Back in 1989, I was 15 years old and big into Batman; not the DC Comics series as much as the Batman movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/Joker. I remember going to see Batman on my birthday, wearing my blue T-shirt with the Batman logo prominently emblazoned across the chest; at the time, the movie was an awesome spectacle of darkness and Tim Burtonesque quirkiness. Despite being a well-known and accomplished comedic actor with dramatic chops, Michael Keaton was surprisingly effective as Batman, and Jack Nicholson was, as always, excellent as the demented Joker. In my lifetime, I would end up watching that movie well over 10 times. Even today, Batman is still eminently watchable, despite the existence of two superlative films directed by Christopher Nolan: Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008).
In 1990, Sunsoft released Batman: The Video Game for the NES. I got this game for Christmas; and, I don't remember asking for the game, but I'm glad that my mom and dad got it for me because, even today, this side-scrolling platformer is still a classic on the NES. As you may have guessed, you play as Batman and start out in the middle of the action with the Joker's flame-throwing and dashing minions gunning for you. Ground-level robots with retracting spikes, mobile mines, and hulking robots comprise some of the drones, which you can dispatch with Bat-a-rangs, Bat-gun rockets, some spread weapon that launches three shurikens, or your fists. Batman also has a very effective wall jump technique, which is much easier to master than Samus Aran's wall jump in Super Metroid. The game features wonderfully catchy 8-bit music, moody scenery, and smooth animation for an NES game.
Of course, as with any Batman game, movie, or comic book, there is violence: Batman punches, Bat-a-rangs (if that can be rendered a verb), and assaults baddies left and right with almost-reckless abandon. Such is the nature of the Batman mythos -- a one-man (or two, counting Robin/Nightwing) crime-stopping show. But, I put the violence in context: Batman is a crimefighter who fights for the poor and defenseless and stands against the tyranny of megalomaniacal supervillains and amoral thugs. On a level of principle, Batman stands in the gap by saving flawed humanity from itself; I am not likening him to Christ, but his sacrifice undergirds the "violence."
That said, children do not make such distinctions; after all, punching
someone is punching someone, and kids may take what they see in this game and translate it to real-world actions. Because of this, I caution people about exposure to this game, though discussions can be had regarding why Batman fights. In my opinion, children may understand the heroic nature of Batman's actions; and, fortunately, the NES' presentation of Batman is somewhat filtered through 8-bit graphics and sound, thus separating the violence from the blood and bruises of more realistic fare, such as in games and movies today.
Batman: The Video Game is often touted as one of the top 10 or top 20 games on the NES, and for good reason: the graphics and music are top-notch, gameplay is smooth and responsive, and the action is non-stop. Anyway, I have a soft spot for comic book heroes. I used to collect all the X-Men titles, as well as Spider-Man, Hulk, and other Marvel comic book series. Superheroes remind us of that innate yearning in all people for a savior to stand up against evil. At least, that's how I see superheroes, and you may feel the same way, though the in-game violence may be an issue. For more on this discussion, please refer to my previous post by clicking here and here.
