breaks through the darkness, shining in the night, but this is not the light of the streetlamps scattered along Gotham’s foggy streets: it points decisively toward the sky and shows the image of a bat in the act of spreading its wings and protecting its city: the myth of Batman, an iconic hero who recently turned eighty-five and is aging remarkably well, is eternal and we know it well.
Le cinematographic adaptations and animated series dedicated to the character by Kane and Finger are numerous, however the video game universe concerning him also has something to say: I am obviously talking about one of the best-known and most beloved adaptations for Sega Master System, namely Batman Returns.
Come you may have guessed from the title, this is the official video game of the film, a Tim Burton blockbuster released in 1992, and the game in question is also from 1992, developed by Sega (but it also had other ports, including the “enemy” Nintendo), and it sees us take on the role of the Dark Knight dealing with the Penguin’s henchmen, who will in fact be the main villain just as in the film starring the indestructible Michael Keaton.
The gameplay system is that of a side-scrolling beat 'em up, with fairly prominent platforming elements and the armament of Bruce Wayne's winged alter ego is packed full of cutting-edge gadgets and technological tools that would make anyone pale!
Pur even without many levels of gameplay, Batman Returns allows us to use the most famous tools of the Gotham hero, from the inescapable batarangs to the bat-grappling hook, essential for being able to progress in the game.
This last one, then, is of paramount importance and, as a good old player that I am, I remember it well: you will often find yourselves swinging from one platform to another in order to move forward and, as old-school arcade games teach, if you don’t learn certain moves and movements you won’t be able to progress in the game even with Superman’s help (who, for the record, is not present in this game!)
Squeezing the power of the Sega Master System to almost its full potential, Batman Returns catapults us into the dark atmosphere of a rather inspired two-dimensional Gotham City; the enemies give us a hard time from the very beginning, and the colors on the screen, although our World’s Greatest Detective’s adventures take place mainly at night, really shine, pushing the console to its limits.
Prima we mentioned various existing versions of the game, today we would define it as cross-platform and in fact that was exactly the case: the popularity of the character and the habit, especially in the last two decades of the twentieth century, of producing a themed video game immediately after the release of a high-profile film contributed to bringing to life multiple versions, more or less successful.
That for Master System remains one of the most playable, with a gradual and balanced learning curve and a difficulty that guarantees longevity and fun.
The legend of Batman soars high.
7
Pro
Atmospheres recreated effectively, despite having only a limited 2D medium of the era!
The DC Comics license elevates the game in itself, but the Master System version of Batman also manages to really stand out overall.
Difficult enough to keep us glued with the batarang, er, the joypad in hand!
Contro
Gameplay not very varied in the end: you throw batarangs and jump around here and there, but perhaps they could have been more daring?
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.
Simon Larocca
My name is Simon Larocca, and I am a gamer, collector, and lover of pop culture in all its forms. I go to the cinema whenever I can, I have been reading since I started wearing glasses, so, basically forever, and I have a passion for storytelling in all its forms, so powerful that it became my profession. But as Doc from Ritorno al Futuro would say, there would be no present if one did not look at the past with respect and admiration, and it is the Simon child of more than thirty years ago, give or take a year, who is to thank for that.
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