When the opportunity arose to bring the caped crusaders adventures into the world of LEGO videogames, Smith and his team responded like Catwoman in a jewelry store: they dove in to dig up some shiny new features. Given their track record theyve created two LEGO Star Wars games, along with the adventures of LEGO Indiana Jones it wasnt long before they took an old concept to new heights.
We always focus in the early stages of a game on the new features and mechanics that really distinguish its gameplay from the titles weve produced in the past, Smith notes. And so it was with LEGO Batman: We worked hard early on to build and tune new features, like cool new suits and such gadgets as the manually targetable Batarang. With the Batarang, Batman can eliminate multiple targets from afar, whether theyre enemies or physical obstacles.
[Batman is] a unique character in comic book lore: the worlds greatest detective, surrounded by the most colorful villains of all time.
- Jonathan Smith, development director
Smith adds: We also set out to make Batman and Robin our most athletic LEGO characters ever, with a focus on a new hand-to-hand combat system that enables you to pick up enemies and beat them down or throw them. All the villains also have their own special fighting moves, along with unique individual abilities, like The Riddlers mind control cane, which enables him to take direct control of other characters from a distance.
Many Embodiments in One
The game employs the same playful sense of humor found in previous LEGO adventures, striking a tone somewhere between the brooding hero of such works as Frank Millers Batman: Year One (1987) and the campy Batman of the 1960s TV show. The music consists of Danny Elfmans score from Tim Burtons hit 1989 film Batman.
The storyline, however, would fit the Batman of any era: Groups of villains led by Joker, Riddler, and Penguin have broken out of Arkham Asylum (An establishment more porous than a tea strainer, says Alfred) and are devising three separate attacks on Gotham City. As you traverse the games 30 levels, which are split equally between the heroes and villains perspectives, youll meet and unlock over 40 characters, including Nightwing, Batgirl, Clayface, Mad Hatter, and more.
We based the game on LEGO Batman, a character derived from a myriad of different individual embodiments across decades of comic books, explains Smith. As were totally immersed in the LEGO world, that particular definition of this character always felt totally natural to us.
DC Comics input, according to producer Loz Doyle, consisted of telling us things like This character is likely to work with that character, These two would kill each other if they were put together, and so on. They also provided a lot of reference materials with detailed backgrounds on all the characters, which helped us create the right animation styles for them.
Game Hardware
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- Site: LEGO Batman: The Videogame
- Publisher: Feral Interactive
- Developer: Travelers Tales Games
- Genre: Action
Game Media
Artistic License
To learn the origin of our headline, see 70 Years of the Bat on page two.
We worked hard early on to build and tune new features, like cool new suits and such gadgets as the manually targetable Batarang.
- Jonathan Smith, development director
Such Wonderful Toys
Batmans gadgets and vehicles, which rival James Bonds collection in their scope, are also a major part of the characters history, so Smith, Doyle, and the rest of the team worked them into the puzzle-solving thats long been a hallmark of LEGO videogames. The hero levels feature special stations where Batman and Robin can change into one of eight new costumes designed for specific purposes, such as Batmans glider outfit and glass-shattering sonic suit, or Robins water and magnet costumes. Unlocked costumes become available in the Batcave, so you can enter a completed level in free play with the necessary abilities to access previously unreachable areas.
Many levels also require the use of land, air, or sea vehicles to complete objectives. Youll get to fly the Batwing and Jokers helicopter, steer the Batboat and Penguins submarine, and drive the Batmobile and Two-Faces armored car. There are over 30 vehicles in the game.
As in previous LEGO games, the currency of choice is LEGO studs, which youll find generously spread around each level; collect enough of them to achieve Super Hero or Super Villain status for that level and earn a special bonus. Cash in your accumulated studs to purchase story videos, special gizmos, upgrades for Batman and Robins suits, and more.
Each level also features 10 LEGO canisters that unlock a minikit model, which you can view in Wayne Manor or Arkham Asylum, depending on whether you accomplished the feat in a hero or villain level. And dont forget to save hostages when playing as a hero rescue all 25 to unlock the character Hush, a criminal mastermind who is jealous of Bruce Waynes success.
Youll encounter not only the best-known characters from Batmans pantheon but also many who are familiar only to hardcore fans. I love the sheer variety of different characters in the game, Smith muses. The heroes and villains are all really colorful, distinctive, and full of personality.