Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a 2D beat-'em-up game developed for the Wii by WayForward Studios, and is based on the Cartoon Network show of the same name. Just as with the TV show, the game is divided into episodes in which Batman takes on the lead role as he teams up with other DC Universe characters to frustrate a villain’s plans.

The game is broken down into four episodes, with eight scenes in each. Batman fights through each of these levels with the aid of a sidekick against wave after wave of opponents that attempt to block his path. Each episode has its own stand-alone story and they aren’t linked to one another in any way. In fact, at the beginning of each story an intro is played, very much in the manner of the cartoon, stressing that a new adventure is about to begin. Your first sidekick will be Robin, who will then be replaced by Blue Beetle in the next adventure. Other featured companions include Hawkman and Guy Gardner. Each of these sidekicks has his own powers, dialogue, and personality. If you play alone, you may be able to choose between Batman and the sidekick; the leftover character will still participate as a computer controlled ally though.

The presence of the AI partner has two important implications for the game. For one, it opens up the possibility of another human player jumping into the action at any point in the mission. The duo approach also allows for a more cooperative experience, and a wealth of options to deal with specific in-game challenges.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold offers up a short, optional tutorial where you learn how to perform Batman’s different attacks before starting the main adventures. This tutorial also introduces you to the Nunchuck and Wiimote control scheme used for the game. The A button is used to attack, the B to jump, C to shield and take cover, Z to use the gadgets, and the D-pad to advance. The game also uses the Wii’s motion sensors; for instance, if you shake the controller, the character executes a slow but very powerful attack. You can also execute a special power by allowing the energy bar to fill up before releasing it by shaking both the Wiimote and the Nunchuck simultaneously. The Wii’s pointer abilities are also exploited during the game, being used to aim the Batarang properly at enemies. The game does not resort to the use of combos for special attacks, so to run down your enemies you can only rely on combinations of regular punches and the occasional release of special powers accumulated in the power bar.

As you defeat enemies you obtain coins that you can use to buy gadgets and weapon upgrades. The amount of coins obtained from a felled opponent depends on the amount of consecutive blows you land on him before being hit back. At the end of each mission you return to the Batcave, where you can make all your weapon acquisitions and improvements. These improvements are not exactly necessary to advance the core stories, but many bonuses and extras are only available thanks to these improved gadgets.

The game is quite linear, and most of the time you just keep on pushing forth from left to right, only stopping occasionally to deal with a foe or group of foes which the plot requires defeated before you can continue to advance. The average mission sports at least three bosses: one at the beginning, another near the middle, and a big one at the very end. These bosses are easily the highlight of the game, both because of the variety of looks they offer as well as the very case-specific combat approaches required to bring them down. Bosses are also the main source of difficulty in any given episode, although defeat really isn’t penalized at all in the game. Once you’re defeated you simply lose 100 coins from your stock (not a high price at all) and continue right where you left off, fresh and full of energy as if nothing had happened.

During an adventure, besides your main sidekick, you can also invoke the aid of about 10 additional superheroes. Each of these characters brings along a special attack that will greatly damage all of the opponents on screen. Sadly, the end result of all these special hero attacks is the same, and after a while the option starts to feel quite boring.

The immortality of the playable characters in this title makes the gaming experience feel very unchallenging and brief; you can complete the whole game from beginning to end in just four or five hours without even breaking a sweat. Once you finish the game a new mode opens up called ‘Bat-Mite Challenge’. In it, you can test your abilities to the limit by fighting timed battles against endless hordes of enemies. The level of difficulty of the Bat-Mite challenge is a stark contrast to the breezy experience offered by the regular missions. It will no doubt be the favorite part of the game for more hardcore players. However, since it’s not part of the main story arc, it will probably be largely ignored by more casual players.

The main hook of Batman: The Brave and the Bold is probably the cooperative mode, especially if you’re the kind of person who places more value on the social experience of gaming with a friend rather than on the degree of challenge you're confronted with. In this respect, the game at least delivers a fun experience, since the second player operates a different sidekick in each mission. The game also rewards the better performing player in the duo by offering rewards for things such as highest number of enemies downed, or biggest combo of consecutive punches delivered. The added sense of competition is refreshing, although one can’t help but wonder why an online option wasn’t included to allow you to play cooperatively with friends on the web.

If you own a DS that sports the handheld version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold you can connect your Wii and DS to enable the use of the Bat-Mite. This character can then be used to make the Wii player’s experience either much easier, or more complicated, depending on your mood. Bat-Mite is moved through the TV screen using the DS stylus and touch screen. The Bat-Mite throws bombs and energy, bombs can be aimed either at Batman’s opponents or Batman himself. It’s a fun and clever way to exploit the connectivity possibilities between both consoles, something that few games to-date have bothered to explore.

Regarding the presentation, WayForward can be credited with doing a good job of recreating the feel of the TV show. The 2D animations are fluid and clear, and each character enjoys swift and well-defined moves. It really feels like an episode of the show is being re-enacted for you during missions. The background scenarios are varied and colorful, creating a more immersive ambiance for the adventures. The experience is further enriched by short videos between chapters that help create the setting for the next mission. One of the low points of the title is the scant variety of lower level opponents. You basically have to deal with the exact same fist-fighters and machine gun hitmen irrespective of whether you’re in London or in Gotham. The music, pulled straight from the show, is spot-on, enhancing the mood of the game. The voice acting is commendable; all of the characters are convincingly impersonated and sound natural. The voice acting, used mostly during intros and in-game conversations, can only be criticized for the predictable and unremarkable dialogue and catchphrases (I’m looking your way, Guy Gardner). However, in due fairness, the dialogue can also be quite clever, and even humorous from time to time. All of the dialogue is also available in Spanish and French, but it's not on a par with the English.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a fun and simple game that will probably satisfy fans of the show, but certainly falls well short of being a memorable title in the grander scheme of things. However, if you like the Batman character and you're only looking for a fun, accessible title to spend a few hours playing either on your own or with a friend, then this is the game for you.