When Tim Burton released Batman Returns in 1992, the rights to the associated video games were split between several platforms, including the SEGA Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo.

These two versions were radically different. The Mega Drive offered a platform game with stages in the Batmobile, in addition to the classic walking sections. The SNES, on the other hand, offered a game that was more oriented towards side-scrolling combat, which - without fuelling the traditional SNES/Mega Drive war - was a critical success compared to the Mega Drive version, which didn't disappoint.

But Mega Drive owners can take some consolation over 30 years later! A group of developers has released a technical demo of a Mega Drive port of the SNES game, called Batman Returns MD.

This project, led by Pyron (graphics), TiagoSC (code), Inglebard and vectororbitex7866 (music), corrects one of the main faults of the SNES game developed by Konami: the absence of a multiplayer mode. The game will also benefit from a higher resolution and a 60 fps display, while having a larger number of enemies on screen (up to nine).

Our aim was to bring back the essence of the original, taking advantage of the graphics and processing power of the Mega Drive to deliver an arcade-like experience. This project is still in development, so bugs may occur’, explain the developers.

They add:

We made this technical demo to test different concepts and fulfil a teenage dream: to see Batman Returns ported to my favourite console. We have no intention of completing the game, but the results obtained here will be used for future projects.

Finally, the release concludes:

The demo was not created to ridicule the SNES version, but to show that the Mega Drive can handle a beat'em all with impressive technical and graphical qualities. While it has its limitations in some areas, it excels in others, making it an ideal platform for this type of game.

As you can see, the aim is not to develop a complete version of the game, but to test concepts for future projects. When you see the quality of the work, it looks very promising.

The demo is available free of charge in .bin format here.