The Dark Knight is well and truly here as we look at the top 10 Batman games! While Gotham Knights was ok at best and it looks like Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League is never actually going to come out. It has to be said that Batman has been treated pretty well in video games, with many good games to his name, so many that picking just ten was way harder than you would think.
Please keep in mind that this is our top 10 so no need to use Oracle to track us down and beat us with a crowbar like Joker did to Jason Todd! If you have a different top 10 Batman games list, leave it in the comments section down below, we would love to check it out.
10. Batman (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)
Pretty much anything that could play a video game got a video game tie-in to go with the epic Tim Burton 1989 Batman movie. Batman was a very early title for the system, coming out in that first year and it is a ton of fun. Granted, it may be a tad on the basic side, but it is a cool side-scrolling action game that captures the tone of the Tim Burton movie really well. In that first year of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, this was a real highlight, even if it is a bit short.
9. Batman (NES)
How can you have a top 10 Batman games list without Batman on the NES making an appearance? This is just badass in every way, sure Batman is purple, but he looks cool and has a ton of personality. This action platformer is hard as nails, but it is the kind of game that is so well made and so good that each time you die, you dust your bat cape off and try again! The music is also iconic, with some of the most memorable tunes on the NES. Sure it is hard as nails, but it very rarely feels unfair. The term the kids use these days is “get good” which very much applies to Batman on the NES.
8. Batman Arkham Origins
Often seen as the dark sheep of the Batman Arkham series, Batman Arkham Origins may be a bit rougher around the edges than the other Rocksteady made games, but this is a solid game in its own right. The best thing this game has going for it is the story! Batman faces off against Black Mask who has put a bounty on his head that sees many of the most dangerous people in Gotham looking to claim it. That is cool, but it is the origin story of Batman meeting Joker that makes this worth playing. Plus, the Christmas setting makes this a great game to play around the holidays.
7. Batman Returns (SNES)
Batman Returns like the 1989 Tim Burton movie got a ton of games actually, Batman Returns probably got even more! This is by far the best game to have the name Batman Returns. This is a side scrolling beat-em-up made by the people at Konami. Batman feels so satisfying to control and each time you punch or slam an enemy into the wall it feels awesome. It also has some large sprites and a fantastic Danny Elfman esq soundtrack. The only thing that stopped this game from being a bit higher on the list was the fact it lacked a two-player option.
6. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
The middle part of a trilogy of Lego Batman games, Lego Batman 2 is where they nailed the formula. This was the first Lego game in this series to have voice acting and it told a hilarious and fun Batman tale. However, it is the open world Gotham City that makes this game so memorable. It also greatly expanded the roster giving you a ton of iconic DC heroes to play as in addition to Batman, Robin, and all of the villains. Lego Batman 3 Beyond Gotham is good, but it never quite lived up to what this game laid before it.
5. Batman The Brave & The Bold (Nintendo DS)
Some raised eyebrows at this one being on the list and especially with how high up it is. Batman The Brave & The Bold is based on the Cartoon Network series of the same name and it is one of the best licensed games on the DS. This game lets you play as Batman and several other characters from the show, Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Blue Beatle, and Aquaman. Each character has their own abilities and story and it is just pure 2D action platforming at its very best, you can even connect it to the Wii version and have someone playing as Bat-Mite!
4. Batman Arkham Knight
Batman Arkham Knight had the unenviable task of following on from Arkham City! This harnessed the power of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and gave us the best looking Batman game to date! This is darker, and moodier and tells an epic story with the mysterious Arkham Knight coming to Gotham and taking the city hostage. The big gameplay innovation this time is sadly what holds the game back and that is the Batmobile. It is cool in short bursts, but the game relies on it way too much and it is not the easiest thing to control, but to be fair it is a tank on wheels. Still, this was an epic end to the Arkham saga and well worth a spot this high on the list.
3. Batman The Brave & The Bold (Nintendo Wii)
No doubt many people are mind blown that this is in the top three, but hear us out. Batman The Brave & The Bold on the Nintendo Wii is the greatest 2D Batman game of all time…. Yes, we said that! This is like an enhanced version of what you got on the DS. It features different episodes of the show split into levels, complete with cut scenes and voice acting right from the show. Batman has a bunch of gadgets that he has to make use of and each episode sees him paired with another character from the show that a second player can jump in and play as! Plus, Batman can call in a bunch of other characters from the show to help him out. We would go as far as to say that this is the best licensed game on the Nintendo Wii, a true definition of the term “hidden gem”.
2. Batman Arkham Asylum
When Batman Arkham Asylum was released in 2009 it was a true gamechanger in the world of Batman and superhero games in general. It told a truly fantastic story of Batman being locked in Arkham Asylum trying to figure out what Joker is up to all the while dealing with an endless supply of thugs and iconic Batman villains. The gameplay is fantastic where you get to use your “hammers of justice” but you also have to use Batman’s detective side too. To this day, Batman Arkham Asylum is one of the greatest superhero games ever made and it even holds up to this day.
1. Batman Arkham City
If it was not Arkham Asylum, you knew it was going to be Arkham City that took the top spot Batman Arkham City does what all good sequels should do and that is take what the previous game did and do it better. We have a large open world Gotham to explore here, tons of side missions, lots of stuff to collect, and one of the greatest stories ever told in a comic book game! You can even play as Catwoman! Gliding around Gotham and making use of Batman’s gadgets and detective skills to solve puzzles and find out what Hugo Strange is really up to is awesome! Not only is this the best Batman game, we would argue it is one of the greatest video game sequels of all time and in the conversation for what is one of greatest video games of all time in general!
No doubt we have a few entries on there that may have surprised you more than when a random guy stumbles into Killer Croc’s lair! However, this is our top 10 Batman games list and we would be more excited than Batman when he sees the Bat Signal if you were to post your own in the comments section.
