Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Developer: Kemco Publisher: Ubisoft

Released: December 13, 2000 Rated: E 2/10

Sadly, the only video game based on the wildly successful and unique Batman Beyond series, Return of the Joker is a game defined by a pitifully tangible lack of effort. A single-player beat-em-up is already a less-than-ideal format, though not automatically a lost cause. It just takes follow-through and attention towards a few key areas — strong pacing, enemy variety and AI, interesting visuals, and, of course, some satisfying combat mechanics — all of which the caped crusader has pulled off before in Batman Returns for the SNES. But while Konami in the early ‘90s could bang out a solid brawler in their sleep, Kemco in the new millennium had far more to prove. Which they of course failed at every turn, even while being given the license of one of the most interesting versions of Batman up to that point in history.

For starters, this game is an hour long. Maybe. And in the beat-em-up genre, that might not seem like a bad thing, but when offering basically zero replayability even if the gameplay were passable, this has to be a huge strike even for those who can get past the rest of the whole dreadful package. You really have to hope most who played this back upon release merely rented it, as even then it’s hardly able to fill out a Friday night’s worth of play. It could be argued that the option to utilize four different suits and their individual stats and moves is the key factor in its replay value, but much like their accompanying gadgets and sub-weapons, the variations between the standard, offensive, defensive, and nimble suits are barely meaningful in the course of the tedious gameplay. It’s not that their differences aren’t made clear, as both the suits’ unique movements and various items’ animations are about the only decent visual detail on offer. It’s just that there is next to zero effectiveness to any combat mechanic whatsoever. Blocking is useless. Hit boxes are so wonky on both Batman and enemies that dodging is nearly impossible. No item does more damage than Batman’s regular punches and kicks, making spamming the basic attacks and running around in circles to avoid retaliation the only viable approach to every single fight.

It’s just a boring and frustrating game that only has two types of enemy interaction — button mashing before they can retaliate or walking in circles in front of them so you can get a quick shot in and repeat the process a dozen times. Add in some unnecessary and possibly even worse-controlling platforming sections and there’s just nothing right with this gameplay, even if using the Bat Discus or Bat Nunchaku sounds like it should be fun.

Of course, the game is also offensively ugly and somehow still depressingly dull. For a cartoon with such a striking visual identity for its time, it’s crazy just how boring and basic Batman Beyond looks. I know the settings laid out by the movie plot don’t necessarily work in the developers’ favor, but the drab warehouse look can only give you so many miles. Audio design is even worse still, with what feels like maybe three tracks on offer throughout the whole game, all very thin and repetitive. Perhaps the only redeeming quality would be the cutscene dialogue and visuals, as being able to actually use a lot of the source material, including the plot of the film, gives something of a leg up that is rather difficult to waste in that regard. Still, if you’re a fan, you can just go and watch that.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is the worst kind of licensed garbage. I’m not convinced that this game was ever supposed to be anything other than its finished product. That product was just doomed from the start, lacking inspiration, effort, or refinement. Something about a beat-em-up at this point in gaming actually feels as though it suggests that kind of laziness, as despite the genre being a classic and beloved style, it had certainly fallen out of favor in the early 3D era, and it takes a lot of balance, refinement, and clever design to make one work following the genre’s golden era. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker hasn’t got even the faintest twinkle in its eye to help make that happen.

Continuing Legacy

Batman’s overall video game legacy has as many ups and downs as any other comic book character, while being arguably the most prolific. Unfortunately, many more of those low points would come over the next several years while Ubisoft and Kemco were handling the license. Releases like Dark Tomorrow and Rise of Sin Tzu would leave a lot to be desired. On the other hand, the Dark Knight has also seen some of the DC legion’s highest highs, with the Arkham Asylum series yet to have a truly bad game, and the first two entries being some of the most well-received games of all time.

Additional Information

Saves: None

Compatible with: Rumble Pak

Players: 1

Print Guides: None

Aggregate Critical Reception (GameRankings): 30.50%, based on two reviews

Other Releases: EU, December 15, 2000