Batman Forever is a perplexing experience all on its own.  The original film, released in 1995 is one of the more divisive films in the entire franchise (it's neither universally loved nor universally hated).  Being a bit more kid friendly, light hearted and trying to be fun.  It's surprising then, that the video game doesn't even try to be fun or entertaining.  Batman Forever is a boring and monotonous game that came out in a time when creating video games based off movies were not always good... but they weren't exactly bad.  As a film Batman Forever is probably an okay outing.  As a video game it's a great cure for insomnia and a good lesson on how not to create a game.

I should note that Batman Forever was available on several different platforms.  The Super Nintendo version might've been slightly better than the Sega Genesis one, but merely because of the controls not necessarily because one console was better than the other.  Let's start with the basics though.  The game is based off the movie and divided into eight levels.  Before each level you get to choose two gadgets to take into each stage.  Batman has a good arsenal of tools.  You have the Bat Bola which can render enemies temporarily immobile, smoke grenades or even a device that makes you invincible so long as you're using it correctly.  Players don't just have to play as Batman either.  One can also play as Robin.  While Batman uses exclusively his fisticuffs, Robin actually has a staff he can use as well.  The two also sometimes get different gadgets they can choose from.  While Batman as pellets and grenades, for instance, Robin has a blinding light, tranquilizer darts and wrist rivets to stop enemies in their tracks.  There are also default gadgets the two have on them all the time such as the Batarang.

It may seem like Batman and Robin would play radically different, but they actually don't.  Each one of them has a set of universal tools.  Not just the batarang, but also a grappling hook to reach other layers of stages, tiny bombs to find hidden passages in the floors (and to deal damage to enemies etc.) and the same basic attacks.  Despite Robin having a staff it doesn't operate any different than Batman's fist.  The game won't be significantly easier if you use one character over another.  You might think their gadgets where they differ make a huge difference but the gadgets the game is made to favor are shared by both of them.  It might seem great to try to decide whether you should use Batman's slippery goo or Robin's Sticky goo but both tools are so horrible you'd never actually use them to begin with.  Both have the preferred Bat Bola and respective gadgets that will make them invincible when the gadget is active.  You won't find any significant difference in the characters.

Each level has lots of things to find.  There are items to pick up, enemies to vanquish and secret passages to find.  Some levels also have hidden blue prints and if you find them all you'll unlock hidden gadgets the two can use.  As with many of the gadgets, though, they're not really anything special.

The game has you traverse each of these stages, room-by-room, beating up the enemies, uncovering secrets and finding a goal.  The goal of each level isn't always specified.  While there is a small briefing before hand, most levels end once you finally get to the end and have dispatched all enemies.  Some stages have actual bosses to defeat such as Two-Face or The Riddler, but they're usually just glorified henchmen.  Most rooms just have you fight through thugs, each with a life gauge of their own.  Once it's depleted they're dead.  It's a typical beat-em up but without the usual elements that create a good beat' em up.  This isn't like Final Fight or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time.  The levels aren't short and snappy, there is nothing pressing you forward and you're on a single plain in a side scroller.  At first this is perfectly fine, but then the game begins to get really boring really fast.  Once you've played the first ten minutes or so of Batman Forever, you pretty much know everything you need to know about the game.  You walk into a room, beat up some bad guys and walk to the next room.  There aren't a lot of variations to it or specific goals you need find.  It's just you as Batman or Robin walking through a room and beating up people.  There are occasionally platforming moments, but they're frustrating thanks to the strange jumping mechanic that's made for combat and not platforming.

All of this brings together a game that's surprisingly boring to play.  The levels are lengthy but they aren't engaging.  Were it actually a traditional side scrolling beat 'em up it might've actually been okay, but instead it's a game where you go room by room.  But doing this isn't even all that great in and of itself as each time you enter a room you have to wait for the game to load each area.  For large stages with several rooms such as the first level of the game where enemies can knock you back into a previous room... this is going to get annoying.  The game even flashes the words "Hold on," each time you go to another area.  The music also isn't adding anything to this either.  It's kind of boring and repetitive... but it also doesn't really pump you up or make you feel like Batman.  Take, for example, how the SNES version of "The Adventures of Batman and Robin."  Everything about that game reminds you of the animated television show it's based on.  Here you've got nothing that reminds you you're playing a Batman game.

The game also doesn't play well.  There are far too many things to do and not enough buttons, even on the Super Nintendo, to compensate.  Your grappling hook, for instance is mapped to the "Select" button and if you want to shoot it straight up you need to press "Select+Up."  The end result is that if you don't press them both exactly at the right time you end up just shooting your grappling hook to swing normally (a moment that is only actually needed ONCE in the entire game).  This sounds pretty bad as it is, but it's a nightmare when using gadgets.  The game itself makes you use gadgets the way you use moves in Street Fighter II.  This works for Street Fighter because it's a fighting game.  Here's it's awful.  When beset upon by several enemies at once it can be annoying to enter the specific commands for your gadget.  It also doesn't help that sometimes the controls aren't responsive to the inputs.

