BATMAN (1989) The Video Games - Retrospective / Review 

The 1989 Batman taught us all a very valuable lesson: Never rub another man's rhubarb.

Batman from Sunsoft on NES is a classic and is part of my childhood memories. I still play it from time to time!!

This is a fantastic branch out series. You don't see too many channels start strong on movies and then move into games and do it just as well. Great job on this, as an American consumer I've never seen all the home computer ports. I found the arcade game once on a trip somewhere and then searched for it fruitlessly for years, not playing it again until MAME came along. That and Robocop were two of my favorites. One cool thing you didn't mention about the Batman arcade game, unlike Robocop and many others, you don't just get up when you die and keep going, it has a lives based system that respawns you at the last checkpoint. They're pretty far spaced in the museum stretch, and so like Shinobi and a few others, it has a built in level of challenge that infinite money won't make go away.

I played and beat the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) version once a week for one whole year. It was a Sunday tradition! I love all of your work Oliver. Thank you!

That fan made game footage a year or so ago, based on the 1989 Batman, was really good

I had the Batman game on original gray Gameboy , man that game was tough. Really liked the levels when you fly the batwing link a side scrolling shooter.

Batman C64 had the best soundtrack for a game, ever! From the loading screen to the menu to the game itself, just epic.

This video is quality in very sense: writing, pacing, edition, covering of the subject matter... great work.

I miss these games

TBH ...with the critique of too many sequels...it's _worse_ nowadays 😬

Had this on the commodore 64. Controls were completely unresponsive but still loved it as a kid!

Thats a lot of Batman =D

brilliant

Ocean Software had a formula for their videogame film tie-ins and it was reliable: take three/four key scenes from the movie. Turn them into "mini-games". Step 3: profit. We saw this in RoboCop and The Untouchables too, but it was Batman that did it best. One feels like one is playing three different games instead of one game with the mix of run and gun, puzzle and driving/flying. Bit of variety. The only thing that would have made it perfect would be an option to choose which one to play as it always felt like a dredge having to swing and climb through Axis Chemicals every time when I wanted to play the Batmobile level!

I love the Batman 89 games. I love the NES, Genesis and the Gameboy game. The NES version is my favorite.

I still have warm and nice childhood memories with Batman from Sunsoft on NES. I still like that old classic game, even it´s a very hard. Great video!

Batman was such a mind blowing experience at the time, cinema and at home 😁

Did you know that the guy who played the mugger opposite Michael Keaton in the "I'm Batman" scene also had roles in Demon's Souls? He's Yurt the Silent Chief and Old King Doran.

Batman Pack… epic!!! - I remember the sticker that came in the box

Still one of my favorite NES Games of all time. I still have my old copy. Great video

Awesome roundup Oliver. I played it most on the C64. Was brilliant. Just one small correction, Batman was a 12 certificate when it was released in the UK and I think was the first film to be given a 12

The Amiga version I do remember it fondly back in the day. Also I turned 12 in 1989 so was able to see Batman on the big screen which was special at the time. Michael Keaton is still my favorite Bruce Wayne. And the Jack Nicholson was definitely in the top 3 Jokers.

The Ocean game's platforming levels were really good and had the potential to be fleshed out into a 16-bit Arkham Asylum style experience. The grapnel mechanics worked really well. I recently replayed the Amiga version and I'd forgotten how tough these levels were. The driving/ flying sections looked really good but were really dull to play.

Great work, Oliver! I can remember playing quite a few of these back in the day with mates.

You started the video with the most iconic/memorable BATMAN music.

I absolutely love that you made this for a retrogame... keep it up and ill keep watching

Absolutely love this! Great vid! Look forward to the follow up , Batman Returns on SNES was one of my all time favs , and loved the driving levels in the Mega CD version.

This is one of your finest videos, Oliver. Well done my dude.

16:34 yooo this game was my sh** I used to play it all the time as a kid. Thanks for the nostalgia trip!

Miss these games. I still have my amiga 500+ with all these old games. Would love to see you do some other old gems of games. Such as every superman game. Every Indiana Jones game. Ninja turtles games. Robocop games.

Superb video, showing such a varied history!!!! You’re a legend Oliver!!!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I remember renting this game for a sleepover. There was no sleeping that night. I made it to level 3.

Digging that you're branching out more with your content, looking forward to the Batman Returns video. I've only ever heard of the SNES beat em' up by Konami, and I've had a ton of fun with it.

