Batman is one of many licenses that never saw a game release on the Atari 2600 console. One fan, Magovinna over on AtariAge, is fixing that oversight. Currently just titled “Batman”, this game is interesting already.
Batman was originally introduced to fans in May of 1939 – quite a few years ago. He is DC Comics “Caped Crusader” who has a moral compass that keeps him from going “too far” even with his arch nemesis, Joker. Over the decades, Batman has done something the lead man of DC Comics could never achieve. Batman’s rogue’s gallery blows away Superman’s many times over.
Batman has enemies that fit his character, unlike Superman. Though in Supes defense, how do you create a challenge for a character that is basically a god?
Batman often fights Joker and that is not changing in this Atari 2600 game. Ultimately, the Clown Prince of Crime is your final battle.
Graphically, this is probably as good as a Batman game is going to get on the Atari 2600. The sprite for Batman is quite clear and easy to understand. The enemies are also extremely detailed in a minimalist format.
Sadly, there is no duck here. That is going to be a deal breaker for many. As you can see from the video, I received many mandatory hits because of this lack of gameplay features.
That does increase the difficulty though. This version is already super hard as it is.
I do want to point out, the gameplay footage was acquired using Stella. I am not sure of the settings needed to make the video not flicker so much. Playing it on my computer, such as recording the footage, it does not flicker like that, at least not that bad.
Head over to AtariAge and follow the development of this title, say hi to the creator, and show some support. It helps keep people motivated.
