In the beginning...well, 4 generations later, anyway, there was the Genesis, and with it came one of the first games to knock with flat with hours of enjoyment- The Adventures of Batman and Robin.

TAoBaR was, at its roots, a simple side-scrolling beat'em up, but stylistically, it was a gem among superhero games. With the option to choose the Caped Crusader or his young ward (although there were no discernible differences in gameplay), so began the journey into a dark and foreboding landscape; from banks to traffic to warehouses to studios.

The gameplay was simple and occasionally problematic what without the ability to move and throw projectiles at once, yet the differences in attacks of a single button based on range worked in a nice fluidity and anyone with the patience to acquire the same number of 3 color-specific power-ups was awarded with a massively effective tool of their preference. There were health items scattered in fair abundance throughout each level, although the charge meter tended to be tedious and more detrimental, making a fully-charged throw not worth the risk.

The roster of regular enemies was creative in and f itself, ranging from hulking, straight tackle brutes to smiling piranha mini-copters. All of these complimented the level progression well, blending with the present themes and their respective bosses, a who's who of Batman's pantheon: The Joker, Two-Face, The Mad Hatter, and Mr. Freeze (thankfully not the live-action inspired version), to name the major players. Stylistically the game was fashioned after Batman: The Animated Series, making it all the more near and dear to my heart. The levels were beautifully designed, along with the effects, costumes, and characters, especially on a 16-bit console. The sounds were as impressive as the sights, completing the crescendo of atmosphere. Of for the days of games like this.

Thankfully, they're still around to be enjoyed and cherished, or derided and critiqued, depending on your taste. Well, the light's green, so down the road we go until next time...