BATMAN RETURNS Published by Konami INSTRUCTION BOOKLET Typed by SNESBOY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 3. CONGRATULATIONS! You are the proud owner of the Batman Returns game for the game for the Super NES. You can become The Dark Knight and attempt to keep Gotham City from being overrun by the Red Triangle Circus Gang. But it won't be the normal fun you would get from beating up a bunch of clowns, because behind their dastardly deeds are the 'fowl' plottings of The Penguin and the cunning Catwoman. TABLE OF CONTENTS 4........ Introduction - Havoc in Gotham Plaza 6........ Objectives - The game is at hand 7........ Starting Batman Returns 8........ Guiding The Dark Knight - The Controller 9........ Making a move on your foes 11...... The game screen 12...... The options 13...... Those wonderful toys 15...... the stages -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------4. HAVOC IN GOTHAM PLAZA Gotham City is in the midst of a jubilant hloiday celebration. The mayor is giving his annual speech before the lighting of the Christmas tree in Gotham Plaza, when, much to the suprise of the crowd, a huge gift box appears at the back of the plaza. As the crowd quiets, the box erupts with the roar of powerful engines. Skull-masked motorcyclists, flame-breathing clowns and knife wielding acrobats storm the crowd, striking terroe where moments before there had been glee. Police Commissioner Gordon, on hand for the celebration, quickly sends word to the precinct headquarters: "Send the signal! We need Batman here quickly." Miles away, in stately Wayne Manor, millionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne looks up from his desk. A series of mechanised mirrors has detected the Bat-Signal and reflected it through a window in Wayne's study. At that moment, his faithful butler Alfred enters the room. "Sir, shall I prepare?" Alfred asks. He knows the answer already, for his employer has never refused a call. "Yes, Alfred." Wayne's brow furrows as he heads toward a large aquarium in the center of the room. "Any idea what's happening?" He rolls up his sleeve, plunges his arm into the fish tank and presses a btton on an ornamental castle. Behind him a secret panel opens to reveal a passage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------5. Alfred follows him through the door. They walk through the passageway leading to the hidden Batcave. "There is some commotion at the Plaza, Sir," Alfred responds. Once inside the Batcave, Alfred takes a seat at a bank of computer terminals. Bruce Wayne activates a console panel beside a large vault door. In a few seconds the vault opens. Inside are a number of armoured Batman suits and a vast array of high-tech weapons. He scans the suits. "What's the situation, Alfred?" He calls out. At the monitors, Alfred has intercepted a local satellite feed of a newscast. He sees the thugs wreaking havoc on the citzens. "Approximately twenty strong. Wearing what appears to be circus costumes - no sign of armour. Weapons noted include knives, flame throwers, possibly small arms. Most on foot, some motorcycles." "Thanks. Link with the Batmobile and keep me apprised of the situation." He dons a suit of light armour with good flexibility. "I'll go in at grund level from the east of the plaza. If you see anything to dictate otherwise, let me know". As Bruce pulls on the rubber cowl of his suit, Alfred hits a remote control button which starts the engine on the Batmobile. A moment later, Batman leaps into the cockpit and speeds away to rescue Gotham City once again! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------6. THE GAME IS AT HAND Batman Returns is a one-player game that follows the storyline of the blockbuster motion picture. You control the Dark Knight and lead him against the Red Triangle Circus Gang. Battle your way past the best they have to throw at you and save the Ice Princess from Cat Woman. But be careful, she's a feisty feline and a fierce fighter. If you can get past her, you'll still have to face The Penguin and his penguin army. The game contains seven different levels of action. In most of the stages you will control Batman as he stalks the city on foot. Use your fists - or an assortment of high-tech tools - to defeat your foes. In one stage you will even guide the Batmobile along the streets of Gotham City. Adjust the difficulty level to suit your skill level. There are five levels to choose: EASY, NORMAL, HARD, SPECIAL and MANIA. The number of 'lives' you get can be either 3, 5 or 7. You can also reconfigure the control pad, if you wish. Details about changing these game options can be found on page 12. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 7. STARTING BATMAN RETURNS With the Super Nintendo turned off, insert the game pak into the unit. Now turn the power on. You will see the game credits screen, followed by the introduction. When you are ready to begin the game, press the START button. This will advance you to the game start screen. Use the control pad UP/DOWN to select either GAME START or OPTIONS. STARTING THE GAME In the first level of the first stage, you begin on the streets of Gotham City. The holiday crowd is being terrorized by the Red Triangle Circus Gang. Fight off the thugs and make your way to the boss character at the end of the stage. You can use a variety of moves and weapons. These will be explained later. