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00:13Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're looking at the Cape Crusaders' greatest interactive adventures.
00:18Ranking them according to their gameplay, storytelling, influence, presentation, and most importantly, how convincingly they made us feel like Batman.
00:27We're also allowing ensemble games in which she plays a central role, because apparently even the world's greatest detective occasionally
00:34needs some help from Superman, Supergirl, or several dozen collectible Lego characters.
00:40That's alright. I've learned from my mistakes. Enemies it is.
00:46Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to
00:52get notified about our latest videos.
00:55The Adventures of Batman and Robin
01:06We're combining both versions for this entry because, despite sharing a title and animated inspiration, they effectively offer two different
01:13experiences.
01:14The SNES version is the more methodical adaptation of Batman the Animated Series.
01:19Its stages resemble individual episodes, with villains including the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, and the Mad Hatter receiving distinctive
01:26locations and gameplay ideas.
01:28Batman punches criminals, deploys gadgets, solves environmental problems, and occasionally enters vehicle sequences that remind us Gotham's insurance premiums must
01:36be astronomical.
01:43The Sega Genesis version takes a considerably louder approach.
01:47It transforms Batman and Robin into rapid fire action heroes battling enormous waves of enemies in a brutally difficult run
01:54and gun adventure.
01:55It's less faithful to Batman's usual methods, he throws enough projectiles to make Deadshot feel inadequate, but its technical presentation,
02:02huge bosses, and pulsating soundtrack give it an unforgettable identity.
02:13Together, they represent two fascinating interpretations of the same source material, and remain among the strongest Batman games of the
02:2016-bit era.
02:21Batman the Video Game
02:32Movie tie-ins have historically ranged from surprisingly decent to, we clearly needed this on shelves before Christmas.
02:39Sunsoft's Batman the Video Game was one of those glorious exceptions.
02:43Loosely inspired by Tim Burton's 1989 film, the game sends Batman through Gotham's streets, factories, laboratories, and cathedrals while fighting
02:51a parade of robots, mutants, and heavily armed criminals who definitely weren't in the movie.
02:56The connection may be questionable, but the action remains excellent.
03:07Batman can punch enemies, use several projectile weapons, and, most importantly, leap between walls like Gotham's angriest ninja.
03:14That wall jumping mechanic gives the platforming a fluidity and verticality rarely found in licensed NES games.
03:21The difficulty is famously severe, particularly during the final stages, but the controls are responsive enough that success usually feels
03:28earned, rather than randomly granted by the gaming gods.
03:31It may not recreate Burton's movie with much accuracy, but it captures Batman's speed, darkness, and determination wonderfully.
03:45Batman Arkham Shadow
03:53Most virtual reality superhero games provide the exhilarating fantasy of being a hero, for approximately 20 minutes before quietly becoming
04:02a tech demonstration.
04:03Batman Arkham Shadow actually feels like a complete Arkham adventure.
04:07Set between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum, the game follows a younger Batman investigating the Rat King and a growing
04:13cult threatening Gotham.
04:15Developer Camouflage translates nearly every major Arkham ingredient into first-person VR.
04:20Detective reconstruction, grappling, gliding, predator stealth, gadget use, environmental exploration, and free-flow combat.
04:35Naturally, that last component is the big attraction. Players physically punch in specific directions, counter-attacks, grab enemies, and perform
04:43finishing moves.
04:44It demands more coordination than repeatedly pressing the square button, but it also makes dismantling a room full of criminals
04:50considerably more personal.
04:52Creditor encounters are equally effective, letting players move above enemies and deploy gadgets before disappearing back into the darkness.
04:59This isn't merely a respectable VR spin-off, it's a legitimate Arkham installment.
05:11Injustice 2
05:20Batman may share the stage with practically every major DC character, but Injustice 2 remains largely driven by his ongoing
05:27war with Superman.
05:28Following the collapse of Superman's authoritarian regime, Bruce attempts to rebuild society, while managing former enemies, unreliable allies, and the
05:36arrival of Brainiac.
05:37Unfortunately, saving the world requires Batman to cooperate with his former bestie turned dictator that he worked so hard to
05:44imprison.
05:45Netherrealm's combat is spectacularly excessive here, building off the awesome foundation that was Injustice Gods Among Us.
06:01The gear system also allows players to customise DC's heroes and villains while steadily developing their abilities across multiple modes.
06:09Although the statistical equipment occasionally makes Batman look as though he dressed himself inside an armoured sporting goods shop, it
06:15provides a strong sense of progression.
06:17More importantly, Batman anchors the story's central moral conflict.
06:21Superman believes overwhelming power gives him the right to impose order.
06:25Batman maintains that nobody should possess that authority.
