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 shatters the darkness, shining through 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 has just turned eighty-five and is aging very well, is eternal, and we know it well.
Le trasposizioni cinematografiche e le serie animate dedicate al personaggio di Kane e Finger are countless; however, the video game universe devoted to him also has something to say: I’m obviously talking about one of the best-known and best-loved adaptations for Sega Master System, namely Batman Returns.
As you can probably guess 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 from the “enemy” Nintendo), and it has us step into the role of the Dark Knight as he takes on the Penguin’s henchmen, who in fact will be the main villain just like in the film starring the indestructible Michael Keaton.
The gameplay system is that of a side-scrolling beat 'em up, with rather prominent platform elements and the armament of Bruce Wayne's winged alter ego packed with cutting-edge gadgets and technological tools that would make anyone pale!
Pur not having many levels of play, Batman Returns allows us to use the Gotham hero's most famous tools of the trade, from the inevitable 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 the good old gamer I am, I remember it well: you’ll often find yourselves swinging from one platform to another in order to keep moving 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 all of its 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 the adventures of our World’s Greatest Detective take place mainly when night falls, do their best by pushing the console to its limit.
Prima we mentioned various existing versions of the game, today we would call it cross-platform and in fact that is exactly what it was: 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 major film helped bring 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.
La legend of Batman flies high.
7
Pro
Atmospheres recreated effectively, despite only having a limited 2D 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.
Hard enough to keep us glued, with the batarang, uh, the joypad in hand!
Contro
Gameplay not very varied, all things considered: you throw batarangs and jump around here and there, but maybe they could have been more ambitious?
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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