Previous Next

Bruce Wayne, millionaire, socialite, hero. The man with the decidedly odd dress sense is back. He's been repackaged and re-released by Ocean as a budget title. Before you get all excited and gooey, this isn't Batman The Movie, it's Batman The Caped Crusader, the earlier game.

Okay, now you can get all excited and gooey as this game was pretty bloomin' corking too. You take the part of Batman in one of two quite separate adventures, 'A Bird in The Hand' in which you must prevent the Penguin's plans for world domination and 'A Fete Worse than Death' in which you must save Robin from The Joker. The game itself is a sort of arcade platform adventure requiring simple puzzle-solving and a modicum of beat-'em-up skills.

Batman can walk, climb kick punch and (once he's collected it) throw a batarang. All you have to do is move your very cartoony character around the screens, collect objects, take them to the relevant place and use them. Gun-wielding and exploding opponents attack you, but can be dissuaded from their dastardly aim with a swift kick to the soft parts, a hefty punch or a well-aimed batarang. Each screen appears rather like a frame of a comic book. When you enter a new screen, the old one doesn't disappear but sits behind the one you're currently in and the comic effect produced is very strong. Batman The Caped Crusader is basically a highly playable treat, oozing atmosphere, and two completely different adventures make it an all round winner.

A game about a delinquent millionaire who gets his kicks by prancing around in a puffy outfit? I must admit I initially thought it would be a waste of time and money but despite the suspect subject material this is a bargain. Sadly, this is worth every penny and more besides.