The Critical Wranker

After the release of the somewhat, in my opinion, disappointing Suicide Squad, I take a look at a game that has regularly hit best of lists, The Adventures of Batman and Robin for the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom. This game has a strange legacy, simultaneously being heralded as a great game, while not seeming to be a widely played title. I'm guilty of this myself, this being the first time I played it, and, WOW, am I glad I did. In this lengthy retrospective, I take a look at all the ports, including the excellent Megadrive/Genesis version, dive into the history of the game, take a look at the magazines of the time for context, break the game down - level by level, and then, of course, I Wrank it. Please be aware, YouTube has been particually aggressive with the bit crushing in this video. I render my videos with 90Mbps, well above the 70 suggested for 4K, to get the best possible render, but while the video before uploading looks great, when watching on YouTube, the compression artifacts are very heavy. I have tried different methods to reduce this, but this is the best I could do. I think it has to do with the dark colours the game uses, and if you have any suggestions to improve this, please E-mail me, or leave a comment, all suggestions are appreciated. **********Time Stamps********** 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:12 Preface 00:16:28 Review 00:19:58 Amused to Death 00:26:05 No Green Peace 00:31:44 Foul Play 00:37:54 Tale of the Cat 00:40:25 Trouble in Transit 00:43:39 Perchance to Scream 00:47:36 Riddle Me This 00:54:54 The Gauntlet 00:58:07 Rating 01:01:06 Conclusion **********Video Information********** This video was made, using; Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Corel PhotoPaint, Retrotink 5x, VA1 Asian Megadrive with a custom Triple Bypass installed, using RGB output, Stock Super Famicom, using RGB output, PAL Game Gear with Benn Venn LCD screen, PAL & NTSC Mega CD FK PAK Pro, Mega Everdrive PRO, Shure SM7B Microphone, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Cloudlifter AMP Editing PC; Ryzen 9 7950x3d ASUS ROG x670e Extreme RTX 4090 24GB 128GB DDR5 RAM AverMedia 4k Live Gamer The settings I used for the Retrotink 5x can be found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtakkJL84aY @wobblingpixels3921 is a must for Retrotink users. I managed to get Mrs Wranker to reluctantly play the Megadrive version of the game for the video, so thank you for giving it your best (and dying on the first level) ************Bibliography and Credits*************** • My raw playthroughs used in this retrospective *SNES* - https://youtu.be/vtZr_AynDiw *Megadrive* - https://youtu.be/yJiS3sq33Ms • Batman fandom - https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Batman_%26_Robin:_The_Video_Game • Time lapse - @timecycleshoots833 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElbBCdu4NUI&ab_channel=TimecycleShoots • John Burton @CodingSecrets https://www.youtube.com/@CodingSecrets • Nintendo Power Issue 88 - https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20068%20January%201995/page/n39/mode/2up?q=%22adventures+of+batman++robin%22&view=theater • Computer and Video Games 156 - https://retrocdn.net/File:CVG_UK_156.pdf • Sega Power Issue 70 - https://segaretro.org/File:SegaPower_UK_70.pdf • Official Nintendo Magazine Issue 26 - https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-system-uk-26-november-1994 • Wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Batman_%26_Robin_(video_game) • Batman Wiki - https://batmantheanimatedseries.fandom.com/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Batman_%26_Robin_(SNES) • @AL82RetrogamingLongplays - Simpsons Arcade - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNpuIHbK3-I • @NintendoComplete Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy) @https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7EK9uajukw&ab_channel=NintendoComplete • Poison Ivy - https://web.archive.org/save/https://websites.umich.edu/~sheroine/SuperheroineProject/PoisonIvy.html • @AL82RetrogamingLongplays Batman Longplay (Amiga) [50 FPS] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGHLLh3iZwU&ab_channel=AL82RetrogamingLongplays • @classicgaminguk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5ZSH2DU4c&ab_channel=retrogamingpower All music used in this video came from the game's OST . All gameplay, unless stated, was captured by me on real hardware, using the original medium and console, with a RetroTink 5x. All media used, including clips from Wedding Crashers (2005), Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (1997), Batman - The Animated Series, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Batman (1989), Batman and Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), are within the guidelines of Section 107 of the US Copyright Act "for purpose of critique or review". All the media remains the intellectual property of the relevant copyright holders.

