There is no doubt thattheBatman: Arkhamgamesare the definitive games about Batman. They were epic in scope, created their own mythos, and featured stellar gameplay. Many still consider theArkhamgames the best superhero games of all time!
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This high-tier status is well-earned, but it comes at a cost. There have been many Batman games over the years, way before the Arkhamverse. There were as many great games as there were bad. So if someone is craving Batman but doesn’t want to boot up theArkhamgames, there are several options. However, there is also plenty that should never be touched!
10Worst: Batman: Return Of The Joker (1991)
BeforeBatman Returnswas even made, Sunsoft pushed for an immediate sequel. Joker is back from the dead and he’s creating chaos in Gotham City. Of course, it’s up to Batman to stop him.
Unfortunately,Return Of The Jokertakes all the difficulty of the previous game and removes the fun. So as a result,Return Of The Jokeris a rage-inducing mess with confusing layouts and constant difficulty spikes.
9Best: Batman: The Telltale Series (2016-2017)
Rather than focusing on action and gadgets, Telltale Games came along to deliver a story-driven game. Withthe legendary Troy Bakeras the titular character, both seasons ofBatmanare great! The voice acting is superb, the story is well-written, and the new take on Batman’s mythos is unique.
So why is it so low? Unfortunately, the series features a cliffhanger after season 2 and will likely never get a conclusion. It remains a fun game to play but unless Telltale announces a return, the ending will leave a bitter taste.
8Worst: Batman Forever (1995)
One would think thatjumping to the Super Nintendowould make the games even better. Unfortunately,Batman Foreveris a complete mess.Batman Forevertries to cloneMortal Kombat’s gameplay and digitized actors but fails at both.
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The combat is awkward as a side-scroller, the visuals hurt the eyes, and it’s impossible to understand the objective.Batman Foreverwas a terrible game in 1995 and it’ll be terrible forever!
7Best: The Adventures Of Batman & Robin (1994)
Luckily, the SNES spawned a much better Batman game.The Adventures Of Batman & Robinwas based on the second season ofBatman: The Animated Seriesat the time. With it being made by Konami during their Golden Age, it’s a vast improvement over Batman Forever.
The sprites look like they were created by Bruce Timm himself and the combat is satisfying. It’s nothing deep: just a side-scrolling adventure game fighting criminals and villains. It’s a decent gem for the 16-bit era.
6Worst: Batman: The Caped Crusader (1988)
Not based on any movie or TV series,Batman: The Caped Crusaderfeatured great ideas that weren’t executed properly. Each screen was represented as a new comic book panel: this would be cool if everything wasn’t so small.
Gadgets and combat inBatman: The Caped Crusaderare even worse due to broken controls. The Commodore 64 would be given a much better DC game withSuperman: The Game.
5Best: Batman Returns (1992)
There is a multitude of different games based onBatman Returnswith different gameplay styles. Much likeTelltale, the MS-DOS version ofBatman Returnsfocuses less on the action. Instead, it’s more of adetective point and click adventure.
The MS-DOS version takes place across several nights and forces the player to manage evidence, interrogation, and gadgets.Batman Returnsmakes for a relaxing yet challenging experience. Fair warning: players will likely end up restarting the game more than once.
4Worst: Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003)
How did this happen? Not a single aspect of this game works. The combat? Broken. The graphics? Ugly. The story? Laughable at times. Similar toThe Caped Crusader, there were a lot of great ideas at play here, but they all fail.
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Dark Tomorrowfeatures a new story that was meant to be similar toSpider-Manon PS1 meetsDeus Ex. The ending changes based on how the player performs. However, unless the player does everything in one perfect shot, it’s almost always a bad ending. Even the good ending is not impressive.
3Best: Batman (1989)
A movie-licensed game on the NES that isn’t terrible? Shocking news. Well, that’s because studios like LJN did not get control of this one. Instead, it was made by Sunsoft who made a few other underrated gems for the NES…and the unfortunate sequel.
The best way to sum up their Batman game is aDC version ofNinja Gaiden. Unlike the sequel,Batmanfeatures tight controls, difficult but fun gameplay, and well-made levels. Frustration can be had but never to the point of rage quitting.
2Worst: Batman & Robin (1997)
How fitting that the definitive worstBatmanmovie of all time would create the worst game? Likely, most gamers have never even heard of this game. They are the lucky ones. An open-world Gotham City with different enemies and investigations? Sounds great, right?
Well, when moving from one side of a room to another feels like a century, that’s a bad sign for the rest of the game.Batman & Robinis not even so bad that it’s funny like the movie, it’s just infuriating.Batman & Robinjust might be the worst gameon the original PlayStation.
1Best: LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014)
TheLEGO Batmangames managed to get better and better. WhileLEGO DC Super-Villainsis even better, Batman is barely in that game.LEGO Batman 3, on the other hand, keeps him as the main character despite the massive DC roster.
The aforementioned roster is impressive but could be a completionist’s nightmare. The open-world aspect is even bigger with different planets to explore. Of course, it features the hilarious jokes and storythat LEGO games are known for. Any fan of LEGO or DC should try this one!
