interactivity serial: GrubberGamer's Online Game Deals for April 11th, 2013

Tuesday's Batman: Arkham Origins announcement was - for me - some of the most exciting video game news this year. I never doubted a new Arkham title would eventually be announced, but I never expected anything to be released by year's end, and I certainly didn't expect a portable 2.5D Metroidvania title - developed by Retro Studios alumni, no less - to be coming along with it.

The news had me thinking about the Batman themed games we've received over the past several years, and how lucky we've been that these titles have turned out to be quality efforts worth playing. Most of these Batman games are available for great prices on Nintendo systems, which is all the better!

Lego Batman: The Video Game (Wii, DS)

In my opinion, Lego Batman: The Video Game was the beginning of Batman's return to form in video gaming, and it still holds up incredibly well. Having played Batman games for a long (long (long)) time, it was definitely a welcome change of pace from the lackluster Batman titles that had come before. While Lego Batman 2 may be the better choice if you like open world environments, the first Lego Batman is certainly not a bad game - just more linear. Give it a try sometime if you haven't already - I doubt you'll be disappointed. I certainly wasn't.

Lego Batman for Wii and DS are in the $16-17 range via Amazon. These prices seem to be the stabilized norm anymore, although they'll occasionally hit the $15 (or even $10) mark during a holiday sale or promotion.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Video Game (Wii, DS)

While the excellent Batman: Arkham Asylum never appeared on Nintendo systems, we did receive two exclusive 2D platform brawlers - Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Video Game for Wii and DS, based on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series.

If you can imagine an animated Dick Sprang Batman, plenty of DC Universe guest stars and lots of for-the-sake-of-it camp humor, you'll have an idea of of what Brave and the Bold is all about. It reminds me of the 60s era Batman live-action television series, but with a Batman who is a bit less kitsch this time around - not that his Hammers of Justice lines aren't always hilarious. Thankfully, WayForward did a fantastic job translating the look and feel of the cartoon into a retro-friendly, 2D platform brawler, but with enough modern gameplay sensibilities to keep the repetition to a minimum. Definitely recommended if you're looking for something Batman and something fun, but something not so serious.

Both the DS and Wii versions of Batman: The Brave and the Bold are available from Amazon for about $15 each. Both games offer similar gameplay, although the Wii version offers 2-player co-op while the DS version allows you to swap with different guest characters while playing. There's a cool bonus feature if you have both games - you can assist-play as Bat-Mite in the Wii game by using your DS!

Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition (Wii U)

With an (evidently well-timed) sale this week, this is a great opportunity to pick up Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition for a great price, allowing ample time to finish the game before Arkham Origins is released this October. Both Amazon and Best Buy are offering this enhanced version of the game for $19.99, but with some caveats - the Best Buy sale is in-store pickup only at the moment, and although you'll receive free shipping with your Amazon order, you'll be waiting 1-3 weeks before it ships. Still, a great deal for this game, despite the delays and inconvenience. Along with the added gamepad functionality and Armored Tech Mode, the Armored Edition also includes the six DLC packs on disc, which definitely improves the value proposition.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, Wii U, DS, 3DS)

While the first Lego Batman game is one of the finer examples of past Lego game design, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes sets a new bar with an open world environment and a great roster of characters. The Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman - this game is essentially Lego Justice League! And it's with some irony that a game titled Lego Batman 2 just happens to be the best Superman game yet released - wait until you hear that John Williams score.

I can't recommend the Wii version of Lego Batman 2 unconditionally, however - there's no DLC option for extra characters and the game pushes the Wii hardware to the point of graphics pop-in - but this may well be addressed with the up-and-coming Wii U release. Also, while the console versions of the game are open world, the portable versions are not. Which isn't altogether a bad thing, really, as this makes for two different Lego Batman 2 games worth playing!

Like the original Lego Batman, Lego Batman 2 currently sits around the $16-17 mark on Amazon. This applies to the Wii, DS and 3DS versions, but not the future Wii U release, which is scheduled for May 21st and is available from Best Buy and Amazon for a $39.99 pre-order - a discount of $10 off the listed MSRP.

Which brings us back to the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins games. Both the Wii U and 3DS versions are already available for pre-order from many retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Gamestop, and Best Buy among them), with prices and date seemingly set (October 25th, if you're wondering). Whether the final products will live up to their price tags is difficult to say at this point - E3 will probably give everyone a better perspective. But one thing is clear - WB Montreal and Armature Studio (developing the console and handheld games, respectively) have some particularly big shoes to fill, what with Rocksteady having moved on to (what we hope) are bigger and better things. I'm comfortably optimistic at the moment, but you can be sure - as a grizzled, old Batman gamer with high expectations - I'll be paying super-heroic attention to what news & developments we learn of next.

And that's a wrap. As always, you'll find plenty of game specific deals and discounts after the jump. Be sure to watch for the next exciting installment of GrubberGamer's Online Game Deals - same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel. Thanks for reading.

? Ongoing Sales and Promotions for April 11, 2013
? Nintendo 3DS Game Deals for April 11, 2013
? Nintendo DS Game Deals for April 11, 2013
? Nintendo Wii Game Deals for April 11, 2013
? Nintendo Wii U Game Deals for April 11, 2013