Software:Batman: Return of the Joker

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For the Batman Beyond film, see Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Short description: 1991 video game
Batman: Return of the Joker
North American NES box art
Developer(s)Sunsoft[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Sunsoft
Designer(s)Yoshiaki Iwata
Tadashi Kojima
Programmer(s)NES
H. Suzuki
Hirokatsu Fujii
Game Boy
Michio Okasaka
Genesis
Chris Oke
Artist(s)Genesis
Lance Hutto
Karen Finch
Klee Miller
Chris Oke
Simon Finch
Ed Ringler
Composer(s)NES
Naoki Kodaka
Game Boy
Manami Matsumae
Genesis
Tommy Tallarico
SeriesBatman
Platform(s)NES, Game Boy, Sega Genesis
Release
Genre(s)Run and gun
Platform (Game Boy)
Mode(s)Single-player

Batman: Return of the Joker[lower-alpha 2] is a 1991 run and gun video game, the follow-up to Sunsoft's first Batman game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike that game, which was based on the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton, Return of the Joker is entirely self-contained and based more on the modern comic book iteration of Batman, but the Batmobile and the Batwing are featured from the 1989 film. A remake of Return of the Joker, titled Batman: Revenge of the Joker, was released on the Sega Genesis by Ringler Studios in 1992. A Super NES version of Revenge of the Joker was completed but never officially released; a ROM image surfaced online in later years.[6]

A completely different version of the game was released on the Game Boy in 1992.

Gameplay

NES version

In Batman: Return of the Joker, the titular hero is on journey to the Joker's secret hide-out after called by Gotham City to find metals stolen by the Joker, one of which is highly toxic and used to build explosives for missiles.[7] The NES version of Batman: Return of the Joker consists of seven stages, each of which have two sub-levels (except for the last stage) and a boss level (except for the second and fifth stages); from beginning to end, they are the Gotham City cathedral, the Joker's warehouse, a snowy mountain, a refinery, an underground conduit, an ammunition base, and the Island of Ha-Hacienda.[8] Although Batman has three lives, the game has unlimited continues[9] and stage passwords that can be accessed by pausing the game.[10] The game's five bosses include the Ace Ranger, a Minedroid, the Master C.P.U. of the refinery, and two battles with the Joker;[8] for regular levels, Batman's health is represented in increments, but in the boss stages, both Batman and the boss's life meters are represented in numbers.[11]

Return of the Joker is a side-scrolling run and gun platformer.[12][13] Batman's weapon is a wrist projector[14] which the player change its type of ammunition by collecting icons throughout the levels: "C" icons for the crossbow, which shoots arrows that makes an enemy explode, "B" icons for "Batarangs", where its direction follows the movement of on-screen enemies, N for "Sonic Neutralizers" that shoots two patterns of Batarangs in a criss-cross shape, and "S" for "Shield Stars" that shoots three darts going separate directions.[15] Batman can slide by pressing the A-button and down on the D-pad, a move that is also an attack (although it only works against some enemies).[14] Batman can also collect energy capsules that, if eight are obtained, will make him become invincible for a few seconds.[15]

Game Boy version

The Game Boy version, unlike the NES version where the character shoots, is only a platformer.[13]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game BoyNESSega Genesis
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[16]StarStarHalf star[17]
CVG79%[18]59%[19]
EGM29/40[lower-alpha 3]29/40[lower-alpha 3]
GamePro17/20[lower-alpha 4]3/5[23]
GamesMaster68%[24]
GameZone78/100[25]
Jeuxvideo.com15/20[26]
Nintendo Power3.6/5[lower-alpha 6]3.85/5[lower-alpha 5]
ONM78%[29]
Total!86%[31]64%[30]
Game Zero50.5/100[33]
Nintendo Acción2.75/4[lower-alpha 7]
GB Action83%[35]
N-Force82%[36]
Mega67%[37]
Mega Drive Advanced Gaming78%[38]
Mean Machines Sega68%[39]
MegaTech75%[40]
Sega Force60/100[41]
Sega Pro84%[42]
Sega Zone81/100[43]
Award
PublicationAward
Nintendo PowerGame of the Year (nominee)[44]

Dave Cook of Nintendo Life wrote that while Batman: Return of the Joker was "fun and challenging it doesn't feel as revolutionary as its predecessor despite being a commendable effort".[45]

Syfy Wire, in 2017, ranked the NES version of Batman: Return of the Joker the fourth most essential DC Comics video game adaptation to play.[46] Den of Geek ranked the Game Boy version the 22nd most underrated Game Boy game, praising its return of wall-jumping and beat 'em up mechanics of the 1989 Batman NES title, although complained about its limited continues.[47]