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 8. GUIDING THE DARK KNIGHT THE CONTROLLER (INTIAL SETTINGS) Control pad: Controls all directional movement - left, right, up and down - for Batman and the Batmobile. Start: Pause during the game. Select: Change selected item. A button: Press to use a selected item. B button: Jump. X button: Press with the R/L buttons to throw test tube. Y button: Batman attacks - Batmobile shoot discs. L or R button: Defense. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------9. MAKING A MOVE ON YOUR FOES The following key presses are used to perform Batman's special moves: *The cape sweep: Does major damage to any enemy in range - Press the B and Y buttons simultaneously. *Test tube toss: Disables all enemies on screen - Hold the R or L button, then press X. *Flying jump kick: Inflicts a serious hit on the untended target - Press B to jump, while in the air, press Y to kick. *Flying attack: Assault from above - Press B to jump, then while in the air, press down and Y to spread your wings and attack. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------10. There is a subset of moves that you can use when Batman picks up a bad guy. To pick up a bad guy, walk toward him/her. When you are close enough, Batman will reach out and grab the enemy by the neck. *Standard attack: Hold an enemy and punch'em in the gut - Press the Y button after picking up an enemy. *The head toss: Pick up enemies and throw them to the ground - Press right, down or left on the control pad, then press Y. *Special toss: In some areas you can fling a foe back against a window, fence, etc - Pick an enemy up, press up on the control pad, then press Y. *The double whammy: Tough to master but worth it. Puts a big hurt on two bad dudes - When you have one guy in hand, move close to another and grab him. Then press Y. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------11. THE GAME SCREEN *Vials: Number remaining. *Vitality: Measures Batman's health. When it is empty, Batman loses a 'life'. *Lives remaining: Each life gives you another chance to save Gotham City! Guard them well, because when they are gone, the game is over. *Selected item: Indicates the current gadget in use. This could be the Batarang or spear gun. *Score: Number of points you have earned. *Enemy's vitality: Measures the enemy's remaining health. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------12. THE OPTIONS ARE YOURS You may change the options for the game before you begin playing. Select the OPTIONS screen at the beginning by moving the control pad up/down until the pointer is in front of OPTIONS. Press the START button to select it. *Game Level: EASY, NORMAL, HARD, SPECIAL, MANIA - Select the level that is best for you. Winning the game at harder levels results in different ending sequences. Work up to MANIA level to see them all! *Rest: 3, 5, 7 - Select the number of lives you start with. *Key Option Type: A, B, C, D - Pick one of the four controller configurations. *Sound Test: 00 through19 - Pick a music track to listen to. Press A, B, X or Y to hear the sound. *Sound Mode: STEREO or MONAURAL - The Super Nintendo always uses stereo sound. If the TV you are using is monaural, the sound will come through on only one side when an AV cable is used. To remedy this situation, change the setting from STEREO to MONAURAL. Then both the left and right-side music will come out of a single speaker. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------13. THOSE WONDERFUL TOYS Batman has a few special gadgets up his sleeve - and on his utility belt. In many of the stages you can select a gadget to aid Batman in his fight against crime. The Bataranga are modern day versions of the old boomerangs. Batman will whip these at his opponents when you pick the Batarang as the SELECTED ITEM. *Press the SELECT button to make the Batarang appear in the SELECT ITEM window. *Press the A button to throw. NOTE: In some stages the default attack method will be the Batarang. That means that you don't have to select the item and press the A button. Simply press the Y button as you would normally attack. The spear gun is used to raise Batman's chances in a fight to new heights - literally. Batman can fire the spear gun straight or at 45 degree and 90 degree angles (in certain areas). *Make the spear gun the SELECT ITEM. *Press the control pad in the direction you want to shoot the spear gun, then press the A button. *The spear will stick into the wall or ceiling if possible. Press the A button again to retract the cable, thus pulling Batman along or up. *Press the control pad down to release the cable. *In most areas the spear gun can be used to help Batman kick the enemies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------14. Batman carries a few vials of chemical explosives along in his utility belt. These vials will cause a huge flash and damage any enemy in the area. The number of vials Batman carries is shown in the upper left corner. *Press the top right or left button and the X button at the same time to throw a vial. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------15. THE STAGES Stage 1: Ambush in Gotham Plaza. Stage 2: Battle in the Streets of Gotham City. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------16. Stage 3: On the Prowl. Stage 4: The Penguin's Trap. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17. Stage 5: To the Batmobile! Stage 6: Circus Train. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------18. Stage 7: The Penguin's Lair. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------19. NOTES