The dramatic, swooping movements of the cowled Batman and the harsh, foreboding streets of Gotham City are the perfect complement to Game Freak Alley.

When the nights are dark and the streets are cold, the scum of the city emerge. Criminals gather to cause untold misery to the citizens of this towering metropolis.

Welcome to Gotham City. The only hope for the people lies in the form of a winged vigilante who prowls the streets at night. The Batman strives to save the innocent and stop the guilty!

However, Batman himself is under suspicion of a crime he did not commit. The hideous half man creature, The Penguin, has teamed up with another villain, Catwoman, to have him convicted of murder!

You take control of the Caped Crusader in this platform action game and guide him through five challenging levels. You’re armed with Batarangs, which can be programmed for different strengths, and a special weapon, in the form of the Batmobile or Batskiboat.

Each level has two routes and each section ends with a tough guardian! Battle your way through the snow-covered Gotham streets, across the high rooftops and down into the sewers to (ace The Penguin himself!

You must finish all levels and defeat the mad villain to clear your name and free Gotham City from terrible crooks!

Mat gasps... ‘STUNNING GG VERSION!’

After the dismal MD version of Batman Returns, I was hardly jumping for joy when the GG version arrived!

But wait a moment! This is great! The programmers have taken a completely different look at the hit movie and come up with one of the best GG games of 1992!

Action’s viewed from the side as you guide Batman through five challenging stages. Batman uses his grappling hook to reach high ledges and swing from building to building. The main sprites small but well defined as he strides down the wintery Gotham streets, cape flapping in the breeze.

Most villains are easy to get rid of (once you master the Batarangs) but the Guardians are a bit tougher! To tackle these bozos, Batman calls up the Batmobile or Batskiboat, which wipe out all villains onscreen or drain energy from bigger opponents.

Batman Returns sticks closer to the movie than the MD version. It’s also a lot more fun to play! At first glance you’d think it’s just a Shinobi clone but it’s better than that. In fact, my only gripe is I finished it first time! Yep, it’s just too easy!

If you’ve seen Batman Returns on the big screen it’s worth checking out the small screen version. It’s a winner!

MAT 89%

Ade smiles... ‘A CLASS GAME GEAR PRODUCT’

Spider-Man on Game Gear turned out to be a helluva lot better than the Mega Drive version. The latest superhero to grace the small screen gets the same treatment!

The Game Gear version of Batman Returns is far better than its 16-bit counterpart. For a start, the gameplay’s completely different. The levels have drastically altered and you choose one of two routes at the start of each round. A nice touch this, it improves gameplay no end, as some routes are tougher than others.

Having said that (oh dear, it’s time for a negative statement! —Ed), I’ve a feeling Batman Returns may not be tough enough. There are only five stages and I managed to reach the beginning of Round 3 on my first attempt! A shame, really, ‘cos as we’ve seen before, many GG games suffer the same problem.

The grappling hook takes a bit of getting used to. I got a little frustrated with the control system at first, but after five or ten minutes, I knew what was what and playability came to the fore.

As with Spider-Man, the Game Gear proves It can throw up some corking graphics. All sprites and backdrops are great. Batman himself and the end-of-level villains (the circus strongman, Catwoman etc) are well animated. Sonics are good, with decent themes and above-average spot FX.

Batman Returns is another class GG product, superb to play, let down only by its lack of challenge.

ADE 79%

SF Rating

Presentation
86% - Superb opening sequence and stunning title screen, unlimited continues
Visuals
91% - Small yet well defined sprites, colourful backdrops and massive gum
Sonics
78% - No Batman Returns soundtrack. Shinobi-type music and sound FX
Playability
82% - Tricky to master the grappling hook but Batman responds well
Lastability
66% - Easy to complete in one day, no matter which route you take. No long lasting appeal

84%

A great film game that suffers from a lack of challenge

Producer
Sega
MD
Out
MS
n/a
Memory
256K
Players
1
Price
£24.99
Rating
84
Reviewer
Sega Force magazine
Region
UK
Scans
Sega Force - Issue 14

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