Batman Forever (Game Gear)

For other games with the same name, see Batman Forever.

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Batman Forever
System(s): Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment (US, EU) Acclaim Japan (JP)
Developer: Probe Entertainment, Black Team
Distributor: Sega OziSoft (Australia) Arcadia Software (Spain)
Licensor: DC Comics, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1995-10-27 ¥4,8004,800 T-81187 US 1995-09-07 $44.9544.95 T-81268 EU 1995 T-81268-50 PT 1995 GGJ81268 UK 1995 T-81268-50
Non-Sega versions Game Boy

Batman Forever (バットマンフォーエヴァー) is a Sega Game Gear beat-'em-up game developed by Probe Entertainment and Black Team. Based on the June 1995 film Batman Forever, the game was first published in the United States by Acclaim Entertainment in September 1995, was later published in Europe by the same publisher in October 1995, and was eventually localized and published in Japan by Acclaim Japan also that October.

Story

Batman, the vigilante alter-ego of billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne, must save Gotham City from the dastardly duo of Two-Face and the Riddler. Two-Face is the former Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent, who was accidentally disfigured in a courtroom incident, which he blames on Batman. The Riddler is disgruntled Wayne Tech employee Edward Nygma, who is angry that Bruce Wayne rejected his invention, a device that beams television signals directly into people's brains. Batman is joined by the young circus acrobat Dick Grayson, whose parents were killed by Two-Face, who takes up the identity Robin.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up that plays similarly to the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games.

Batman moves with or and crouches with . He jumps with and somersaults with or . Batman can glide with his cape, slowing his descent, by pressing while in midair. He rolls along the ground with (or if facing left), which can be used to reposition or to knock over enemies. He jumps extra high, which can be used to reach higher floors, with ; he jumps back down to the lower floor with .

Batman does a low punch with and a low kick with . He does a high punch with + and a high kick (or roundhouse kick) with + (or + and + if facing left). He performs an uppercut with + and a sweep kick with +. He blocks by holding  START  (the game cannot be paused). Batman grabs enemies when he is close to them with + (or + if facing left), which he can then throw by pressing or .

Batman has multiple gadgets that work like special moves in a fighting game. He has three standard gadgets that are equipped in every level, plus there are two additional slots that can be equipped with the player's choice of gadgets before each level starts. Gadgets are used by pressing certain button combinations. They can be used an unlimited number of times per level.

Batman has an energy bar, and he is knocked out if he loses all of his energy. He revives if he has extra credits remaining. If Batman is knocked out without any extra credits left, the game ends. There are three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, and Hard).

Gadgets

Button combinations assume that the player is facing right. If facing left, and should be reversed.

Standard

	Batarang
	Projectile weapon, thrown horizontally to the end of the screen with .
	Grappling Hook
	The grappling hook allows Batman to swing from or climb up to higher platforms while suspended from a cable attached to it. It is fired with .
	Cape Morph
	Momentarily shields Batman from all damage with HOLD  START .

Optional 1

	Homing Batarang
	Throws a Batarang with HOLD that attacks the nearest target and then seeks out two more enemies to attack.
	Sonic Pulse Globe
	A small bomb that is thrown with and explodes on contact with the enemy or the ground.
	Flash Pellet
	Throws a pellet on the ground with that stuns enemies for a duration (or until they are attacked).

Optional 2

	Slippery Goo
	Sprays goo on the ground with that causes enemies to slip if they walk over it. Enemies cannot attack while caught on the goo.
	Bat Bola
	Throws a bat bola with , which ties up any enemy that it hits, preventing them from moving or attacking for a duration (or until attacked).
	Electric Pellet
	Throws a horizontal projectile with that zaps opponents and forces them to the ground for a duration. Enemies are harmless in this state but cannot be attacked until they revive.
	Force Wall
	Drops with a device with that emits an impenetrable wall directly upward. This wall can be crossed by Batman, but enemies are harmed when they touch it. It lasts for a few seconds or until it has absorbed three hits.
	Sticky Goo
	Sprays goo on the ground with that renders enemies immobile when they walk over it. Enemies can still attack while caught on the goo.

Blueprint

These gadgets are hidden and can only be collected by finding all of the blueprints in a level.

	Saw Blade Launcher
	Attacks enemies with a saw blade with .
	Bat Cuffs
	Releases cuffs with HOLD that seek out the nearest target and render them immobile for a duration. Immobile enemies can still attack.
	Holographic Decoy
	Creates a holographic decoy with that distracts enemies for a duration. Enemies try to attack the decoy instead of Batman.
	X-Ray Goggles
	"See through the dark designs of your enemies" with .
	Rocket Boots
	Propel Batman towards an enemy with .