It doesn't matter anyway, you don't need you gadgets to take down enemies anyway.  The only time it's useful to have even one (the Bat-Bola) is when taking on Two-Face who is surprisingly the only enemy that's difficult to defeat otherwise.  Aside from that, the game isn't challenging at all, it's just repetitive.  From stage 2 and further along you'll mostly run into the same enemies over and over all capable of doing very similar things.  Sure you'll come across a Riddler Thug eventually or you'll fight clowns in the circus stage but none of these enemies have much of anything that separates them from the enemies you're already facing.  There's nothing unique, nothing that's visually striking.  Two Face is likely the only enemy that seems to actually be different from the onsalught of other thugs you'll face.  Even the Riddler (who is the game's final boss, by the way) fights almost exactly like the basic enemies you'll face getting to him.

Are there good points to Batman Forever?  Sure, but even they come with an asterisk.  For instance, the game has some decent animations and is actually quite visually appealing.  But the levels themselves are repetitive, utilizing the same backgrounds and designs constantly.  The game looks good I just wish there were more of it to look at.  The level design also isn't enough to actually distract you from the same constant backgrounds appearing constantly.  It also takes just a little too long to explore every nook and cranny of the game.  Each level grades you on whether you could find all the secrets in a stage or defeated all the enemies and the like.  Completing these tasks rewards you with extra lives but the game is so simple you won't need them... and these tasks needlessly pad out the game to a length it simply doesn't need to be.  There are no greater rewards for doing so.  All it does is prolong what will already feel like a long experience.

The game also doesn't have a bad soundtrack either.  It's surprisingly good.  The opening title theme and the music that plays in the stages is actually good.  It just sounds slightly (not always but slightly) out of place for a Batman game.  But for the most part it's good.  I even found myself humming some tunes.