Great video Oliver! Keep up the retrospective videos

My favorite is Mega Drive/Genesis version of this game. I played it a lot when i was a kid. And i got this game after that one time, when one of my friends gave me Batman Returns game, and i liked it so much that i wanted it. Next day, my parents decided to go shopping while i was at home. And after they got back, they brought me the Batman game. But it was not Batman Returns. Instead, it was Batman 1989 video game for Mega Drive console. And at that time, there was two sides of me battling. One was upset that i didn't got Batman Returns game, and the other liked the game based on the first movie. Eventually, second side won, and i loved this game so much, that i mastered it to near perfection. I even now remember, how to get 99 batarangs, so at the end, you can just spam The Joker with them and win easily. Other words, it was one of my favorite games on Sega's 16 bit console back then. And when i found out about emulations in my adult years, when i already had PC, i tried to play other versions of 1989 Batman video games. And... well, i don't like them. NES version is like a clone of Ninja Gaiden 3, and Arcade version feels like unfinished game with bad design and terrible visuals in many places. And other versions... well, they just a piece of crap. Sure, NES version was playable and had good gameplay, but it doesn't feel like a Batman game to me. So yeah, that is my story and opinion about Batman 1989 video games.

Great video. I've seen you grow as an editor, and its great man.

Great video as always :) So many cool Batman games back in the days. Loved the nes game as a kid

My exposure was only to the Sunsoft NES game and the Amiga Ocean one. Of course, the NES game is the best. Well designed and fun. And while I grew up with the Ocean game, and managed to finish it on occasion, it hasn't held up. I'll never forget the Game Over screen sending me screaming out my room to my mum though

I had the spectrum version. Good ol' days.

PLEASE do more of these anthology video game review for movie games there are tons of them out there! This was VERY entertaining, right up there with your movie reviews!

i love that movie and i have a softspot for the games ! thank you for the great review !

Might have been the first game that I ever played outside of the arcade. I was bought the Amiga movie package or whatever it was called; when I was about 9 or 10. Bitter sweet memories really 🤍 Over 30 years later and I can still hear the sound of the batmobile skidding Outstanding content as per. Had no idea it was the debut of the 12 certificate!

This is cool Oliver I love all different Batman games based on the 89 film

I love the music during the driving stage on the Amiga.

Great video!👍🏻

Love your videos!

Fond memories of playing Batman on my Gameboy back in 1990... Great video, Ollie!

visually, most of these games are stunningly beautiful

Most Commodore 64 games only had the players' sprite as the only one that's detailed. I believe the enemies always looked blocky as they would turn one of the background layers into the enemies (might be wrong there) but it was definitely a processing issue nontheless.

I still have my nes and Sega game from when I was a kid , great review

The only console port to Batman '89 I ever had back in the day was the Sega Genesis version. Memories. Also, my favorite BGM track is the "Prologue" once you brought up the Mega Drive game of it

Always enjoy your retrospective reviews. Always keep em coming. Do 'Throw Momma From The Train'

I still remember Batman being the first 16bit game I ever saw on my friend's Amiga. Hearing "I'm Batman" blew my mind! Until then all I'd heard a computer say was a _very_ low-fi "Ghostbusters" on an Amstrad... You better believe I begged morning, noon, and night for an Amiga after that!

Please do King Kong '76 Gremlins 2, or Santa Claus the movie! Sorry, been waiting for years for you to review either of those movies and I'm just anxious.

Awesome video! I had Batman on the Amiga it came as part of the Hollywood Collection which included Robocop, indiana Jones and the last crusade and Ghostbusters 2.

I still have my disk version on the Spectrum +3. Spent many hour playing it back in the day, still remember the title music 😃

The Sega soundtrack lives in my memory

Oh keep this stuff up. I can imagine videos on the games of movies you've covered.

My favourite is Mega Drive's version. The best for me. Reminds me my childhood

Great video !

another nice vid bro

Thanks for this, creating and uploading during an INCREDIBLY sunny day too.. 🤪🤪🤪 but we appreciate it!!!

I had (and loved) the Spectrum version. It recreated almost all of the best parts of the movie really well and had a fantastic soundtrack. I remember playing through the Game Boy one as well, a friend at achool had it and Ioaned it a few times. As much as I enjoyed the NES version, the ending cutscene doesn't sit right with me where he straight up murders Joker by deliberately yeeting him to his death, lol

So cool to see those clips of them developing on the Atari ST. I love that computer!

I was a big Batman fan since my childhood and I'm still is as a grown man 😉🦇🦇🦇

5:13 That weirdly drawn Keaton, sneaking into frame, creeped me the fuck out! 😅

batman, batman returns and batman forever for the megadrive were brilliant. Don't have them anymore. Very much missed.

