Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum for Playstation 3
Video games - Main Level - VG BAT

Batman: Arkham Asylum for Xbox 360
Video Games - Main Level - VG BAT

It’s been a long and painful road for video game adaptations of the caped crusader. For over twenty years there has been a Batman game for systems spanning the entirety of home console history. Whether that system was a Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis, Playstation, Gamecube, Xbox, or Gameboy there has been some iteration of Batman getting defiled on it. As is commonly the case with high profile licensed material such as comic book characters or movie adaptations, the games tend to suffer because their development is based on a quick cash grab. Just make a quick Google search for E.T. for the Atari 2600, and you’ll understand why there is a landfill somewhere that consists solely of that game.

Um phone home?

However, every once in awhile there is an exception to the rule, Batman: Arkham Asylum is that exception. After capturing the Joker for one might assume the millionth time, you hand deliver him to Arkham only to be caught in the middle of a breakout where the lunatics start running the place. What makes this title so great besides the stellar graphics, top notch voice acting, and compelling story is that for the first time you actually act like Batman. You actually “gasp” do some detective work, you hide in the shadows and swoop down to take out your prey, and of course you get to use all the “wonderful toys” like the batarang. The version for Nintendo actually had Batman with a gun! Any Batman nerd will tell you how sacrilegious that is.

Ahem, well usually anyway.

All of this delivered with a pretty straightforward control scheme. Of course the game isn’t perfect but it’s pretty close. Some of the boss fights were a bit underwhelming and while you do get to take on some of the classic villains there are quite a few missed opportunities. One can only hope for a sequel that takes place in Gotham to remedy these small issues.

So who cares if it took twenty-three years for someone to develop a good Batman game, I’m still eagerly awaiting that E.T. follow-up