22 Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
21 Batman Forever: The Arcade Game
Despite being based on the highly successful Batman Forever movie, Batman Forever: The Arcade Game is forgotten by many gamers due to being released on home consoles almost a year after the movie had come out in theaters. While it isn’t a great game by any means, it is so off-the-wall crazy that it has to be included.Just as how the Batman movies changed direction under Joel Schumacher from Tim Burton, this game tosses out the window any seriousness the previous games based on the films had. In the place of moody and tense cutscenes are Batman and Robin smashing endless armies of criminals with screen-clearing super moves and Street Fighter esque button combos. This beat-em-up is certainly flashy, and while most people likely won’t play it more than twice, Batman Forever is a sensory trip any Batman fan should try out.
20 Batman: Rise Of Sin Tzu
Batman: Rise Of Sin Tzu occupies a unique place in Batman gaming history. Although it uses the designs and overall continuity of the New Batman Adventures TV show, it stars an original villain named Sin Tzu who seeks out the toughest opponents to defeat them in combat. Naturally, this draws him into the cross-hairs of Batman.At its core, this game is a surprisingly difficult beat-em-up where Batman fights through legions of henchmen before ending each stage with a boss who has been broken out by Sin Tzu. You can level up and buy new combos but most importantly, you and up to four friends can play as Batman, Robin (Tim Drake), Nightwing, or Batgirl. Rise of Sin Tzu is at its best with four players, and while it will never be topping any best Batman games lists, it is a fun enough time to play once.
19 Batman: Vengeance
Context is important when revisiting aged products; for instance, Batman: Vengeance does not have much to offer a modern player looking to experience a Dark Knight-themed 3D romp. Based on The New Batman Adventures, the game is a fairly faithful adaptation of that series, and Vengeance is at its best when focusing on its narrative.The gameplay is not awful for its era, but it is never anything more than just acceptable. Still, if someone has a deep fondness for Batman AND early 3D action-adventure games, they might get a kick out of Vengeance.
18 Batman Begins
While the story of the canceled The Dark Knight game has been told before, what’s often forgotten is that the film’s prequel, Batman Begins, actually did receive a moderately successful game of its own.RELATED: Best & Worst Batman Games That Are NOT Arkham Developed by Eurocom, Batman Begins can best be described as a cross between Splinter Cell (because of its stealth sequences) and, of all things, the Burnout series (because of its Batmobile driving sections). While the game never comes too close to the level of quality of either of those series, it nonetheless is a fun adventure that arguably set the template for the Arkham series that came after it.
17 Batman: The Brave And The Bold – The Videogame
16 Batman Returns (SNES)
Back in the 16-bit console era, it would have been quite impossible for Batman games to have heavily detailed stealth or detective mechanics. Thus, fans received mostly linear side-scrollers, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t fun. Case in point, Konami’s classic Batman Returns on the Super Nintendo.Aside from a single Batmobile driving level, the game follows the events of the movie as Batman fights Catwoman, The Penguin, and endless legions of thugs from a beat-em-up perspective. While the game is hardly revolutionary, the graphics have aged quite well and the controls are solid, making its combat highly satisfying. Its cheap bosses knock it down a peg compared to other beat-em-ups on the SNES, but it’s still fun to throw criminals into glass windows after stunning them with a Batarang.
15 Gotham Knights
14 Batman: The Video Game (NES)
Retro gamers still loyal to Nintendo’s breakout console still swear by this Batman title and after playing it, it’s easy to understand why.RELATED: DC: Things Only Comic Readers Noticed About Michael Keaton’s Batman Batman on the NES is a simple side-scroller where players must reach the end of a stage, beat a boss, and move on to the next one until they reach The Joker. From its wall-jumping puzzles to its various weapon power-ups, the game plays extremely similar to Ninja Gaiden on the same console, which isn’t a bad template for an 8-bit Batman title. What puts this over the edge of many other Batman movie games, though, is its presentation. The 8-bit cutscenes look amazing for their time and its soundtrack shines on a system known for classic soundtracks. Very much worth the time of any Batman fan.
13 Batman: The Telltale Series
12 The Adventures Of Batman And Robin
Years later, Batman: Animated Series is still regarded as the most excellent cartoon adaption of DC’s hero. This can be credited to its engrossing stories and top-notch voice acting. Season 2 of the Batman: Animated Series was rebranded as The Adventures of Batman and Robin, and the television series inspired a game of the same name.The Adventures of Batman and Robin is a solid romp for its era, delivering decent visuals and gameplay during its standard side-scrolling levels. Using passwords to save progress wasn’t ideal and the Batmobile sections did not quite come together, but The Adventures of Batman and Robin served as a respectable extension of the cartoon.
11 LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
10 Injustice: Gods Among Us
9 Batman: Arkham VR
Rocksteady Studios is synonymous with the Caped Crusader, but this association does not stem from Batman: Arkham VR’s brilliance. This project is undoubtedly the developer’s least impressive foray into DC’s universe, even if it is still fairly decent. Prior to jumping into this virtual reality package, fans should temper expectations as this is a rather restricted experience. The thought of viewing the world through Batman’s eyes is enticing, and Arkham VR scratches that itch to a certain extent. As Bruce Wayne, players step into his alter-ego’s shoes as they head out to investigate a murder mystery. Featuring appearances by many figures found in Rocksteady’s mainline Arkham games, this project tells an effective storyline that would not seem out of place on the pages of a comic. Batman’s detective skills are put front and center, and this aspect of the campaign is reasonably immersive.Otherwise, Batman: Arkham VR is lacking in content. The game has no combat, which is arguably the most beloved part of Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy, and the controls can be clumsy at times. While die-hard Dark Knight fans will probably get a kick out of this project, Arkham VR is not a must-play release.
