Published by Ocean Software in 1986, the MSX version of Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond‘s classic isometric platform game is just as good as the original Spectrum version, if not better.

The colour palette may be slightly different to the original, but the gameplay is faster and smoother and contains less slowdown.

As Batman, you’re on a mission to find and collect seven pieces of the broken-up Batmobile, and must explore a sprawling network of rooms in search of them.

At the start of the game, Batman is without the ability to jump, and is also very vulnerable. To counter this, you must find and collect four pieces of equipment that will allow him to jump and carry items.

There are collectibles that boost his jump, and his run speed, and also shield him from damage from hostiles. All of which are time-limited.

Even fully kitted-out, Batman‘s mission is still a tough one. Finding your way around the maze of rooms is a challenge in itself. As is surviving the onslaught of danger. But playing Batman today is worth the effort as it’s a classic of game design and graphic artistry.

The MSX version of Batman was also published in Japan by Pack-In-Video, which is something of an honour for a British videogame.

More: Batman (1986 video game) on Wikipedia