Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (video game)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (or Batman of the Future: Return of the Joker as it is known in Europe) was released by Ubisoft for Game Boy Color, PlayStation and Nintendo 64. The game was released to coincide with the film of the same name, and is largely based on the original TV series.

Gameplay
Similar to games like Final Fight, Batman Beyond plays as a beat 'em up-type game where the player, as Batman, wanders through levels that are essentially side-scrolling, but have some depth to allow for three dimensional movement. The game is fairly simple along those lines.

The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions of the game allow the player to select and switch between four suits while playing the game. Each suit has its own abilities.


 * Standard: Even mixture of offensive strength and shielding. The Standard Suit comes equipped with three weapons: Dark Knight Discus, which are thrown as projectiles and require ammunition; Magnetic Nunchuku, which can be charged and attacks in a short straight line; and the Dark Knight Staff, which attacks in a circular area.


 * Offense: Capable of stronger attacks, but is more fragile than the other suits of the game. The Offense Suit allows the player to punch open gray crates, which grants access to extra items and a few extra areas.


 * Defense: Deals weaker attacks, but better protects the player from damage. The Defense Suit is equipped with two shields that can be used to deflect nearly all enemy attacks. A special technique called the Shield Punch allows the player to deal heavy damage to enemies.


 * Nimble: Allows the player to double-jump, glide, and perform jumping kicks. The double jump ability allows the player to access some extra items, but the glide ability seems to have only one function in the game.

Reception
The game received mostly negative reviews by critics on the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions. The Game Boy Color version received mostly mixed reviews.