The Animated Series Games, From Worst To Best

I’m going to say without hesitation that Batman: The Animated Series is the single greatest Batman adaptation of all time. While the original series only ran from 1992 to 1995, it returned with The New Batman Adventures in 1997, and went on to form the foundation of a shared animated universe that included Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Batman Beyond.

It’s no surprise, then, that we’ve received a fair few video games based on Batman: The Animated Series over the years. Some were great! Some were okay. A few were… not so good. Take the batphone off the hook and come with me as we take a look at seven Batman: The Animated Series tie-in games, ranked from worst to best.

Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (PlayStation, N64, Game Boy Color)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a fantastic movie that helps to bridge the gap between Batman: The Animated Series and its futuristic sequel series. The video game tie-in, on the other hand, is a sluggish beat ’em up for the N64 and PlayStation that’s about as fun as being slowly turned into a little Joker clone over weeks of torture. The Game Boy Color version is a little better, but overall, this is a stinker.

Batman: Gotham City Racer (PlayStation)

Batman meets Need For Speed in a game entirely dedicated to racing around Gotham City? Sounds great on paper. Unfortunately, driving in Batman: Gotham City Racer just isn’t any fun, which is a pretty big problem for a game where you spend all your time in a car. Add repetitive missions and a generally unfinished feel, and you’re left with a game that could have been so much more.

Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy)

The Game Boy wasn’t exactly a powerhouse handheld console, so credit has to go to Konami for being able to capture the atmosphere of the show on a monochrome device. This is, overall, a pretty damn respectable 2D platformer starring Batman, Robin, and a cast of familiar villains. It’s hardly a revolutionary game, but I’d say this is the first on the list that’s genuinely worth your time if you’re a fan.

Batman: Rise Of Sin Tzu (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube)

batman rise of sin tzu key art — *Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu* key art.

I remember this game took a bit of kicking in various magazines when I was younger, but Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu is a pretty decent 3D arcade beat ’em up. You can play as Batman, Robin, Nightwing, or Batgirl, and fight through various levels in Gotham City as you work your way towards the main villain, an original creation known as Sin Tzu.

Villains like Scarecrow, Clayface, and Bane all make an appearance, and there’s a two-player co-op mode so you serve up justice with a friend. It’s occasionally a little repetitive, and the time limits on every stage seem kind of pointless, but not a bad game by any stretch.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham (Game Boy Color)

Very similar in style to the Game Boy game, but with flashier full-color graphics that help replicate the vibe of the show much better. There’s also way more variety in the gameplay overall, with Batman and Batgirl as playable characters, multiple gadgets to use, and vehicle sections that let you drive Batmobile, Batcycle, Batboat and Bat Wing. A damn fine Batman video game, to be sure.

The Adventures Of Batman And Robin (SNES)

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There are actually multiple versions of The Adventures of Batman and Robin that were released across the SNES, SEGA Genesis, SEGA CD, and Game Gear. Each has its own visual identity, gameplay mechanics, and even story. But the best of the bunch, by far, is the SNES version developed by Konami. The game looks incredible, for a start, and over eight levels inspired by different villains and episodes, there’s a solid mix of combat, platforming, gadgets, puzzles and exploration. A definite must-play.

Batman: Vengeance (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC)

batman vengeance key art — *Batman: Vengeance* key art.

One of the best things about Batman: The Animated Series was the definitive performances given by Mark Hamill (Joker) and Kevin Conroy (Batman). It’s little surprise, then, that Batman: Vengeance earns top spot on this list for giving us an original Batman/Joker story, complete with full voice acting. It’s effectively a lost episode of the TV show, one where Joker fakes his death so he can secretly work on a plan to destroy Gotham City.

Beyond the story and performances, Batman: Vengeance attempts to give us a complete and immersive Batman experience. It doesn’t always succeed, but gliding between buildings, fist fighting bad guys, and using a wide array of gadgets is a blast. These days the Arkham games are the definitive Batman experience, but back in 2001, this was the closest we got to being Batman.