Thank you very much! Very interesting story. I from Eastern Europe (I born in USSR era) so in my childhood meeting with video games began in 90-s after USSR fall. After it appered Dendy (8 bit Taiwan analog of Nes), Sega MD2 and later appered Super Nintendo. I heared about Atari systems which be earlier, so I knew about it existance but never saw. Only in last years now, I get know what be so many gaming systems and PC, it very interesting to know more about retrogaming and about the way of video games. I never not saw games in your video. I very like Batman, for me it most favourit superhero. First game about Batman in which I played be KONAMI's "Batman Returns" on (8 bit Dendy - NES analog). and later I played "Batman Returns" on SNES - it one of most difficult game to complete in my life, with bosses which so hard to kill. It very difficult games, but very absorbing. I got a lot of pleasure to play for Batman. And later be on MD2 and SNES "Batman Forever" - good and beautiful game, but it very difficult and I not be able to complete it. I always stoped on stage with "flying safe". But, now in emulators era (with save ability) I will finally complete this on emulator someday😉. Retrogaming Rules! And sure, Glory to Ukraine!

Lovely video :)

Great video, Oliver. I haven't toyed with any of the computer versions of Batman, but have played a bit of all the console adaptations. I still need to learn the Genesis/Megadrive one. I tried it years back and made it a decent way through, but couldn't consistently figure out the later levels.

Awesome video

Loved the movie, and the Spectrum game. Fantastic! Batman occupied our local cinema (one screen!) for MONTHS...

Very good video I remember trying to get into the film and was turned away for bean to young though I did go see the sequel nice change doing the game I completed the arcade game joker was a nightmare to beat

Essentially played all 8 bit versions of Batman back in the day. The Spectrum version lacks colour but it's the best one and even beats others like the DOS version. Ocean used to make very good games for the system.

Being a back memories...I saw it in the theatres on its premiere in 1989 in nyc....nyc for everything first.

I loved the C64 version. Very atmospheric.

I had a Amiga 1200 loved playing that version of the game. The chemical puzzle was so hard, like it was just random. May have to try find & some of the other versions.

I knew there were a few Batman games, but I had no idea there were this many. And honestly they all seem to have cool things about them in their own ways. If I had to pick my favorite gameplay idea, cleaning the paintings Joker vandalized is kind of genius, LOL.

Absolutely, a character of taste

Only Batman game I can remember back that was one with Batman and robin as you walk you can constantly use your zip to swing

Batman Nes 🎮 is one of the best games I've ever played!

Great idea for a video series.

Played the arcade one in the arcade as a kid ,played the nes version ,snes ,orgins & the Arkham series

Gee I guess I missed those deleted scenes where Batman cleans off graffiti off of the art & the joker is storm from the X-men calling down lighting or terry bogard with his power wave 😂

Batman for NES reminds me of Strider for NES, both in the gameplay, graphics, music, and the deviation from the "lore". I've never looked into it but presumably they had an engine ready and a guaranteed audience and threw some sprites on top...

Loved the Amstrad version, still play it occasionally today

The sega genesis one was amazingly hard. Couldn’t beat it as a kid.

Got the Gameboy Game as a Kid for my Birthday back then,best game ever and looked like real :D Remembering the Details still very well,couldnt count how much i replayed the Axis Chemicals Part,partly because the game was tough,partly because i loved the details of the boss fight there.

A PS5 Batman 89/Batman Returns game would be amazing

The NES version was amazing. Still a great game to this day. It was not an accurate recreation of the movie but boy was it a fun and addictive game. And the music was just incredible.

There was also an LCD wristwatch Batman game that I had back then.

Excellent video just after 5:04 would have been an excellent time to show off his digital art version of the batmobile described

That intro, was god like.

I was 10 going to see this, as the first time there was nearly a stampede at the cinema door of kids. I also got headbutted by a bully who lived near me in the middle of it all. Fun times! The original new batman has one of the best sound tracks full stop. All of the songs translate to metal songs so well :D \m/

I always wondered why the bat logo on the suit looks a bat taking a poop - but on the game box or movie posters etc it looks well cool- or correct.

I always find it fascinating how UK gamers had these weird ZX Spectrum or Amstrad games we never had in North America. We went straight from Commodore 64 and Atari 2600/5200 to NES.

I grew up with the Genesis version. The arcade version is impressive in its movie accuracy but it is one of the most infuriating quarter munchers I’ve encountered. Everything is designed to keep you pumping in coins. As a Batman nerd I felt compelled to beat it though. I’ve only played it once but the Data East pinball machine is pretty interesting with the center batcave and overall design.

NES version is the best, imho. I LOVE IT still to this day

Excellent look back! Did you include the isometric Batman game? I can't remember if I saw it, I think that was the only one I had - like Head over Heels but with a pudgy little Batman instead.

If you’re covering any other film licensed games , please include Cliffhanger Mega CD , with its very random & infuriatingly difficult snowboarding levels , I can still hear the sound Stallone made every time he hit a log ! 😂