‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ Brings Side-Scrolling Team-Ups to the Wii

For a certain percentage of people who were kids in the early '90s, the defining era of video games is a time when the side-scrolling beat-em-up ruled the earth unchallenged, dealing out Final Fights and Golden Axes before the 3D and the rise of the first-person shooter brought them to an untimely end. But whether it's just nostalgia or the fact that they're still crazy fun, the 2D brawler seems to be making a minor comeback, especially in the world of comic tie-ins.

We've already mentioned the "River City Ransom"-inspired Scott Pilgrim game coming up this summer, but after last week's E3, I've also seen something that gets me just as excited: Batman.

Joystiq has the skinny on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," out for Wii this October, which -- in the grand team-up tradition carried on by its TV counterpart -- allows for players to team the Caped Crusader up with other heroes, including Robin, Blue Beetle, Green Lantern Guy Gardner and more, and it sounds awesome. Check out the full trailer after the jump!

Despite the fact that they mention a lack of challenge (it is a game for kids, after all), Joystiq makes a pretty strong case for it being one of the most entertaining versions of Batman to hit video game consoles:

Sure, you can't silently take a henchman down from a dark corner in The Brave and the Bold, but conversely, I don't recall Arkham Asylum allowing you to team up with Green Lantern Guy Gardner to drop hard-light anvils on the Weather Wizard.

Developer WayForward has perfectly emulated both the style and structure of the Brave and the Bold TV series, in which a campy, Adam West-inspired Batman teams up with a different DC Comics hero each week. The look is absolutely faithful to the cartoon, with hand-drawn sprites, animated cutscenes, and even full-frame animation of Batman or another hero performing a finishing blow. Basically, it finally delivers on the Dragon's Lair promise of a playable cartoon.

Guys, you had me at Batman finishing moves hand-drawn sprites. The fact that Bat-Mite forces you battle your way through the set of Future Cats, though?

That's just icing on the cake.