I'm fully committed to completing all the James Bond games, and with that being said, I present to you, 007 Tomorrow Never Dies, the third game in my A Review to a Kill series. This was an Exclusive PS1 release, tied to the story of it's movie namesake, with a very messy and interesting development cycle, being regularly compared against the N64 juggernaut, Goldeneye. I have no nostalgia for this game, as I never played it before, so I will be totally impartial here. In this retrospective, I tell the story of a "complicated" development, read magazine reviews from the time of release for context, break down every level, and of course, I Wrank it. **********007 Tomorrow Never Dies********** In Chinese occupied waters, a British navel vessel, the HMS Devonshire, has been sent off course, attacked, and sunk, along with a Chinese fighter jet investigating the incident. Tension between the UK and China are building due to the incident, and MI6 suspects foul play. Media magnate, Elliot Caver, covered the story in his newspaper, Tomorrow, before any reports were released, and has become the prime suspect, with James Bond being sent into investigate. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:55 Preface 00:12:01 Outpost, Russian Border 00:19:39 First Ski Section 00:21:28 Arms Bazaar 00:24:33 Carver Media 00:27:48 Pressing Engagement 00:29:17 Hotel Atlantic 00:31:22 Convoy 00:32:42 Ski Ridge 00:34:18 Carver Media, Saigon 00:36:38 Saigon Market 00:40:00 Stealth Boat 00:42:47 Lets Wrank It 00:45:21 Conclusion **********PC, Equipment and software used for the video********** Ryzen 9 7950 X3D Processor Asus ROG X670e Extreme Motherboard Geforce RTX4090 24GB 128GB DDR5 RAM Avermedia 4K Live Gamer PCI-e Capture Card Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Corel PhotoPaint, Retrotink 5x, PAL PS1, fitted with Xstation ODE, using RGB Component out, Tomorrow Never Dies, PAL region Shure SM7B Microphone, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Cloudlifter AMP **********Video Links and Information********** My first stop for RGB gables - Retro Gaming Cables https://retrogamingcables.co.uk/ (not sponsored) Bond Remix Credit: Song: 007 James Bond - Eleven Music No Copyright Music provided by Eleven Music. Video Link: https://youtu.be/Zv-hLHFQSCU Picker Wheel Tool - https://pickerwheel.com/ RetroTink 5x Settings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNK1pT1W8B8&ab_channel=WobblingPixels check out @wobblingpixels3921 if you have a RetrotTink External Gameplay Footage; @Civvie11 Powerslave - https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fc0vF7su6K8&t=224s&ab_channel=Civvie11 Quake @Bolloxed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ_xy0agNm4 Alien Trilogy @Jumss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYk4UNNOoM4 From Russia with Love @retrogamer.mj48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2wN95wEEzM Robb Alvey's Youtube - @robbalvey Original Desmond Llewelyn promo - @MI6HQcom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSSDSqDFesw AI 2k upscale of said promo - https://youtu.be/kWtnSN6rwyU My RAW playthrough Footage - https://youtu.be/pJQ-jCyjn7E Sources; EA Acquires 007 License - https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/21/ea-and-mgm-bond Activision obtains James Bond license - https://web.archive.org/web/20081121212546/https://gaming-age.com/news/2006/5/3-19 Next Gen Issue 42 Pre Alpha - https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration42Jun1998/mode/2up Robb Alvey Pre-E3 Interview - https://web.archive.org/web/20180602145058/http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/05/12/pre-e3-tomorrow-never-dies-interview UK Playstation Mag Issue 54 - https://archive.org/details/Official_UK_PlayStation_Magazine_Issue_054_2000_01_Future_Publishing_GB Edge Issue 80 - https://segaretro.org/Edge Tommy Tallerico Steps Down - https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/02/07/tommy-tallarico-steps-down-as-intellivision-ceo Intellivision doesn't have enough money to release the Amico - https://filmstories.co.uk/gaming/intellivision-says-it-doesnt-have-enough-money-to-make-the-amico-console/ Designer Diaries https://web.archive.org/web/20020606214728/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/tnd_dd/081099/page2.html • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Odysee - https://odysee.com/@TheCriticalWranker:1 • Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1980192 • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com All music used in this video came from the game's OST, and Goldeneye for the N64 . All gameplay, unless stated, was captured by myself, using the original medium and console, with a RetroTink 5x. All media used, including video clips from; South Park (S06E01 Jared Has Aides), Futurama (E02E06 The Lesser of Two Evils), The Living Daylights, Live and Let Die, A View to a Kill, The World is not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, By Her Majesties' Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Pulp Fiction are within the guidelines of Section 107 of the US Copyright Act "for purpose of critique or review". All the media remains the intellectual property of the relevant copyright holders.