In 2019, IGN ranked the game's final boss the third best video game portrayal of the Joker of all-time.[48]

The Gamer, in 2020, claimed Return of the Joker to be the best-looking NES game ever, reasoning that the "sprites are fluid, the game's color palette is moody & atmospheric, and the backgrounds are as fleshed out as can be for an NES game".[49] Yacht Club Games artist Nick Wozniak has named the game's Batman sprite as one of his all-time favorite in games: "As an adult, I was in shock at what I was seeing… There's only ever one or two humanoid enemies on screen because they are completely bombing the NES with the graphics. They give him a powerup where he turns gold and he shoots a bunch of guys. It's like Super Batman. They don't care".[50]

The Gamer has also called it one of the best all-time Batman video games: "The graphics are surprisingly spritely for an early 90s game, with entertaining gameplay and an intriguing storyline helping make this game an enjoyable experience".[12] It has also been ranked the ninth-best Batman game by Uproxx[51] and the tenth-best by IGN Spain.[52] In a worst-to-best list of Batman video games by The Things, Return of the Joker came in number 12: "Almost everyone who reviewed it remarked on how amazing the graphics and backgrounds were. This was 16-bit quality on 8-bit machines. The gameplay wasn't as good as the prior Batman game, but only just. Building off the '89 game, combat-focused from attacks to gadgets, giving players greater variety. A better difficulty curve was also introduced".[53]

