Batman is a 1989 action-platformer for the NES, developed and published by Sunsoft to coincide with Tim Burton’s film. Across five stages set in Gotham City, you guide the Dark Knight through waves of the Joker’s henchmen toward a final confrontation. Sunsoft’s version is widely regarded as one of the better licensed games on the platform — tight controls, a memorable soundtrack, and a wall-jump mechanic that sets it apart from most NES platformers.
How to play
Move with the arrow keys. Z (B button) jumps; X (A button) punches nearby enemies or throws your equipped special weapon at range. Shift (Select) cycles through collected weapons, including batarangs. Enter (Start) pauses.
The wall-jump is central to the game. While airborne, press toward a wall to cling to it, then press jump again to launch off in the other direction. Most vertical sections require chaining several wall-jumps in sequence — practise the timing in the opening stage before it becomes mandatory later.
Tips
- Save your special weapons for boss fights. Punching handles most regular enemies efficiently and keeps your ammo in reserve.
- Take wall-jump practice seriously in Stage 1. The mechanic seems optional at first but is essential in later stages.
- Study enemy attack patterns before engaging — most have predictable cycles with clear openings.
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