Batman the Caped Crusader

8/8/2019 Batman the Caped Crusader

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BATMAN - THE CAPED CRUSADER(c)1988 Ocean Software---------------------------------

Preliminary Historical Note:---------------------------Putting these instructions and gathering the complete game

resulted in a bigger puzzle than the game itself. Ocean appar-ently produced a Batman game in 1986 but never released it forthe C64 as far as I was able to find out, then another game,this one, in 1988, before making "Batman the Movie" in 1989.The crackers received only tapes of the Caped Crusader, withoutthe instructions, and missed the fact this game had two parts,one part being on the back of the tape... Then their cracks werecrashing constantly as the crackers didn't take the time tocheck (in a hurry as always), and people were complaining leftand right. The cracks had to be redone... The Web to this dayhas a lot of copies that don't work as a result of this mess.

Finally, and maybe because of this, it appears that the crackersdid not like the game. They probably looked at a few screens,laughing at the look of Batman in that game, and made a coupleof spoof demos called "Fatman" (one of them is in the tape) toridicule the way Batman is portrayed and walks in the game, notcaring at all for the other features of the game. This attitudecarried to 1997 where one cracker made then another Fatman demoto spoof the PC scene this time (also in the tape).

CATEGORYAdventure/Puzzle with a few fighting scenes.

Aim of the game---------------There are two separate "plots" revolving around Batman's deadliestenemies - The Penguin and The Joker (which are Parts 1 and 2 ofthe program, to be loaded separately, Part 1 on the front of thetape and Part 2 on the back in the tape version):

1) A Bird In The Hand

The Penguin, having been released from jail, decides to set upan umbrella factory in Gotham City, but (of course) is secretlyusing it as a cover for his plan to take over the world with an

army of robot penguins!

As Batman, can you shut down the factory computer and prevent theworld from getting the bird?

2) A Fete Worse Than Death

Returning to the Batcave after a hard day's crime-fighting,Batman finds that Robin has mysteriously disappeared, the onlyclue being a single playing card left behind by his kidnapper -the Joker! On the flip side of the card is a message written bythe Riddler: "Robin heads for a fete worse than death, the fuseis lit - so don't waste your time, follow your nose and remember,

there's no place like home! Boom! Boom!".

Can you unravel the mystery, save Robin and defeat the Joker?


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Game play---------In both plots the presentation on screen simulates a comic stripwith Gotham City and its inhabitants appearing in multipleoverlaid panels. Any text (clues, descriptions, what to do next,

etc.) is displayed in caption boxes in the appropriate panel. Theplayer as Batman has complete freedom to move around and interactwith the numerous locations, solving puzzles en route.

The game status is not on the movement screen - it is on a separ-ate screen called the 'utility screen.' You enter this screen bypressing down and fire together on the joystick (but watch out:time does not stop running!). The center of the screen displays

* the game completion percentage,

* the Background Music on/off Icon (press fire for toggle),

* the control icons which are used to manipulate objects you have:

Left (open) Hand = Drop Object Icon

Right (closed) Hand = Utilize Object Icon,

* the Center (pointing) Hand = Return to Game Icon,

* the Tombstone = Restart Icon

* Batman's various energy status (double) bars from left toright: strength, heart, carry/lift (?), overall health

(The trainer version stops these bars from changing.)

On the left and right of the screen are placeholders for theobjects you will have to find and pick up. Once you have objects,by moving the Bat-cursor onto an object and pressing Fire, theobject starts flashing. Then you can move the cursor to theUtilize or Drop icon (depending on the object - for you todecide) and press Fire again to drop or put the object in use.

In Part 2 there is a line up of watches at the bottom of thescreen. They represent the fuse attached to Robin's bomb...

CONTROLS Joystick:---------

Without fire button pressed: With fire button pressed:

Face FaceClimb back Climb High kick back High kickleft \ / right left \ / right

\ / \ /\ / \ /\ * / \ * /

Walk ----* *----- Walk Punch/ -----* *----- Punch/left / * \ right Throw left / * \ Throw right

/ \ / \

/ \ / \/ \ / \

Duck Face Duck Low kick Pick up Low kick


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left front right left object/ rightEnter utility screen

Keyboard:---------RETURN key not pressed RETURN key pressed

Z Walk left Punch/Throw leftX Walk right Punch/Throw right; Face back Face back/ Face front Pick up object/Enter Utility ScreenZ + ; Climb left High kick leftX + ; Climb right High kick rightZ + / Duck left Low kick leftX + / Duck right Low kick right

Note: I could not find a way to pause the game, I was expectingone when in the utility screen... restarting the game

does not fill that purpose.

TIPS

* Dark rooms require finding an object to light them up...

* There are rooms that deteriorate Batman's health quickly---maybe there is an object which will help there BEFORE entering.Note that the trainer version stops you from finding out suchfeatures since Batman's energy stays the same...

* In general this is a discovery game, especially to map theplace and find where the various objects are as well as what is

their use. So the trainer version can help there. Due to thefeatures above it can be of help only in parts of the initialdiscovery phase.

-------------------------------------------------------Comments (Spectrum version):"A finely-honed arcade advennture which is surely the bestcomic licence ever - you'd be batty to miss it".

Rating:93% (CRASH #60, January 1989) for the Spectrum version.

Now:A graphically pretty nice arcade adventure game. The controlsleave however something to be desired...

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Batman the Caped Crusader