Notes

  1. ↑ Genesis version developed by Ringler Studios.
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as Dynamite Batman (Japanese: ダイナマイトバットマン, Hepburn: Dainamaito Battoman)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 In Electronic Gaming Monthly's reviews of both the Game Boy version and the NES version, two critics gave it an 8/10, one a 7/10, and another a 6/10.[20][21]
  4. ↑ GamePro gave the NES version a 5/5 for graphics and four 4/5 ratings for sound, gameplay, fun factor, and challenge.[22]
  5. ↑ Nintendo Power gave the NES version a 4.3/5 for graphics/sound, a 3.5/5 for challenge/excitement, and two 3.8/5 ratings for play control and theme/fun.[27]
  6. ↑ Nintendo Power gave the Game Boy version 3.9/5 for graphics/sound, 3.4/5 for play control, 3.5/5 for challenge, and 3.6/5 for theme/fun.[28]
  7. ↑ Nintendo Acción gave the NES version three 3/4 ratings for graphics, gameplay, and fun, and a 2/4 score for sound.[34]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf. 
  2. ↑ "All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest". Famitsu. https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/. 
  3. ↑ "Game Boy (original) Games". Nintendo of America. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "GAMEBOY Software List 1992" (in ja). http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTM1_GB1992.html. 
  5. ↑ "Re-Animated: Comics to Carts". GamePro (IDG) (38): 26. September 1992. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_038_September_1992/page/n27/mode/1up. 
  6. ↑ Kurland, Daniel (July 23, 2020). "SNES: 10 Rare Super Nintendo Games You Can Only Find On Emulators". Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/snes-super-nintendo-games-only-emulators/. 
  7. ↑ NES instruction manual 1991, p. 4.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 NES instruction manual 1991, p. 12.
  9. ↑ NES instruction manual 1991, p. 11.
  10. ↑ NES instruction manual 1991, p. 10.
  11. ↑ NES instruction manual 1991, p. 9.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Handke, Tobias (August 27, 2018). "The 15 Best Batman Video Games Ever (And 14 That Are Embarrassing)". The Gamer. https://www.thegamer.com/batman-video-games-best-least-all-time/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Davis, Justin (October 4, 2014). "A Complete History of Batman Video Games". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/08/a-complete-history-of-batman-video-games. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 NES instruction manual 1991, p. 6.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 NES instruction manual 1991, p. 7.
  16. ↑ Miller, Skyler. "Batman: Return of the Joker". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1153&tab=review. 
  17. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan. "Batman: Revenge of the Joker". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1526. 
  18. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". Go! (9): 6–7. 
  19. ↑ Anglin, Paul (April 1993). "Batman: Revenge of the Joker". Computer and Video Games (137): 40. 
  20. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Sushi-X (May 1992). "Batman: Return of the Joker". Electronic Gaming Monthly (34): 32. 
  21. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Sushi-X (November 1991). "Batman 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly (28): 20. 
  22. ↑ Earth Angel (December 1991). "Batman: Return of the Joker". GamePro (29): 26–27. 
  23. ↑ Scary Larry (May 1993). "Batman: Revenge of the Joker". GamePro (46): 56. 
  24. ↑ Leach, James (April 1993). "Revenge of the Joker". GamesMaster (4): 42–43. 
  25. ↑ "Batman Return of the Joker". GameZone (12): 58–59. October 1992. 
  26. ↑ L'avis de Greatkev (June 16, 2011). "Batman: Return of the Joker" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00015184-batman-return-of-the-joker-test.htm. 
  27. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". Nintendo Power 31: 8–17. December 1991. 
  28. ↑ "Your Guide to the Latest Releases". Nintendo Power 36: 105. May 1992. 
  29. ↑ Radion Automatic, Julian; Rignall (September 1992). "Batman: Return of the Joker". Nintendo Magazine System (1): 60–63. 
  30. ↑ "Total! Recall". Total! (14): 90. February 1993. 
  31. ↑ James (October 1992). "Batman: Return of the Joker". Total! (10): 70–71. 
  32. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". Zero (36): 80–81. October 1991. 
  33. ↑ Batman II, Return of the Joker. 1. July 1992. http://www.gamezero.com/team-0/final_word/nes/batman_2_return_joker.html. Retrieved September 17, 2020. 
  34. ↑ "Batman Return of the Joker" (in es). Nintendo Acción (4): 60–61. 
  35. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". GB Action (1): 20–21. June 1992. 
  36. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". N-Force (2): 47. August 1992. 
  37. ↑ Mellerick, Paul (April 1993). "Batman Revenge of the Joker". Mega (7): 46–47. 
  38. ↑ Nick (May 1993). "Batman Revenge of the Joker". Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (9): 26–27. 
  39. ↑ "Batman: Return of the Joker". Mean Machines Sega (7): 50–52. April 1993. 
  40. ↑ "Batman Revenge of the Joker". MegaTech (16): 58–59. April 1993. 
  41. ↑ "Batman: Revenge of the Joker". Sega Force (17): 82–84. May 1993. 
  42. ↑ Wekh, Robbie (April 1993). "Batman: Revenge of the Joker". Sega Pro (18): 50–51. 
  43. ↑ "Batman Revenge Of the Joker". Sega Zone (7): 42–43. May 1993. 
  44. ↑ "Nintendo Power Awards '92: The NESTERS! And the nominees are". Nintendo Power (46): 96–9. March 1993. https://archive.org/details/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20046%20%28March%201993%29/page/n103/mode/2up. 
  45. ↑ Cook, Dave (March 24, 2016). "Feature: Batman V Superman In The Battle Of The Nintendo Games". Nintendo Life. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/03/feature_batman_v_superman_in_the_battle_of_the_nintendo_games. 
  46. ↑ "WATCH: 7 essential DC Comics video games that will make you feel like a superhero (or supervillain)". Syfy Wire. December 29, 2017. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/watch-7-essential-dc-comics-video-games-that-will-make-you-feel-like-a-superhero-or. 
  47. ↑ Freiberg, Chris (August 27, 2018). "25 Underrated Game Boy Games". Den of Geek. https://www.denofgeek.com/games/25-underrated-game-boy-games/. 
  48. ↑ Adler, Matthew (October 12, 2019). "The 5 Best Versions of Joker in Video Games, Ranked". IGN. https://sea.ign.com/batman-arkham-city-1/154266/feature/the-5-best-versions-of-joker-in-video-games-ranked. 
  49. ↑ Fontes, Renan (August 4, 2020). "10 Classic NES Games That Still Look Amazing Today". Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/classic-nes-games-still-look-amazing-today/. 
  50. ↑ Kohler, Chris (July 30, 2014). "The 8 Best Sprites in Videogame History". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2014/07/the-best-video-game-sprites-ever/#slide-8. Retrieved September 17, 2020. 
  51. ↑ Birch, Nathan (March 24, 2016). "Digital Dark Knight: Ranking The Titles That Prove Batman Is A Video Game Winner". Uproxx. https://uproxx.com/gaming/10-best-batman-video-games/. 
  52. ↑ Soriano, David (July 21, 2015). "Los mejores juegos de Batman" (in es). IGN Spain. https://es.ign.com/batman-heroe/95094/feature/los-mejores-juegos-de-batman. 
  53. ↑ Duval, Nicholas (May 23, 2019). "Batman: Every Video Game From Worst To Best, Officially Ranked". The Things. https://www.thethings.com/batman-every-game-worst-best-ranked/. 

Bibliography

  • Batman: Return of the Joker (NES) instruction manual. Sunsoft. 1991. pp. 1–12. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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