"Where is Vicky ?" "Vicky's in Gotham City." "Thanks, punk. That REALLY narrowed it down."

25:19 Who knew that The Joker was Bobby Hill all along?

What a hell of a game. I spent forever to finish this one when I was a kid. Really tight gameplay and controls.The music (what a soundtrack !!) and graphics in Batman were so amazing that they still feel great in 2018 and better than most attempts some indies are making at developing "retro" 2D platformers on Steam. There were some serious coders at Sunsoft. And their Batman for Gameboy is very different but really excellent too. With many new gameplay ideas like those rotating bats shielding you. Good old times.

I wish they kept the cutscenes.

Cool beta. My bet is they decided it was fair that Joker be the last boss so they made him the last boss in the final boss. Remember kids, Batman doesn't punch his enemies, he Batmans them.

This must be the version Nintendo Power got a hold of for one of their preview articles, because I remember some of those cut scenes being in the magazine, and then wondering why the game was different.

This is awesome! As well as answering some questions I had as a kid about one of my favourite NES titles. Observations: - FINALLY I know why Stage 1-1 has those ledges randomly close to the end of the stage. They have always bugged me. I figured it was just for players to practice their climbimg (which I suppose they are). - Damn, Joker got beat with the ugly stick even more. - The tank-like enemies on Stage 3-2 move really fast now. As if they weren't difficult enough. - Life doesn't refill fully after level completion (it always did, right?). - No pause/score? - Now I know why the boss before the Joker in the retail version seemed so out of place, seeing as he was supposed to be the original final boss. I'm glad they left him in. - The beta ending is just as awesome as the retail ending. I like the flying teeth. - None of the stage music was changed as it was surely forged by the hands of the gods themselves. Thanks for the great playthrough!

Well, this better explains Batman jumping down from the platform at the beginning of the game! Also, I think that it's funny that the guy in the first cut scene tells Batman that Vicki is in Gotham City. Aren't they already in Gotham? Why does Batman act as if he's never heard of Gotham? Anyway, this was really, really fun to watch. I really enjoyed finally seeing this version of one of my favorite video games.

Thank you for this! I never knew this existed. I enjoyed the cutscenes and would love to see a spliced version of this and the released one. Joker definitely needed to be the final boss.

This explains to me at the end why Joker was massive in comparison to Batman in the final version. I always why he was a beast next to Batman. I'm surprised they dumped so much animation work, most of it should have stayed. Also cool that the scenes in the Beta seem to be inspired by Killing Joke. Batman holding the guy is pretty similar to Batman at the Asylum in the book.

"Could someone tell me what kind of a world we live in where a six foot bat steals all my press?"

I'll never not be amazed at the amazing sound, music, and graphics of this game, the presentation is just incredible, and all on an 8-bit machine. Seems the gameplay wasn't changed too much from the final version, the cutscenes were mostly an improvement in the finished version I think. Good playing btw, that section with the threadmill platforming always busts my balls.

24:18 Wow, Bob the Goon sure looks different. Seriously though, I love the artistic license taken in this game. One of my favorite games for the NES, frustrating as it could be. The beta version is interesting, because I remember at the time seeing early screenshots in Nintendo Power featuring some of the missing cutscene images and wondering what happened to them. Also not being able to fight the Joker seems like it'd be a huge letdown.

Who would have thought a Batman game exists with a cutscene of Batman punching the Joker but at no point do u play as Batman fighting the Joker? I wonder what AVGN would say about this. Then again this is the beta version and not the released version of the game.

One of my favourite NES game for all time👍👍👍👍 thanks for making this game

I wish I had a copy of this version.

Especially with the cutscenes this game reminds a lot of Ninja Gaiden.

Why is the Beta more complete than the final version?

Awesome never seen this version just downloaded the rom

I feel like they changed the cutscenes because they were asked to do so either by DC Comics or Warner Bros, otherwise I dont see why they would have scrapped them. The rest of the game is almost identical to the final release.

0:56 green al gore

Good call on making the Joker the final boss though for this instead of the kind of lame "Oh no it's you!" they should've taken the line from the movie "you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses would you?" I still don't know why they took out the other cutscenes though.

Literally just played and beat this two nights ago for the first time ever. The WHOLE game makes WAY more sense with these cutscenes. Never understood why they even SHOW Vicki Vale in the attract mode screens when she wasn’t even in the game! But in this version, she was! Not sure what the space limitations were, but they really shouldn’t have removed so many story crucial cutscenes. Oh and Batman essentially murdering Joker in the retail release was very out of character. No such thing here!

Love the music of Level 1.

one of the best game EVER

Impressive! I have the beta rom but haven't played it yet. I should give it a try. Still awesome skills you have. batman is a tough cookie of a game indeed.

I wonder How did you get the beta to play

Kinda cool they used actual comic art

Huh. I never knew this even existed. Interesting differences between the Beta & the Retail release.

Why did they cut these cutscenes out?

Men they should leave this one instead of the copy is around. Way better all those cut scene.

Purple Batman!

Could you image if batman was put in castlevanina game.

Damn this is a different game bet it's still hard as shit though I knew it can't be impossible I just didn't have the time and patience for it.

these cut scenes fit better

intresting they went with the more European/ London verison of The Batman and Joker Story line expecially the last end boss. The cut scences were nice though. Still glad they re worked it so that way you fought The Joker at the End.

LOL @ this version just ending with joker getting punched & no boss fight

Gotham City? But Batman you were born in Gotham. So glad they fixed that lol

Much better beta version

24:28 Firebug: OOOOH, LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!

Beta Is Better than original

I never knew NES games had their own Beta Versions

now first cutscene fits with the jump and free fall from released game

It works better with Joker as a boss but this conclusion is still quite amusing to me and a vast improvement over other underwhelming video game endings. I wish NES Metal Gear had ended with a still of Solid Snake demolishing the title character in one punch.

24:15 Firebug.

was this one of the games to utilize the updated sound chip?

What's nes beta?

when i was kid i have this game but the original now first time i see this game have it beta lol :D amazing :D and she looks so diffrend but her cutscenes are more good cool i like it :D

What the fuck did this game have to do with Batman. It's like they've made some random game, and it's an ok game, and then thought, how can we give it broader appeal... I know... We'll add some Batman skins. Fucking hated that about the NES era.