If Adam West’s Batman and the animated Justice League: Unlimited Batman had a love child it would be Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The art style, humor, voice work and flow of the latest Batman animated series combines old school characters and settings with updated humor in a side-scrolling adventure that fans will dig. Say hello to Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame for the Nintendo Wii (also on the DS with some connectivity bonus).
Gameplay – An old-school 2D romp through locations from the animated show. Batman, Robin, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Blue Beetle … and so many more DC Universe heroes makes appearances either as fully playable or support characters so don’t be fooled into thinking Batman is all there is. The gameplay is very straightforward with the content the star so not much to learn. Run, punch, kick, jump while upgrading gadgets and powers. The controls work very well with the Wii controller integrating shake moves that are more than a gimmick. This game is about the fans but the gameplay rocks, is solid and fun to play. While this is a Wii game, The Brave and the Bold would be perfect, just perfect as downloadable content for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, top notch idea.
Graphics – The Wii was made for this art style. The bright colors, bold lines and flat color scheme look great on the Wii. Each level contains a nice level of 2D depth and the game is true to the animated series in overall look and feel. The animated segments deliver a nice change of pace from the static talking heads that carry much of the story. A good looking game especially on an HD TV with proper cable connections.
Sound – Excellent background music, some pulled from the anime, moves the action along at the perfect pace while the banter between characters is perfectly delivered. For a Wii title, Brave and the Bold deliver the goods on the voice, music and sound effects front.
Design – Established from the animated series but superbly delivered in an action game format. Making a good Batman game was not possible, just not possible until Arkham Asylum hit and now The Brave and the Bold are keeping the good bat vibes going.
Miscellaneous – Bat-Mite connectivity through the Nintendo DS. The DS offers up a full heaping of Bats action but this nice reward for fans who invest in both titles, or have friends who have shows very nice use of the Wii and DS connectivity possibilities.
Overall, Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame feel like a solid downloadable title in a retail body but it’s worth the purchase. There is a lot of game to entertain and drive gamers and fans. This is not a casual game as the Wii is known for but rather a shout back to solid gameplay from action games seen on the NES. Batman fans will enjoy and gamers will find there is more than fan service on this disc.
