Guess what’s paused right now on my PS3!! Go on, guess!

    Batman Arkham Asylum! And it’s awwwweeeesome!!

    After all the Lego games, Rock Band games, and cute goofy little girly games, I’ve finally purchased my very, very first ‘Boy’ video game! And believe me, I’m oh so very, very proud. 🙂

    When I first heard about this particular Batman game, I was really intrigued. I’ve always been a huge fan of Batman. In fact, growing up with two older brothers with an extensive comic collection who exposed me to quite a wide variety of superheros and caped crusaders, I’d always thought of Batman as my favorite ‘superhero’. His skills, his prowess, his absolute domination of Gotham City, it wasn’t a fluke. He wasn’t just born into it like Superman or the X-Men, or accidentally bitten by some extraordinary creature like Spiderman; rather, he became worthy of the cape through hard work, determination, and sheer grit. Granted, he also had a great deal of money, but the fact remains, he achieved his stature through his own hard work, which I’ve always respected much more than the bizarre quirks and twists of fate that brought other comic book heros – and villains – into being.

    Whenever my favorite comic book hero is given a new twist, I’m going to take a look. But when it comes to violent, gritty video games, I often don’t really stay interested. I read about the art, the story, what it took to make it, but I never play it. I didn’t think this would be any different.

    What first caused my attention to linger, however, was when I heard that not only was Mark Hamill reprising his role as the Joker, but so was Kevin Conroy, who was the absolute best incarnation of Batman ever in my opinion. Both of them starred in one of my favorite cartoons of all time, ‘Batman: The Animated Series’, which to this day I still think is the most dynamic visual interpretation of Batman ever made. Which is saying something, cause the two new films are pretty dang good. But the cartoon, I still think they did it better, if for no other reason than Christian Bale’s Batman voice still makes me giggle, cause it’s just so dang cheesy, especially when compared to the imposing vocals of Kevin Conroy. So knowing that those two brilliant actors were now a part of this video game, it piqued my interest.

    What really put it over the top, however, was the demo. I really, really, really wish more game-makers would make free demos available via the Playstation Store. If it hadn’t been for that demo, I highly doubt I ever would have purchased this game. I’m loathe to rent them, since that’s so freaking expensive anymore, but a demo’s perfect. It was just enough to show me the quality of the art that has really fleshed this game out. It’s like listening to my favorite Batman cartoon, but watching a dark, gritty, realistic movie. In short, it appears to be all of my favorite aspects of the cartoon and the new movies, combined into one brilliant, beautiful, interactive, high definition feast for the eyes, ears, and mind. Perfect!

    Best of all, it comes with a free Batcave apartment for Playstation Home! Hehe, yay!! I’m already addicted to Home anyway, but now I have a Batcave of my very, very own!

    And, of course, I hope you realize that I’m going to have to fill it up with uber-cute pictures and tons of rubber duckies. Because I simply have no choice. The deep darkness of the batcave is simply crying out for dozens upon dozens of cute, cuddly, smiling rubber duckies.

    And, of course, I will be posting pictures. 🙂

    I’m not sure if this foray into the world of Boy games will prove to be the spark of a new trend in my gaming habits. Somehow, I kinda doubt it. I’m still not keen on all the violence, especially since – as my brothers well know – I’m a bit of a lousy button masher when it comes to fighting. And since I’m a video gamer seeking mindless entertainment, it doesn’t really suit my needs entirely.

    But all that said, I can’t wait to unpause this game and kick some butt. 🙂 So without further ado, off I go, to do just that.