It's time to return to the well that is, James Bond Games. It's been a while since 007 Racing, but after acquiring EVERY official Bond game, A Review to a Kill returns with 007 Nightfire. I played this back in the early noughties, and I had a great time replaying this classic. This is an in-depth retrospective of 007 Nightfire, and in the video, I go into my personal memories, context magazine reviews from the time of release, break down every level, and of course, I Wrank it. **********007 Nightfire Synopsis********** After the access information, for a orbiting global defense platform, is stolen from the Americans, It's up to James Bond to investigate, and stop any terrorist threat. Due to intel from undercover double agents, MI6 have reason to believe, Rafael Drake, noted green industrialist is the prime suspect, and with his powerful connections, time is of the essence. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:55 Preface 00:11:44 Paris Prelude 00:25:30 The Exchange 00:30:00 Alpine Escape 00:31:38 Enemies Vanquished 00:33:40 Double Cross 00:38:01 Night Shift 00:41:43 Chain Reaction 00:45:37 Phoenix Fire 00:51:53 Deep Descent 00:58:04 Island Infiltration 01:00:32 Countdown 01:08:42 Equinox 01:12:46 Conclusion **********PC, Equipment and software used for the video********** Ryzen 9 7950 X3D Processor Asus ROG X670e Extreme Motherboard Geforce RTX4090 24GB 128GB DDR5 RAM Avermedia 4K Live Gamer PCI-e Capture Card Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Corel PhotoPaint, Retrotink 5x, PAL PS2, resolution improved with FreeHarddriveboot GSM, using YPBPR Component out, PAL Gamecube with a Gameboy Player, Pico BOOT and using RGB out Stock PAL XBOX also using RGB out Gameboy Advance, with custom shell and IPS backlite screen Shure SM7B Microphone, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Cloudlifter AMP **********Video Links and Information********** Big shout out to Retro Gaming Cables, I have bought all my retro AV leads from them, and the quality is second to none. This is in no way sponsored, I just like to offer options for people interested in playing retro games on real hardware. https://retrogamingcables.co.uk/ Bond Remix Credit: Song: 007 James Bond - Eleven Music No Copyright Music provided by Eleven Music. Video Link: https://youtu.be/Zv-hLHFQSCU Picker Wheel Tool - https://pickerwheel.com/ RetroTink 5x Settings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNK1pT1W8B8&ab_channel=WobblingPixels check out @wobblingpixels3921 if you have a RetrotTink External Gameplay Footage; @Graslu00 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c8RbuL0dcI @MikeyTheMachineGaming - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DQ5JH7xkVM @Shirrako - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uGT2J-_Kt0 @Demon27248 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgpZCWHRWpg PC online multiplayer • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Odysee - https://odysee.com/@TheCriticalWranker:1 • Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1980192 • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com All music used in this video came from the game's OST, and Goldeneye for the N64 . All gameplay, unless stated, was captured by me on real hardware, using the original medium and console, with a RetroTink 5x. All media used, including movie clips from; Goldeneye, Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, Casino Royale and A View to a Kill, are within the guidelines of Section 107 of the US Copyright Act "for purpose of critique or review". All the media remains the intellectual property of the relevant copyright holders. To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