Items

	Partial Energy
	Partially replenishes Batman's energy bar.
	Full Energy
	Fully replenishes Batman's energy bar.
	Riddler Box
	Provides a clue in the form of a riddle.
	Two-Face Coin
	If collected when the scarred face is showing, gives the player an extra credit. If collected when the smooth face is showing, gives the player an extra credit and also fully replenishes Batman's energy bar.
	Gadget Blueprint
	Collect four in a single level to gain a new gadget for use in the next level.

Levels

Each level has two parts.

	Second Bank of Gotham City
	Two-Face and his thugs have taken over the Second Bank of Gotham City. Batman must rescue all of the watchmen and fight his way to the top of the building.
	The Circus
	Two-Face and his gang of criminal clowns are threatening to blow up the Hippodrome. Batman must reach the rooftop to disarm the bomb before time runs out.
	Abandoned Subway Station
	Two-Face attempts to escape through the subway system.
	Claw Island
	Batman faces the Riddler on Claw Island.

Production credits

• Featuring: Brian Smyj, Jeff Gibson, Matt Norklun, Sasha Raught, Pewee Piemonte, Michael Margotta, Elizabeth Rossa

An Acclaim Black Team Production

• Game Producer: Douglas Yellin
• Associate Producers: Michael Archer, Tyrone Miller
• Analysts: Simon Gouldstone, J.J. Mazziotto
• Administrative Assistant: Kristen Muzer
• Lead Tester: Jim Dunn
• Tester: Andy Falk, Richard Varney, Jeff Rosa, Damon Tabb
• Special Thanks: Larry Kelley, Jeremy Schwartz, Rob Zimmelman, Rob Muzer, Howard Schwartz, Roger Booth

A Probe Production

• Coding: Balor Knight
• Game Producers: Tony Beckwith, Tim Bradstock
• Designer: Nick Baynes
• Music and SFX Arrangements: Andy Brock
• Graphics: Anna Knight, Darren Goodacre, Ned Langman, Pierson Lippard, Kevin McMahon, Phil Williams
• Storyboards: Alex Lawrence, Darren Goodacre, Dimitri Bakalov
• Animation Editors: Balor Knight, Kevin Watts, Tim Bradstock
• Level Designers: Balor Knight, Simon Bland, Jonathan Gibson
• Q.A. Team: Gary Patino, James Brown, Vicky Cheale, Nick McGree, Michael Movel, Clifford Ramsey, Mark Viccary
• Utilities: Chris Pile, Carl Muller, Gary Liddon, Bob Armour
• ProPack Compression: Rob Northen
• Special Thanks to: Jade Lucas
• Shot at Acclaim Studios, Glen Cove, New York

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Batman Forever (Game Gear)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

US print advert 2

Print advert in VideoGames (US) #78: "July 1995" (1995-0x-xx)

Print advert in VideoGames (US) #80: "September 1995" (1995-08-22)
also published in:

• EGM² (US) #15: "September 1995" (1995-0x-xx)

Print advert in VideoGames (US) #81: "October 1995" (1995-09-19)
also published in:

• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #75: "October 1995" (1995-xx-xx)

Print advert in Top Consoles (FR) #5: "Septembre 1995" (1995-0x-xx)

Print advert in GamePro (DE) #1995-11: "November 1995" (1995-10-04)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Digitiser (UK) 79 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 63 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 45 Freak (IL) 68 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 58 Gamers (DE) 73 Mega Force (FR) 80 Super Juegos (ES) 82

	68
Based on 8 reviews

Batman Forever (Game Gear)

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, PT
Cover
Cart Manual EU Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 618b19e2 MD5 6e8f14a7ab173cac90317d390ff8d63b SHA-1 775ecf7ba87345c2f89f0e9d6e55544db8878786	512kB		Cartridge

References

Batman games for Sega systems / published by Sega
	Batman (1990) | Batman: Revenge of The Joker (1992) | Batman Returns (1992) | The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1995) | Justice League Task Force (1995) | Batman Forever (1995)
	Batman Returns (1992) | The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1995) | Batman Forever (1995)
	Batman Returns (1993)
	Batman Returns (1993) | The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1995)
	Batman (1991) | Batman Forever (1995)
	Batman Forever (1996) | Batman & Robin (unreleased)
	Gotham Knights (2022) | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2024)