29. Batman Vengeance (GCN)

Batman Vengeance put the focus once again on Batman’s most devious nemesis: The Joker. The game was a decent 3D action-adventure entry to the franchise that also - bizarrely - had a first-person view that can be activated at any time. The visuals leaned heavily into the cartoon aesthetic of the Batman: Animated Series before Nolan’s Batman Begins came along with a more realistic approach.

28. Batman Begins (GCN)

Batman Begins is the only film in the Christopher Nolan trilogy that ever got a video game release, and to be honest, it wasn't too bad. It gave a new generation of Batman fans the chance to become the caped crusader, and you can see a lot of what the Arkham games would perfect here, such as stealth segments, and a variety of staple weapons such as grenades and batarangs. But unique to Begins is the 'HF Transponder', which allows you to stun your enemies with "fear". For a movie tie-in, it's more than passable.

27. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (3DS)

Although naturally not as visually accomplished as the home console versions, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham nevertheless delivered an authentic, reasonably fun LEGO title starring our favourite gritty superhero. It was hampered by clunky and repetitive gameplay and the enemy AI was pretty poor. This is perhaps one for diehard LEGO fans, only.

26. Batman: Arkham Knight (Switch eShop)

Note. Only available as part of the Batman Arkham Trilogy.

We had our doubts about this Switch port from the moment it was announced and, unfortunately, they proved to be well-founded. With Batmobile sections which tax not only Nintendo's hardware but also your patience, it's hard to see how this version of Batman: Arkham Knight can be fixed to a satisfactory degree. It feels like a step too far to have even included this third chapter in the collection for Switch. Technical issues aside, this is a decent ending to an amazing trilogy, but as a final part of an otherwise serviceable port package, Arkham Knight's broken state came as a huge disappointment.

25. Batman: Return of the Joker (GB)

Unlike its NES counterpart, Batman: Return of the Joker for the Game Boy Color put its focus primarily on platforming, featuring a handy grappleshot to aid with traversal. You could fire out some Batarangs with the rather rudimentary combat, but with rather short, basic levels, the game can’t quite match up to the NES version.

24. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (DS)

It was pretty much a case of ‘more of the same’ with LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes for the DS. It took most of the structure and style of the original and just did… more. It’s perhaps regarded as the best in the series for DS, but at this stage, it also had the beefier 3DS version to contend with.

23. Lego Batman (DS)

Batman’s first LEGO entry arrived in 2008 and was actually the first of the LEGO games to feature an entirely original story. Switching characters and utilising abilities can be done via the DS’s touch screen, however the console cinematics were replaced by comic-book style panels to accommodate for the DS’s hardware limitations. A good game, but perhaps not quite up there with its sequel.

22. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (3DS)

So if Batman: Arkham Origins was a prequel to the proper trilogy games, this was a prequel to the prequel, we think. In any case, this was a portable-only release around the same time as Arkham Origins, designed for 3DS (and Vita!) with a side-on view and Metroidvania-type design, as you'd expect. It's a game that has moments of "oh cool I'm pummelling thugs as Batman on the 3DS", but there are some design and presentation issues too. A valiant effort, anyway.

21. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition (Wii U eShop)

This one has scored a little better among the community, likely because as a 'Deluxe' version on consoles it spruced up the visuals with a HD sheen. Playing on a big screen may also help with the occasionally awkward blend of 2D play for dynamic motion combat, though aside from the high-res lick of paint there weren't any other major improvements to be found. Sadly the GamePad map falls a little short, too, lacking touch support. But hey, if you like the concept of a 2D Metroidvania Batman game it's a tempting option.

20. Batman Returns (NES)

Batman Returns for the NES was basically Final Fight: Batman Edition. The gameplay was straight-up beat 'em up-focused, and the visuals did a decent job of depicting the gothic nature of Burton’s 1992 sequel. Arriving within the vicinity of the SNES launch, Batman Returns ended up being cross-platform, with the SNES naturally being quite a bit more accomplished.