06:28Injustice 2 works because it's an exquisite fighting game wrapped in a gripping Elseworlds story, while the Dark Knight's characterisation
06:35remains as steadfast as ever.
06:37Maybe the world could use a team like that again. Welcome to the circle of trust.
06:44Batman, the enemy within.
06:46Why so shy, juicy? Come on, fuck her up!
06:57Telltale's original stab at telling an episodic narrative centered on a reimagining of the Caped Crusaders' early years was a
07:04good time overall.
07:04Offering players the choice of tackling an obstacle as either Bruce Wayne or Batman.
07:09All helmed by a fantastic performance by Troy Baker.
07:13But the second season is where this version of the Bat really found its stride.
07:17The enemy within introduces John Doe, essentially a proto-joker, as an awkward, emotionally unstable admirer of Bruce Wayne.
07:24John wants friendship, approval and possibly guidance.
07:28Unfortunately, he also is deeply unpredictable, and dangerously attracted to a much more lethal incarnation of Harley Quinn.
07:35You can't beat me, Bruce.
07:39You need me.
07:41Players must decide whether Bruce should manipulate him, trust him, betray him, or genuinely attempt to save him.
07:47Depending on the player's treatment of John, he becomes either a traditionally villainous joker, or a murderous vigilante modelled after
07:53Batman.
07:54These aren't simply alternate costumes attached to the same storyline, as the finale proved when it provided two significantly different
08:01narratives, conflicts, and interpretations of the character.
08:04While the traditional telltale weaknesses remain, limited exploration, occasional technical roughness, and quick time fights that sometimes feel like interactive
08:12furniture rearrangement,
08:13The writing compensates by presenting us with a Batman-joker dynamic that legitimately feels fresh, haunting, and tragic.
08:28Are you vengeance? Are you the knight? Scan the QR code to hop on over to Mojoplay's 24 hour livestream
08:34for all things gaming.
08:35You and I will be working together very closely. Bruce Wayne.
08:46Batman Arkham Origins
08:49They say crime doesn't pay. Someone wanna check the good police commissioner's pockets, cause they are lying.
08:58Because it wasn't developed by Rocksteady, Arkham Origins spent years being treated like the pointy-eared stepchild.
09:04Time has been considerably kinder to it.
09:07Set several years before Arkham Asylum, the game follows a younger, angrier, and less experienced Batman during Christmas Eve.
09:14Black Mask has placed an enormous bounty on his head, attracting assassins including Deathstroke, Copperhead, Deadshot, Firefly, and Bane.
09:22Meanwhile, Gotham's police still regard Batman as another dangerous masked criminal, and Alfred is becoming increasingly worried that Bruce's crusade
09:29will get him killed.
09:30Although the open world and combat borrow heavily from Arkham City, the story provides some of the franchise's strongest character
09:37development.
09:38Don't add me to the weight you carry.
09:44Batman's relationship with Alfred and Gordon evolve meaningfully, while his first encounter with the Joker establishes the disturbing relationship that
09:52will define them both forevermore.
09:53The boss fights are another major strength.
09:56Deathstroke forces players into an extended duel built around timing encounters, Firefly turns Gotham Bridge into an enormous action set
10:03piece, and Bane is presented as both a physical and intellectual threat.
10:08Plus, Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker also perform admirably as Batman and Joker without simply copying Kevin Conroy and
10:14Mark Hamill.
10:15Origins may not have reinvented the formula, but it's still a meaningful expansion, and frankly deserves recognition beyond the other
10:22Arkham game.
10:23No, they need us.
10:26Batman Arkham Knight
10:40Arkham Knight
10:41Arkham Knight gives players the largest, most impressive version of Gotham to date. A glorious Gothic sandbox. That repeatedly asks
10:49you to park a tank in it.
10:50The final entry in Rocksteady's original trilogy has Scarecrow turn Gotham into a warzone, uniting several major villains against Batman,
10:57assisted by the mysterious Arkham Knight.
11:00A militarised adversary with suspiciously detailed knowledge of Batman's tactics, identity, equipment, and probably his Netflix password too.
11:09Mechanically, Batman has never felt more capable.
11:13This ain't your city anymore.
11:18Free flow combat incorporates environmental attacks, weapon disarms, and dual team takedowns.
11:24Predator encounters contain more tools than enemy types, while gliding across Gotham is so addictive that using the roads almost
11:30feels unnecessary.
11:32Which brings us to the Batmobile.
11:35Look, driving through Gotham is fun, full stop, and high speed pursuits provide welcome variety.
11:40Unfortunately, the vehicle's tank battles dominate too much of the campaign.
11:45Transforming several villain encounters into confrontations with unmanned drones.
11:49Nothing captures the cerebral menace of Deathstroke quite like a stealth section.
11:54In a tank.
11:55Ugh.