Batman Forever is a game that's close to being good.  But the repetitive nature of its combat and the fact that you've seen and experienced everything there is experience with the first level alone makes it less fun to play than other games.  It's a pretty boring game that, for those who have time, can use it to kill two hours, but it's going to feel like it's far longer than two hours to complete.  Visuals and music aside, there's nothing that special about Batman Forever that's going to keep you coming back to it time and time again.
Batman Forever is a perplexing experience all on its own. The original film, released in 1995 is one of the more divisive films in the entire franchise (it's neither universally loved nor universally hated). Being a bit more kid friendly, light hearted and trying to be fun. It's surprising then, that the video game doesn't even try to be fun or entertaining. Batman Forever is a boring and monotonous game that came out in a time when creating video games based off movies were not always good... but they weren't exactly bad. As a film Batman Forever is probably an okay outing. As a video game it's a great cure for insomnia and a good lesson on how not to create a game. I should note that Batman Forever was available on several different platforms. The Super Nintendo version might've been slightly better than the Sega Genesis one, but merely because of the controls not necessarily because one console was better than the other. Let's start with the basics though. The game is based off the movie and divided into eight levels. Before each level you get to choose two gadgets to take into each stage. Batman has a good arsenal of tools. You have the Bat Bola which can render enemies temporarily immobile, smoke grenades or even a device that makes you invincible so long as you're using it correctly. Players don't just have to play as Batman either. One can also play as Robin. While Batman uses exclusively his fisticuffs, Robin actually has a staff he can use as well. The two also sometimes get different gadgets they can choose from. While Batman as pellets and grenades, for instance, Robin has a blinding light, tranquilizer darts and wrist rivets to stop enemies in their tracks. There are also default gadgets the two have on them all the time such as the Batarang. It may seem like Batman and Robin would play radically different, but they actually don't. Each one of them has a set of universal tools. Not just the batarang, but also a grappling hook to reach other layers of stages, tiny bombs to find hidden passages in the floors (and to deal damage to enemies etc. ) and the same basic attacks. Despite Robin having a staff it doesn't operate any different than Batman's fist. The game won't be significantly easier if you use one character over another. You might think their gadgets where they differ make a huge difference but the gadgets the game is made to favor are shared by both of them. It might seem great to try to decide whether you should use Batman's slippery goo or Robin's Sticky goo but both tools are so horrible you'd never actually use them to begin with. Both have the preferred Bat Bola and respective gadgets that will make them invincible when the gadget is active. You won't find any significant difference in the characters. Each level has lots of things to find. There are items to pick up, enemies to vanquish and secret passages to find. Some levels also have hidden blue prints and if you find them all you'll unlock hidden gadgets the two can use. As with many of the gadgets, though, they're not really anything special. The game has you traverse each of these stages, room-by-room, beating up the enemies, uncovering secrets and finding a goal. The goal of each level isn't always specified. While there is a small briefing before hand, most levels end once you finally get to the end and have dispatched all enemies. Some stages have actual bosses to defeat such as Two-Face or The Riddler, but they're usually just glorified henchmen. Most rooms just have you fight through thugs, each with a life gauge of their own. Once it's depleted they're dead. It's a typical beat-em up but without the usual elements that create a good beat' em up. This isn't like Final Fight or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. The levels aren't short and snappy, there is nothing pressing you forward and you're on a single plain in a side scroller. At first this is perfectly fine, but then the game begins to get really boring really fast. Once you've played the first ten minutes or so of Batman Forever, you pretty much know everything you need to know about the game. You walk into a room, beat up some bad guys and walk to the next room. There aren't a lot of variations to it or specific goals you need find. It's just you as Batman or Robin walking through a room and beating up people. There are occasionally platforming moments, but they're frustrating thanks to the strange jumping mechanic that's made for combat and not platforming. All of this brings together a game that's surprisingly boring to play. The levels are lengthy but they aren't engaging. Were it actually a traditional side scrolling beat 'em up it might've actually been okay, but instead it's a game where you go room by room. But doing this isn't even all that great in and of itself as each time you enter a room you have to wait for the game to load each area. For large stages with several rooms such as the first level of the game where enemies can knock you back into a previous room... this is going to get annoying. The game even flashes the words "Hold on," each time you go to another area. The music also isn't adding anything to this either. It's kind of boring and repetitive... but it also doesn't really pump you up or make you feel like Batman. Take, for example, how the SNES version of "The Adventures of Batman and Robin. "  Everything about that game reminds you of the animated television show it's based on. Here you've got nothing that reminds you you're playing a Batman game. The game also doesn't play well. There are far too many things to do and not enough buttons, even on the Super Nintendo, to compensate. Your grappling hook, for instance is mapped to the "Select" button and if you want to shoot it straight up you need to press "Select+Up. "  The end result is that if you don't press them both exactly at the right time you end up just shooting your grappling hook to swing normally (a moment that is only actually needed ONCE in the entire game). This sounds pretty bad as it is, but it's a nightmare when using gadgets. The game itself makes you use gadgets the way you use moves in Street Fighter II. This works for Street Fighter because it's a fighting game. Here's it's awful. When beset upon by several enemies at once it can be annoying to enter the specific commands for your gadget. It also doesn't help that sometimes the controls aren't responsive to the inputs. It doesn't matter anyway, you don't need you gadgets to take down enemies anyway. The only time it's useful to have even one (the Bat-Bola) is when taking on Two-Face who is surprisingly the only enemy that's difficult to defeat otherwise. Aside from that, the game isn't challenging at all, it's just repetitive. From stage 2 and further along you'll mostly run into the same enemies over and over all capable of doing very similar things. Sure you'll come across a Riddler Thug eventually or you'll fight clowns in the circus stage but none of these enemies have much of anything that separates them from the enemies you're already facing. There's nothing unique, nothing that's visually striking. Two Face is likely the only enemy that seems to actually be different from the onsalught of other thugs you'll face. Even the Riddler (who is the game's final boss, by the way) fights almost exactly like the basic enemies you'll face getting to him. Are there good points to Batman Forever? Sure, but even they come with an asterisk. For instance, the game has some decent animations and is actually quite visually appealing. But the levels themselves are repetitive, utilizing the same backgrounds and designs constantly. The game looks good I just wish there were more of it to look at. The level design also isn't enough to actually distract you from the same constant backgrounds appearing constantly. It also takes just a little too long to explore every nook and cranny of the game. Each level grades you on whether you could find all the secrets in a stage or defeated all the enemies and the like. Completing these tasks rewards you with extra lives but the game is so simple you won't need them... and these tasks needlessly pad out the game to a length it simply doesn't need to be. There are no greater rewards for doing so. All it does is prolong what will already feel like a long experience. The game also doesn't have a bad soundtrack either. It's surprisingly good. The opening title theme and the music that plays in the stages is actually good. It just sounds slightly (not always but slightly) out of place for a Batman game. But for the most part it's good. I even found myself humming some tunes. Batman Forever is a game that's close to being good. But the repetitive nature of its combat and the fact that you've seen and experienced everything there is experience with the first level alone makes it less fun to play than other games. It's a pretty boring game that, for those who have time, can use it to kill two hours, but it's going to feel like it's far longer than two hours to complete. Visuals and music aside, there's nothing that special about Batman Forever that's going to keep you coming back to it time and time again.