Taking us into the spooky season, in this video, I take a look at the history of survival horror, and try to define what games shaped the sub genre. I go through the different generations of consoles/computers, looking at the pop culture influences and documenting, my interpretation of the evolution of survival horror. This video was seven months in the making, so I hope you enjoy. As a side note, if you have watched my previous videos, you might notice a difference in my voice. I have switched to a Shure SM7B, it's a dynamic mic rather than the Rode Nt1 which is a condenser. It requires far less post processing, so it will be the mic I use going forward. The opening preface is a homage to @XboxAhoy If you like this video, check his stuff out. It's the best content on YouTube in my opinion, and a massive influence on my videos. Chapters 00:00:41 Preface 00:03:18 Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings 00:10:16 Chapter 2: A New Era 00:15:29 Chapter 3: Rise From Your Grave 00:28:21 Chapter 4: Polygon Phenomenon 00:38:33 Chapter 5: A Residence of Horror 00:48:27 Chapter 6: Longevity and Legacy 00:53:58 Chapter 7: The Once and Future King 01:01:03 Chapter 8: Where Do We Go From Here? Credits While researching the first Resident Evil, Itchy, Tasty by Aniel Alex, was an invaluable resource. It's a fantastic read, and I recommend it to anyone that's interested in this period in Capcom's history. I am, in no way, affiliated with the book. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Itchy-Tasty-Unofficial-History-Resident/dp/1783529482 Movie clips used in this video, in order of release - Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Psycho (1960), Night of the Living Dead (1968), All the Presidents Men (1976), Dawn of the Dead (1978), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Alien (1979), Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Evil Dead (1981). All clips are within fair use and property of their respective copyright holders. Channel Credits Due to issues with recordings I got from my retro Pentium 3 PC, the games played and captured on there were unusable, something I didn't know until I completed the games and tried to import the files while editing (my reward for trying to capture everything on real hardware, I will consider DOS BOX next time). The games affected were Alone in the Dark, and System Shock, for this footage I turned to the great Channels @SHNHorror and @worldoflongplays respectively. They both make highly appreciated archiving efforts and I recommend their work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhO02gQEu-k @keinert Fantastic channel for documenting old arcade machines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NolHZBK_zX8 @BenevolentChum Micro Color BASIC Remake of Uchuu Yusousen Nostromo Alpha/Nostromo - Due to the obscurity of this game, this video was very helpful and is a superb archiving effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ltYIXh4BQI @odysseynow1972 Again, not a game I could buy, I tried. This is a great channel for archiving the Odyssey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiAFTe76iwg @AppleAdventures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGVOw8gXl6Y @MightyCollector . Unfortunitely, I don't have a TI-99/4A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oByTUQjCFg @AgentRedJackal Resident Evil Directors Cut music fix. Music Credits E1M5 - Suspense, Doom OST - by Robert (Bobby) Prince. Thriller - Michael Jackson, MIDI version - This is a fantastic Midi version of THRILLER by RedShade - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6CHE_HH3fE The Logical Song - Super Tramp, MIDI version - I honestly can't find where I got this version, i'ts been on my PC since the 2000s. If this is your work, let me know, and I'll happily give you credit. 3D Model Credits "Critical Wranker" firefly tag was created by my son Atari 2600 - Vaclav Marena, https://sketchfab.com/vaclavmarena - This creator makes absolutely stunning 3D models, and distributes them for free. It's definitely worth seeing their work, you can find it here https://sketchfab.com/vaclavmarena The Spencer Mansion - I cannot find contact information for the creator of this, UberMachine, to give attribution. I am using it within Creative Commons licence, but would like to give a link to the creator, so if you see this, contact me. You can see their work at https://open3dlab.com/project/34128/ T-Virus Canisters - Author Deunank, https://www.cgtrader.com/deunank. It can be found here https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/science/medical/t-virus-and-antivirus 8-bit Link - Styoks, https://sketchfab.com/Styoks Model can be found here https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/amiibo-link-8-bit-9fb62f7589b64a39a8bd073ccc45e786 All gameplay, unless stated, was captured by me on real hardware, using the original medium and consoles/computer with a RetroTink 5x, then edited and replayed on my CRT. Any "Trailer" footage is captured from publicly available videos. All Clips are used within the guidelines of fair use "for purpose of critique or review". It remains the intellectual property of the relevant copyright holders. To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