12:05Despite its excesses, including an infamously troubled PC release as well as the Arkham Knight's obvious identity reveal, Arkham Knight
12:13remains a visually stunning and mechanically refined conclusion to Rocksteady's Batman saga.
12:17Remember, Kill the Justice League does not exist.
12:22Of course, sir.
12:23It's-
12:25Lego Batman, Legacy of the Dark Knight.
12:28Today you will learn the use of Shuriken.
12:32As weapons?
12:35Or distractions.
12:37The atricality and deception are powerful agents.
12:39Not only is this the greatest Lego Batman game to date, it's essentially a return to the Arkham games' greatness.
12:46Minus the title and with plenty more blocks.
12:48Legacy of the Dark Knight presents an original story assembled from decades of Batman lore, drawing inspiration from comics, television,
12:56previous games and multiple cinematic interpretations.
12:59Players guide Bruce from his beginnings towards becoming Gotham's legendary protector, gradually building a team of allies and confronting his
13:06famous rogues gallery.
13:07Rather than relying entirely on the traditional lightweight Lego rulebook, Legacy of the Dark Knight borrows heavily from Arkham's free
13:13flow fighting, counters, stealth, gadgets, gliding and open world structure.
13:26The result offers younger players an accessible version of Rocksteady's systems, while still including more demanding difficulty options for veteran
13:34Bat fans.
13:34Gotham contains side activities, collectibles, vehicles, suits and a customisable Batcave that functions as both headquarters and an enormous museum
13:43of Batman history.
13:45Two player local co-op also means one player can be Batman, while the other assumes the vital role of
13:50interrupting every dramatic moment by smashing nearby furniture for studs.
13:54Sure, not every system has Arkham's depth, and the enormous quantity of references occasionally threatens to bury the original story
14:00beneath fan service.
14:02Still, its mixture of Batman iconography, Lego comedy, family friendly co-operation, and what might just be the best traversal
14:09in a Batman game, make it a must play.
14:12Thanks. Let's get you cleaned up.
14:20Batman. Arkham Asylum.
14:33Before Arkham Asylum, Batman games usually captured one or two parts of the character.
14:38One title might provide good platforming, another might have impressive combat, a third might have decent writing.
14:45Rocksteady was the first developer to bring almost everything together.
14:48The premise is beautifully focused.
14:52Joker allows himself to be captured and taken to Arkham Asylum before seizing control of the facility.
14:57Leaving Batman trapped on an island with Gotham's most dangerous criminals.
15:01Including Harley Quinn, Bane, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Scarecrow.
15:05I see you Batman.
15:11The limited setting gives the game a dense, oppressive atmosphere. Arkham gradually opens up as Batman obtains new equipment, uncovers
15:18Riddler challenges, character histories, and evidence of the institution's disturbing past.
15:24Free flow combat makes Batman feel powerful, without requiring elaborate button combinations.
15:28Predator encounters demand players hide above, isolate targets, create distractions, and watch the remaining enemies become increasingly terrified.
15:36Paul Dini's original story and performances by the GODLY voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and other iconic animated series
15:43actors gives the game immediate authenticity.
15:47Arkham Asylum didn't merely become the benchmark for Batman adaptations.
15:50Its combat, stealth, and cinematic presentation influenced action games far beyond the superhero genre.
15:57Hey Sharpie, love what you've done with the place.
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16:26Batman Arkham City
16:29Thank you. Look who it is.
16:33Well, look at him, broochie boy.
16:36While Arkham Asylum created the modern Batman game, Arkham City perfected it.
16:41A section of Gotham has been converted into an open-air prison, overseen by Hugo Strange.
16:47Bruce Wayne is arrested and thrown inside, where Joker, Penguin, Two-Faced, Riddler, and numerous other villains have established their
16:53own territories.
16:54Somewhere beneath all that criminal chaos lies Strange's mysterious Protocol 10, and it falls to Batman to shut it down.
17:01This, well, let's just call this good old-fashioned revenge.
17:06The larger environment completely transforms traversal.
17:10Batman can grapple between rooftops, dive towards streets, and convert momentum into long glides across the city.
17:16Combat introduces more enemy types and gadgets while retaining the rhythmic clarity of the original.
17:21Predator rooms remain carefully designed puzzles, in which the solution happens to involve leaving six unconscious goons hanging from gargoyles.
17:28The villain roster is massive, side missions have more bite, while Catwoman provides a faster, more acrobatic gameplay alternative.
17:36Most importantly, the story delivers a powerful conclusion to Batman and Joker's relationship.
17:42Arkham City offers exploration, combat, stealth, detective work, memorable villains, and frankly, gaming's strongest interpretation of the Dark Knight.
17:56Do you agree with our ranking? Let us know your choices for the best game featuring the Bat in the
18:01comments below.
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