Batman games have not fared too well on the Gameboy Advanced (GBA), or even the consoles for that matter. So far no other superhero has been able to capture the magic of the first Spider-Man game. Not even the second Spider-Man game could stand up to it. This is somewhat a matter of opinion, however, Batman Begins on the GBA is by far the best version of a Batman game. While that title may not hold a lot of weight considering how lame the other ones are, this is a decent little package although it does suffer from repetition. So in turn, CheatCC takes a deep dive to see if it is worth it!
Gameplay and Story
Gameplay elements include combat, exploration, stealth, and some strategy in the form of puzzles. In fact, the entire game is one big mystery that players must solve.
Based on the movie, players will learn how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman – not so much the reason why he becomes Batman but how he manages to accomplish this transformation. This part of Batman’s history has never been fully addressed and while the text-based scenes do manage to convey the gist of the story players must see the movie to get the full effect.
An Old Story Told Again
To learn the ropes of the mechanics you will train with Bruce Wayne at a monastery where he learns his martial arts skills along with his code of ethics. Here players will learn how to punch, kick, and block as well as the ability to use stealth and psychological warfare to the advantage. By taking the form of a bat, Bruce Wayne learns that he can instill fear into the enemy and use it as effectively as a weapon.
By employing some of the gadgets from their utility belt players can grab some enemies from below and give them a good shaking up. This will in turn make the enemies on the ground more fearful of Batman which will make them less harmful to him. Batman can also send out bats to further terrorize his enemies.
Old Tactics
Batman has the ability to climb, swing, and glide his way through each environment. He can use stealth to silence his enemies and keep them from alerting others. The combat system is good when he only has a couple of enemies to handle but when his mobbed it’s not very efficient. Certain animations have to play out before he can start another move. It makes linking combos very difficult when Batman is surrounded.
Mission Options
Missions make use of two characters: Bruce Wayne and Batman. Each has slightly different abilities since Bruce doesn’t have access to all of the gadgets and the bullet-proof suit. Unlike the console version, there is no Batmobile. It’s important to mention that if players take a hit there is no grace period of recovery to allow them to get out of the way. If they take another hit instantly it will register. If players get killed they’ll have to start the level all over again.
Graphics
Even though the game is in 2D, it’s easy to get around the environments which have a decent amount of depth to them. The sprites are large and Batman is easy to control. The music could be a little more dynamic. It doesn’t always change to portray the onscreen action. It should get a little quieter when players are using stealth if nothing but to suit the mood.
Verdict
Batman Begins is good but it’s not great. It becomes redundant as you end up doing the same thing in almost every level. A few Batmobile levels would help to break up the monotony. It’s not a long game and it’s not a very hard game. There isn’t much replay value so rent it first and see how far one might get and if you’re interested in going any further.