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Not only is the new Batman film about to hit the
streets, but so is Ocean's licence of it. Duncan
MacDonald zoomed up to Manchester to have a
pre-release peek, just in time to be taken out
for lunch by the programmers! Munch munch
munch...
...Burp. Sorry. So how come your game's going to come out so soon after the film? Have you guessed the plot? "Certainly not!" (Noises of wine being consumed heartily by everyone at the table,) So how did you know the storyline? It's all still a bit hazy even in Madam Pico's crystal ball. "We got our hands on the storyboards - all the action portrayed in pictorial stills." Cor! Brill! Chomp! (Slurp.) Can I have some more of that wine (burp)? "Sure. Here. (Hic.)" Cheers. Hic. (Chomp.) (Followed by the sound of aforementioned staff writer slipping under the table and hitting his head rather hard on the floor.) Spiff Biff Baff Several hours, a packet of Anadins and numerous black coffees later we drag ourselves back to Ocean HQ. Batman (The Game Of The Movie) looks absolutely spiffing. It's a sort of 'four games in one' thingy (all of them monochrome - not that it matters much, as the sprites are all big and chunky and easy to see). The plot, quite simply, is that you, Batman, have to locate and eliminate The Joker. Level One finds you in a viewed-from-the-side, up/down/left/right scrolling chemical factory. It's big (big, big, big) - a birrova mapper's delight in fact. Between you and your cackling foe are hordes of his minions, who you have to dispose of before they zap you. You've got an unlimited number of Bat-boomerangs and for added manoeuvrability a swingummy Bat-hook thingummebob. This latter device works in a similar way to the claw thing in Bionic Commando (but the animation involved is even better). Shoot your hook to a platform above you and, boing, up you swing. You can also use it to cross gaps in the floor. All the time you're being plagued by the baddies, so things aren't too easy (and there are numerous things to avoid, such as the dripping chemicals - which make a brilliantly atmospheric, erm, 'drip' sound). Catch up with The Joker, however, 'help' him fall into the giant chemical tank and it's onto the next level. Which is... Bat Cruisin' The Batmobile bit. Ya-hooo! Zoom along the (viewed-from-the-side) scrolling 'roadscape', avoiding the vans driven by The Joker's henchmen. Follow the arrows and try to avoid the roadblocks at the end of streets. To take corners you turn 'into' the screen, and the view pops around so your Batmobile is seen from side on again. A brilliant touch is that you can use your 'Bat-hook' thingy to pull you round these corners. Aim it at the right spot on the side of the building before the road you wish to turn into and WHOOSH! Round you go! Around one of these corners is Level Three - the Batwing sequence. Barman's Batcopter is a thing of the past - his new aircraft is a plane called the Batwing. In this level, which is a view-from-behind a la Thunderblade, you've got to slice through the ropes of balloons that the Joker has planted. These balloons contain a lethal laughing gas, and will 'go off', causing innocent bystanders to collapse in hysterics. The only cure for this (a video of the Little And Large show) isn't available to you - so you must use the bat-like wings of your, erm, Batwing to cut the cords and allow the balloons to float harmlessly(?) up to the ozone layer. Complete this part and it's onto the final level. Wings And Swings It's back into four-way-scrolling, platformy game mode again. This time you're in a church and you know that The Joker's heading for the roof, where his helicopter is waiting. You've got to try to make it there before him but, as usual, the whole place is swarming with his henchmen so it's hardly going to be a 'stroll in the woods'. The Bat-hook really comes into its own here in the church, 'cos whereas the factory was really crowded with objects and platforms, here you'll find there's loads more room to swing about in. Anyway, those are the basics of Batman (The Computer Game Of) The Movie. It's slick. It's mean. It's got more knobs on it than a Wurlitzer organ. And it's out soon! You'll love it. PROGRAMMERS CORNER Batman was coded by Mike Lamb, and the graphics were, erm, 'graphicked' by Dawn Drake. Amongst many other games, Mike has also programmed Arkanoid, Arkanoid II and, in cahoots with Dawn, Renegade, Renegade II and Robochef. So that's quite a good 'pedigree' really, wouldn't you agree? Blimmin' good actually. As soon as Batman's finished they're both going to take a well earned rest. Mike's off to the Greek islands, while Dawn's just bought a new house and is going to 'do it up' a bit and then have a mega housewarming party. And guess what? She's going to invite all you lot! Every single YS reader in the land. I couldn't believe it! But guess what I'm not going to give you? That's right... her address. Ho ho ho ho! ABOUT THE FILM If you're expecting Batman The Movie to be like the TV series, then forget it. The TV series was brilliant, but its jokey style was a departure from the comic books. No-one ever really got hurt. You never saw anyone clutching their ripped stomach with entrails dangling through their fingers. You never saw legs hanging from bloodied... (That's quite enough of that. Ed). The first thing you'll notice in the movie is the difference to Gotham City. No longer a few wobbly facades. Now it's a dark, gloomy, foreboding futuristic sort of place, along the lines of the Blade Runner world. People actually get killed here. And Batman's the same. Nothing camp about this masked crusader. He'd drop your Granny as soon as look at her (if she was a 'baddy' that is). The Gotham City set is a quarter of a mile long and reputed to be the biggest outdoor street set since Cleopatra's (25 years ago). The caped crusader himself is played by Michael Keaton (of Beetlejuice fame), the 'romantic interest' is supplied by Kim Basinger and the lead baddie (The Joker) is played by none other than old eyebrows himself - Jack Nicholson! And he's absolutely brilliant! As is the film! Go see it!
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