Although a personal favourite of mine, I'm far from an apologist for this game. It's a product of it's time, which is how I have judged it. It's become quite the opinion divider in more resent times, and even if you don't agree with my opinion, I hope you enjoy hearing my perspective. ****Originally Published on Youtube on 16th March 2023**** https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCft_vHCrzNqiV8Lx2bzhRjA

Merry Christmas everyone, for the Christmas Special this year, I have picked a personal favourite. On the surface, Snowboard Kids is a cutesy battle racer, but as with most things in life, scratch below the surface, and there is something very different to be discovered. I really enjoyed replaying this game. In the retrospective, I go in to the good the bad, the reception at the time, and of course, give it a Wranker Score. I hope you enjoy the video. To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

This is my top ten moments Resident Evil made you turn the light back on. This list is exclusive to the PS1, great games that deserve more love. • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCriticalWranker • Twitter - https://twitter.com/CWranker • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com Credits: Knowledge Husk - https://www.youtube.com/c/GeographyHub Kawaii Games - https://www.youtube.com/c/KawaiiGames Retro Pals - https://www.youtube.com/c/retropals Khonziel - https://www.youtube.com/c/Khonziel To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

In my new series, A Review to a Kill, I’m going to be completing, and reviewing every game adaptation of the 007 franchise. First up is 007 Racing, a PS1 title released in 2000. This game was full of surprises, and I had a lot of fun with it. If you like this content, please consider liking it, and subscribing for future retro gaming fun. • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCriticalWranker • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com Battle Mode Footage: Vam Hedit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys2rH2Qcek0 Bond Remix Credit: Song: 007 James Bond - Eleven Music No Copyright Music provided by Eleven Music. Video Link: https://youtu.be/Zv-hLHFQSCU To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

In my latest outing, I take a trip back to 1997 for a deep dive into the masterclass that was Super Mario 64. I had a lot of fun with this one, so I hope you enjoy the video. On a side-note, a serious thank you to everyone that watched my first video. The amount of views it received was better than I ever imagined. Thank you guys and gals! • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCriticalWranker • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com Links mentioned in the video: Wario apparition and personalised sm64 iceberg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dAz7U7ICw Smoke coding error - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaWc6SLu7vE Credits: Benny Hill parody song - Circus Minute, Orion Williams - http://toolofgod.com/my-music/royalty-free-benny-hill-theme-style-alternative/ To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker

Documenting the ups and downs of Sega's battle to topple Nintendo, fully exploring the console war between the Megadrive/Genesis and the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo. 00:00:13 Intro 00:00:49 Preface 00:03:12 Chapter 1: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 00:06:59 Chapter 2: Mastersystem of the Universe 00:13:10 Chapter 3: Oh no, They Nintendidn't 00:22:13 Chapter 4: Public Nuisance 00:31:56 Chapter 5: Coming to America 00:36:55 Chapter 6: Mortal Street Kombat Fighter 00:46:56 Chapter 7: The Hedgehog is Taking the Mickey 00:52:31 Chapter 8: Conclusion • Website - http://www.criticalwranker.com • Odysee - https://odysee.com/@TheCriticalWranker:1 • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCriticalWranker • E-mail - contact@criticalwranker.com To get this video within Rumbles requirements, the video has been resampled with Handbrake. I'm happy to support Rumble, but the best versions of my videos will always be on my Youtube channel due to there being next to no limits on quality. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalWranker