Parents' Guide to LEGO Batman: The Videogame

Game Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , PSP , Nintendo Wii , Nintendo DS , Windows , PlayStation 2 2008
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Common Sense Media Review

Marc Saltzman By Marc Saltzman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

A fun -- albeit predictable -- cartoon adventure.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 14 parent reviews

 

 

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age 7+

Based on 53 kid reviews

Kids say the game is a beloved classic, often praised for its nostalgic value and family-friendly fun, though it has received mixed reviews regarding its violence and some darker themes. While many enjoy the engaging gameplay and character variety, others criticize the level design and suggest that it's not suitable for younger audiences due to its cartoonish violence and occasional inappropriate references.

  • nostalgic value
  • family-friendly fun
  • mixed reviews
  • cartoonish violence
  • character variety
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 53 kid reviews

What's It About?

Following the critically acclaimed and commercially successful LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones video games come – surprise, surprise -- an all-new LEGO adventure, now starring the Caped Crusader. As with its family-friendly predecessors, LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment fuses the beloved children's building toy with familiar superheroes and villains.

Played from a third-person perspective, gamers control a LEGO version of Batman and Robin, in an original storyline that has the dynamic duo taking on Gotham City's most notorious criminal masterminds -- including The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy – after they've all escaped from Arkham Asylum. Players will also be able to play as the villains, with specific missions designed just for them. Ripped right out of the classic television show, locations range from underground sewers to rooftops to Gotham's busy streets – and players can unlock familiar vehicles such as the Batmobile, Batwing, and Batboat.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 14 ):
Kids say ( 53 ):

While fun, and the graphics are kitschy and colorful, Lego Batman: The Videogame plays nearly identical to the other LEGO games (also designed by the UK's Traveller's Tales). Sure, there are new characters, environments, missions, and gadgets (Batman's Demolition suit, for instance) but essentially it's the same core gameplay: fight enemies, collect LEGO studs and bricks, build new items, unlock new playable characters, and do all this with a friend jumping in and out to play with you in coop mode. That said, fans of Batman and past LEGO games might not want the developer to "toy" with the formula too much, but it certainly feels like it's simply a new coat of paint on an older game mechanic.

The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of the game look about on par with one another, offering up to 720p/1080p high-definition graphics (on compatible televisions or monitors), while the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo Wii versions look a bit grainier than the high-def versions. The Wii version also lets you use motion controls to play the game with the Wii Remote. The Nintendo DS version, on the other hand, is a completely different game altogether (also created by Traveller's Tales).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether it's time to refresh the LEGO game mechanic or should Traveller's Tales keep cranking out the same game but tied to new movie, TV show, or comic book franchises? Did you play as a villain? How did that make you feel?

Game Details

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