The night has fallen over Gotham City,
and the shadows of crime melt away to reveal heinous deeds about to be
accomplished.
Only one figure stands between the
evil and the innocent. It is the Dark Knight, otherwise known as Batman.
Batman: Vengeance is a Game Boy
Advance release perpetrated by the gaming public by UbiSoft. It is a nice little
arcade-style game, full of challenge and solid graphics.
As the story unfolds the Clown Prince
of Crime (the Joker) is on a crime spree, beginning with a raid on the Gotham
City Museum. The Caped Crusader pursues him, and with a bit of advice, finds the
Joker at the Gotham City Bridge. A dastardly trap goes wrong, and the Joker
falls from the bridge. Is he dead? Perhaps (but don’t count on it). However, the
void left by the Joker’s “disappearance” is quickly filled by a host of
villains, who are only too happy to try to take up where the Joker left off.
Now it is up to Batman to wipe the
scourge from the city. Fighting on the side of right is, of course, Batman and
Robin, with guest appearances by Batgirl and Nightwing and Alfred. In addition
to the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze, as well as numerous
henchmen, are out to bring the city to its knees.
There are several stages of play in
this game, which includes the arcade-action of Batman, Robin’s puzzle-solving
escapades, and two stages involving the Batmobile and Batplane – which also
feature arcade-style action. Each successive level is password guarded.
The controls are kept simple. The
D-pad controls movement, the L button is used to select an item while the R
button uses that item, and the A and B buttons vary depending on the stage.
From the gliding of Batman, to the
obstacles trying to destroy the Batmobile or Batplane, the game is well
animated. It is almost exactly like the cartoon show that plays on the Cartoon
Network. The sound of the game doesn’t exactly break any new ground, but does a
very nice job of supporting the graphical elements.
Though the game does contain mild
violence, it is rated for Everyone.
Batman: Vengeance is a excellent ride
through the dark streets of Gotham. It is action-packed, full of challenge that
not only will test reflexes, but also puzzle-solving abilities.
Gameplay: 8.5.
This game features quite a number of
puzzles and obstacles that must be overcome in order to move from one level to
the next. Timing and quick reflexes help a lot.
Graphics: 8.8.
If you have ever seen the Cartoon
Network’s “Batman,” then you will know exactly what you will see in this game.
Though two-dimensional, this is wonderfully animated.
Sound: 7.
The music has a forbidding undertone; the
rest of the effects are mostly average.
Difficulty: 9.
This is a challenging game, featuring an
advanced mode that will challenge more accomplished players. Control elements
are kept simple, and the learning curve should only be about 10 minutes.
Concept: 8.
This is another arcade-action game, for
the most part, but hats off to the developers for translating the cartoon series
to this console in a terrific manner.
Multiplayer: N/A
Overall: 8.4.
Yes, this is a game that fits most of the
arcade-style modes – like Activision’s Spiderman – but that doesn’t diminish the
fun it contains. The graphical elements are very well done, the animation is
solid and the various challenges will keep players intrigued.
