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Batman is surely one of the biggest movies of all time. It's everywhere. And now you can even play the role of the caped crusader himself and battle the evil joker in the dark and grimy streets of a computerised Gotham city!

Batman The Movie is Ocean's third Bat-game, the previous two being licensed from the DC comics. It follows the plot of the film very closely, with five levels adapted directly from scenes in the movie. The first level is a multi-directionally scrolling platform game set in the massive Axis chemical factory. The objective is to reach the end of the level and confront Jack Napier, the leader of the villains, and dispose of him.

Between you and him are a myriad of hazard-packed screens. Steam jets shoot out from broken pipes, acid drips from the ceiling and marauding baddies open fire with pistols - all wear down Batman's energy, and he only has three bat-lives.

Batman is armed with a baterang and batrope which he can fire at the roof and hoist himself up to the next screen, or use to swing across gaps in the factory floor. He can even fire it at enemies and knock them out, rather than having to engage in a fist-fight at close range.

Level two puts you behind the wheel of the batmobile as you race down a heavily congested horizontally scrolling road and attempt to escape from the Joker's van. Every so often you have to take a sharp left turn by either slowing down and skidding around the bend, or by extending the bat-hook to catch a lamp post and swing you round the corner at top speed (timing is crucial for this move - miss and you smash into the wall). Fail to turn when indicated and you crash into a police roadblock.

The third level is a mini puzzle game. The Joker has poisoned three household items, and you have one minute to work out which of the ten are deadly through a process of elimination, rather like the old board game Mastermind.

Sort out the poison, and it's time to fly the Batwing. Gotham City carnival is in progress, but little do the onlookers know that the Joker has filled the balloons attached to the floats with nerve gas. Batman knows though, and has to fly the Batwing down the scrolling main street and cut the balloon strings so that the balloons fly harmlessly away. Miss balloons, or run into them and energy is lost.

The final confrontation takes place in the Cathedral, which is a similar platform-type game to level one. Again, the map is vast, and tracking down the Joker takes time, as well as a little cartography. I'm not going to tell you what you have to do at the end, 'coz that'll ruin the film if you haven't already seen it.

To be honest, Ocean could have produced a mediocre Bat-game and it still would have sold well on the strength of the film alone. But they haven't. Batman is a superb game, and captures the atmosphere and excitement of the movie perfectly with five challenging levels.

The graphics and sound on both the Spectrum and C64 versions are excellent, and the gameplay is highly addictive, with enough variety to satisfy the most demanding Batfans.

Batman is definitely the best film tie-in yet - if you enjoyed the film, make sure you don't miss the game.

A beautifully crafted film tie-in which fully captures the excitement and atmosphere of the movie.

The same gameplay as the Spectrum, but with improved graphics and a brilliant, atmospheric soundtrack.