NES Action Platformer 1990

Batman

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

Sunsoft's 1990 NES action-platformer based on the Tim Burton film — Batman follows Bruce Wayne as the Dark Knight through Gotham fighting Joker's gang with punches, kicks, Batarangs, and Batdiscs across five stages with tight platformer controls and Sunsoft's remarkable NES music. One of the finest licensed NES games.

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💡 Batman — Key Facts

→ Batman was developed by Sunsoft and published by Sunsoft
→ Released in 1990 on NES
→ Genre: Action, Platformer
→ We rate it 9/10 — an absolute classic
→ Sunsoft's 1990 NES action-platformer based on the Tim Burton film — Batman follows Bruce Wayne as the Dark Knight through Gotham fighting Joker's gang with punches, kicks, Batarangs, and Batdiscs across five stages with tight platformer controls and Sunsoft's remarkable NES music. One of the finest licensed NES games.

Overview

Batman can jump off walls. This changes everything.

The wall-jump in Sunsoft’s 1990 NES game transforms what’s possible in Gotham’s vertical environments. Two walls close together become a climbing path. A single wall creates a trajectory correction mid-jump. The mechanic isn’t just a platformer technique — it’s the game’s statement about what Batman can do that other NES characters can’t.

The Wall-Jump

Pressing into a vertical surface while jumping pushes off in the opposite direction. Between two close walls, the sequence is: jump, touch left wall, push right to jump off, touch right wall, push left to jump off — ascending between walls with alternating jumps until the top is reached.

Players who discover this in Batman’s early stages spend time on the discovery. The vertical traversal it enables isn’t immediately obvious until the first moment of pressing against a wall mid-jump and finding the game responds with exactly the right physics.

The Weapons

The Batarang flies straight across the screen. The Batdisc spreads in three directions. The Speargun goes up.

Three throwable weapons with three distinct geometries create coverage for any approach angle. The Batarang for forward enemies, the Batdisc for grouped enemies, the Speargun for enemies at height. Batman’s punch and kick handle close-range; the throws handle everything else.

The combination of wall-jump traversal and three-weapon coverage makes Batman feel like a complete capability set. There’s a tool for every problem the game presents.

Sunsoft’s Sound

Naoki Kodaka made music for Batman that the NES hardware wasn’t supposed to be able to produce. Heavy bass lines, melodic themes with development, drum patterns that drove stage action with rhythm rather than just providing background texture.

The Batman NES soundtrack is cited alongside Castlevania, Mega Man 2, and Contra as the finest NES music. It stands up to that company. It’s what Gotham sounds like in 8-bit — dark and driving and exactly right for the Tim Burton aesthetic it was scoring.

Our Review

Outstanding / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

🎵

Audio

★★★★★

🔄

Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

Batman is a side-scrolling action-platformer following the 1989 film's narrative across five stages culminating in the Gotham Cathedral battle against the Joker. Batman's moveset includes: punches and jump kicks for close-range combat, and three throwable weapons — Batarang (standard straight-throw), Batdisc (spread throw), and Speargun — each available with limited ammunition. Batman can also wall-jump between vertical surfaces by pressing against a wall and jumping — a movement technique unique in 1990 NES games. The wall-jump allows reaching platforms not accessible by standard jumping and creates fluid vertical movement through Gotham environments. Enemy types escalate through the stages with boss encounters including Killer Moth, Electrocutioner, and ultimately the Joker.

Graphics

Batman's NES visuals deliver detailed sprite work for the Dark Knight with Tim Burton film aesthetic — the cape, the cowl, the Batsuit details are clearly rendered. Stage environments reflect Gotham's art deco architecture. Boss designs match the film's villain aesthetic.

Audio

Sunsoft's Batman NES soundtrack is among the most celebrated in the NES library — Naoki Kodaka's compositions created driving, atmospheric Gotham music that exceeded what most 1990 NES games achieved. The main theme and stage themes are recognized by NES players decades later as exceptional 8-bit composition.

Replayability

Five stages with the wall-jump mechanic and three weapon types create a complete action-platformer experience. Batman's tight controls reward mastery of the wall-jump traversal system.

Historical Significance

Batman (NES, 1990) is consistently cited as one of the finest licensed NES games and one of Sunsoft's best NES productions. Sunsoft's NES technical capabilities — particularly their audio programming — were exceptional, and Batman showcases this alongside tight gameplay. The wall-jump mechanic predated or was contemporary with similar wall-jump mechanics in other 1990s action games. Sunsoft made multiple Batman games for NES and later platforms (Batman Returns, Batman: Return of the Joker) but the 1990 Batman is the most acclaimed. Naoki Kodaka's soundtrack has been independently released and covered by musicians.

✅ Pros

+ Wall-jump mechanic creates fluid vertical platformer movement
+ Naoki Kodaka's acclaimed NES soundtrack
+ Three throwable weapon types with distinct combat applications
+ Tight controls and precise platformer design
+ One of NES's finest licensed action games

❌ Cons

- Five stages is short
- Lives system can create progress resets
- Some weapons less useful than others
- Closely tied to 1989 film — players unfamiliar with Burton aesthetic miss context

Also Known As

Batman NESBatman the Video Game NESバットマン

Batman FAQ

What is the wall-jump mechanic in Batman NES?

Batman's wall-jump is one of the game's defining mechanics — pressing against a vertical wall surface while jumping causes Batman to jump off the wall in the opposite direction. Alternating wall-jumps between two close vertical surfaces allows Batman to scale upward between walls, reaching heights impossible through standard jumping alone. The mechanic is essential for navigating certain sections of Gotham's vertical environments and creates fluid movement that feels physically plausible for a character who can wall-scale. The wall-jump implementation in Batman NES was technically accomplished — requiring precise input timing but responding consistently. Players who discover the wall-jump's scope understand significantly more of each stage's optional paths and secrets.

What weapons does Batman use in the NES game?

Batman has three throwable weapons alongside his standard punch and jump kick. The Batarang is the standard throwing weapon — a straight horizontal throw that travels across the screen and defeats enemies in its path. The Batdisc shoots in three directions simultaneously (forward and diagonally) — useful against enemy groupings or when precision targeting is difficult. The Speargun fires upward with a rope attachment — useful for specific vertical targets and as a traversal tool in some sections. All three weapons have limited ammunition collected from defeated enemies or pickups. The Batarang is the most versatile default throw; the Batdisc clears groups; the Speargun handles specific threats. Batman's punch and jump kick remain available when weapons are depleted.

Who composed the Batman NES soundtrack?

Naoki Kodaka composed the Batman NES soundtrack — a collection of tracks that became some of the most celebrated in the NES library. The stage themes use Sunsoft's distinctive NES audio programming approach: bass-heavy, driving compositions with melodic development that exceeded what most NES games achieved with the same hardware. Sunsoft was known for technically accomplished NES audio work (also demonstrated in Blaster Master, Journey to Silius, and other titles), and Batman represents their compositional peak alongside Return of the Joker. Kodaka's Batman compositions have been performed live at game music events, independently arranged by musicians, and cited in retrospective NES music analysis as exceptional examples of the hardware's capabilities.

Is Batman NES available on modern platforms?

Batman NES has not received a major modern digital re-release. The NES cartridge is available through retro game stores at moderate to above-average collector prices, reflecting the game's high reputation. Batman licensing is complex — the Warner Bros. / DC Comics license has changed hands and been managed differently across different game compilations. The Sunsoft developed NES Batman games have not appeared in any Sunsoft or DC compilations. Original NES hardware or Switch Online (if the game is included in the NES library) are the primary access methods. As of 2025, the game remains difficult to legally access through modern digital storefronts.