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 On 04/23/2013 at 07:38 PM by The Last Ninja See More From This User » |
A very simple yet overwhelmingly fun game
Batman is usually depicted in a dark tone; after all, he is the Dark Knight, it fits him well. Just look at the Dark Knight trilogy, which pictures the hero in a very dark and realistic way. It works perfectly. But Batman also works on the more light-hearted side. Remember the 60s Batman show with Adam West? That had to be the cheesiest show in history! The truth is, either way works for Batman.
Batman the Brave and the Bold: the Video Game is on the light-hearted side. It's based on the cartoon of the same name, which is NOT dark or realistic. This game was obviously made for kids. You'll never see a Game Over screen; a number of lives is not given to your character. If you fall off a cliff or your health bar reaches zero, you'll reappear in three seconds. It's impossible to lose! And should you reach a wall, Batman will tell you exactly what to do. The game is for kids, which is just fine (after all, hardcore gamers have their Batman games with Arkham Asylum and City). To be honest, I enjoyed just relaxing and enjoying the game (especially after playing Final Fantasy III!).
The game was released in 2010 for Wii and DS and was developed by Way Forward, so you know it's gonna be good. But it's not just "good," it's charming and fun.
The game is comprised of four episodes. Batman teams up with a new sidekick for each one; Robin, Blue Beetle, Hawkman, and Guy Gardner will all fight alongside the Caped Crusader. Each episode opens and closes with a short cartoon segment. Originally I thought they had been pulled directly from the series, but when I looked into it, I discovered that they had been animated just for the game. Bravo! On top of that, the voice actors from the cartoon lend their voices to the game, giving it even more personality and charm (this is not the kind of voice acting you'd hear in a Tales game).
Each episode is split into several levels with a boss at the end. Honestly, the best part of the game is the dialogue. While running through the level, Batman and his partner will banter back and forth about whatever. This dialogue ranges from funny to humorous to hilarious; I especially enjoyed the dialogue of the second episode as Batman had to put up with the immature Blue Beetle (who was voiced by Will Friedle, the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman from the Batman Beyond cartoon). Believe me, Warner Bros. provided A LOT of voice actors for this game.
The characters have several attacks to perform and can also use a few different items, such as the batarang and explosives. After awhile, "Charge Attack" will flash on the screen and you shake the wii remote to do a powerful attack that will down several enemies. You can also call on "jump in heroes," as the game calls them, which include several characters from the show, such as Black Canary, Plastic Man, Hal Jordan, Aqua Man, Red Tornado, and more. These heroes will say something cheesy (Green Arrow: "Quiver with fear, villains") and then fill the screen with a powerful attack. The game also has some good platforming. Batman can jump and then hover with his cape. And the game is co-op, so you and a friend can have a great time together.
The game never gets frustrating and is also just plain simple fun. I especially enjoyed a boss battle that was reminiscent of a classic space shooter. In the end, I wish they had more episodes (maybe they'll make a sequel?).
Overall, the game is charming, fun, and full of personality thanks to the voice acting and cartoon animation. I'll give it an 8.5 out of 10. Batman doesn't need to be dark to be good. This game shines due to pure fun and style. Nuff said.
Yeah since WayForward was involved, there's a good chance it has to be at least somewhat good.
Thing I liked about the cartoon it was based off of was they knew it wouldn't be as good as Batman: The Animated Series, so they just had fun with it instead.
Right, the cartoon is very kiddy, it doesn't take itself seriously (unlike the animated series and batman beyond). But it's all good and fun.
My little brother has this game and it's really fun. I'm a fan of the show and if you haven't seen it, check it out, it's awesome. I think my favorite episodes are the ones with Blue Beetle and the one about Batmite not leaving Batman alone.
You can connect the DS version of the game with the Wii to have 3 player co-op and the 3rd player controls Batmite. I like his dialogue, he says some funny stuff and his attacks can either help the other players or hinder the progress. It's a great game and great show, it reminds me of the Adam West Batman show. There's even an episode that spoofs the show lol
Yeah, I wasn't able to try out the 3 player thing, but that's pretty cool. And Batmite is funny! After you beat the game, it unlocks a challenge mode which Batmite hosts in his comic book store, and he's a riot.
Picked this up on sale and I was really glad I did.
Isn't it relaxing and enjoyable? It's a game you can just enjoy, no frustrations. More games like this should be made.
Absolutely! It's too bad it was only on the Wii for consoles. I'd love to see a release for PSN and XBLA.
The 2D animated style looks really smooth in the screen shots! I also like how Batman pairs up with a new hero in each chapter too. If I ever get a chance to play this I will. Wayforward hasn't done me wrong yet!
Definitely give it a try if you get the chance. You can probably find it cheap at Game Stop or even ebay.
If there's one thing WayForward understands, it's how to make a game fun. It's shocking how often developers these days seem more concerned with graphics or other things than making sure the gameplay is fun. So check off another win in WayForward's column 
Graphics are so overrated sometimes! Every part of a game is important, but probably the most important part is the gameplay. I mean, NES games are terribly dated with their graphics, but some of those games are still fun to play.
Guess I know what game I am going to need to get soon.
If you get the chance, get it. And if you have a child/nephew/friend that's a kid, it's the perfect game for them.
It's nice to know this is good, Brave and the Bold had to grow on me till i loved it. I might get this game for me now
Are you referring to the cartoon? I haven't seen too much of the cartoon, but it looks pretty good. It's cool how they use so many of the DC heroes together in one show. Definitely get the game if you get a chance.
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