Sega Saturday: The Adventures of Batman & Robin on Game Gear – Dark Knight Portable Patrol
Welcome back to Sega Saturday, our weekly spotlight on Sega's legendary lineup. This week, we're donning the cowl for The Adventures of Batman & Robin on the Sega Game Gear – a 1995 handheld platformer that brings Gotham's grit to your pocket, inspired by the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.
The Basics: What You Get
Developed by Hungarian studio Novotrade and published by Sega, this is a side-scrolling action-platformer where you primarily control Batman (with Robin assists) battling Joker's villain alliance who kidnapped the Boy Wonder. Punch thugs, swing across rooftops, use Batarangs/glide cape, and face bosses like Joker, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy across 4 levels (8-12 stages total): Gotham streets, chemical plants, circuses, and lairs.
Collect icons for health/power-ups; simple but punishing difficulty with precise jumps and enemy swarms. No co-op, passwords for saves.
| Region | Release Date |
|---|---|
| North America | 1995 |
| Europe | 1995 |
| Japan | 1995 |
Why It's a Sega Handheld Highlight
Part of a multi-platform series (SNES/Genesis by Konami/Clockwork Tortoise), the GG version stands out for its Animated Series vibe: moody art, voice samples (grunts, laughs), and levels echoing episodes like "Joker's Favor." Novotrade's take squeezes impressive sprites (Batman gliding over neon Gotham) onto 8-bit hardware, with chiptune remixes of Danny Elfman-esque themes.
Reviews were middling: Fun for Bat-fans but criticized for repetitive combat, cheap deaths, and short length (~1 hour). Fun facts:
- Catalog trio: Follows Aladdin (029) and X-Men (030) in Sega's 1994-95 GG push – license goldmine!
- Cheat codes: GameFAQs lists 9, like level select (Up+1+Start at title).
- Collector's item: CIB fetches ~$135 today – rarer than Genesis counterpart.
Play It Today
Emulate via Gearsystem core in RetroArch or Kega Fusion – battery-munching action awaits! No official ports, but YouTube longplays showcase the chaos.
This ad (page 031) flaunts epic box art: Batman cape-swooping amid Joker/Harley/Poison Ivy mayhem – pure '90s comic hype.
Toughest boss or fave gadget? Bat-signal your thoughts below – next Sega Saturday glides in soon!
Catch you next Saturday – Sega Forever!
0 comments:
Post a Comment