RETRO FEATURE – The DC Comics supervillains turned heroes in Suicide Squad were enemies of our favorite heroes – mostly Batman, of course. But what about gaming? Well, we’ll take a look at each character and see if they have been present in any of classic games. For the sake of nostalgia, but also for the reason, so that you can play a bit against them before the film. We won’t forget about heroes either, but we’ll leave out from the list those, who weren’t in any of the game adaptations.

The DC Universe was always a favorite among game publishers and designers, but perhaps one of the most used superhero icons is good old Batman himself. Many of the villains of Suicide Squad were present as bosses in the Batman games – mostly in Warner’s Batman Arkham games, but in some others as well. We’ll take a look at each important character to see in which old or not so old title they were present. As every character was added to Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham as a DLC character, we’ll skip those, who were only present here.

Batman (Ben Affleck) – First game: “Batman” (1986) Best game: Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)

Of course, there would be no Suicide Squad without Batman himself. The first Batman game was simply “Batman”: a 1986 3D isometric action-adventure game by Ocean Software for the Amstrad PCW, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX, MSX-2 microcomputers, and it was the first Batman title ever developed. Upon release, the game received favorable reviews, and received a sequel two years later, titled Batman: The Caped Crusader.

There was an enormous amount of Batman games later, but to this day, perhaps the best Batman title is still Batman Arkham Asylum, where incidentally many of the Suicide Squad members are present.

Batman: Arkham Asylum was a 2009 action-adventure video game based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. It was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on August 25, 2009, with a Microsoft Windows version following on September 15.

Later episodes in the Arkham series: Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight were also quite excellent, but not so perfect, as the very first episode in its own period.

After Batman V. Superman, Batman is portrayed once again by Ben Affleck in Suicide Squad who actually looks very much like Batman from the Arkham games.

The Flash (Ezra Miller) First game: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe 2008. Best game: Injustice: Gods Among Us

Unfortunately, there isn’t any standalone Flash game made so far; our super-speedy hero only appeared in two games of from the makers of Mortal Kombat. The Flash is a playable character in the Mortal Kombat and DC Comics crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The first official render for The Flash was released to the public on Monday, July 7, 2008. His bio reveals that this version is Barry Allen. He is also a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, developed by NetherRealm Studios. Both games were a success, so we can expect him to return in Injustice 2, which is still under development.

Two versions of the Flash make appearances in DC Universe Online. Barry Allen fights alongside the heroes against Gorilla Grodd’s army and is a bounty for the villains. Jay Garrick appears in the Watchtower, selling powerful armor to Level 30 Heroes with the Metapower origin.

The Flash is portrayed by the young actor Ezra Miller, who is a bit hated by fans of the original characters on IMDB.

Joker (Jared Leto) First game: Batman: The Caped Crusader 1988. Best game: Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)

Batman’s arch-nemesis was already present in Batman: The Caped Crusader, which is an action adventure game developed by Special FX Software (Jonathan Smith, Zach Townsend, Charles Davies, and Keith Tinman) and published by Ocean Software in 1988. It was licensed by Data East and Erbe Software for release in North American and Spain. It was the second of three unrelated Batman games published by Ocean, after Batman in 1986 and preceding Batman: The Movie in 1988.

Of course, the best game in which Joker was present is still Batman: Arkham Asylum, although he was also in every one of the Arkham games, including Batman: Arkham Knight, where he was only in the form of a “ghost”, visioned in Bruce Wayne’s memory.

After such great actors as Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, the Joker is played by Jared Leto, and he looks pretty convincing so far from the trailers.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) First game: The Adventures of Batman and Robin (1994). Best game: Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)

Harley Quinn was first present in The Adventures of Batman & Robin which is a series of video game adaptations released between 1994 and 1995 featuring the DC Comics characters Batman and Robin based on Batman: The Animated Series (which had been retitled The Adventures of Batman and Robin for its second season). The games were released for numerous platforms, with the Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega CD versions published by Sega while the Super NES version was published by Konami (who also produced an earlier Game Boy video game based on the show).

She was also present in every Arkham games, perhaps having the most significant role in Arkham City.

Margot Robbie plays a very sexy, yet batshit crazy (hehe, sorry for the pun) Harley Quinn who resembles quite a bit to Harley in the Asylum games.

Deadshot (Will Smith) First game: Batman: The Video Game (1989) Best game: Batman: Arkham City (2011)

While Deadshot wasn’t present in the first movie of Batman in 1989, he was still in the platform game adaptation – also known as Batman: The Video Game is developed by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy. The NES version contained five levels culminating in a showdown with the Joker in the bell tower of Gotham Cathedral. It was received well despite changes from the movie it was based upon. Deadshot was on level 1 and 2 of the game.

As far as the Arkham series goes, he was present in two of them: Batman: Arkham City, and Batman Arkham Origins. He was a ferocious enemy in Origins where he appears as one of the eight assassins hired by the Joker, who was disguised as Black Mask, to kill Batman.

Will Smith will portray Deadshot in Suicide Squad, and I am neither a fan of the actor, nor really convinced, that he fits the role, but we’ll see of course.

Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) Only game: Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Rick Flag Jr. appears in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, where Adam Baldwin reprises the role. He and Amanda Waller monitor Batman’s work at Blackgate Penitentiary. In the post-credits, he and Amanda Waller get Deadshot and Bronze Tiger to join the Suicide Squad.

Boomerang (Jai Courtney) Only game: DC Universe Online (2011)

Captain Boomerang appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by J. Shannon Weaver. He appears as a Tech dealer in the Hall of Doom. Though it is identified as “Digger” Harkness, the model of the character seems to be Owen Mercer. That may be because the game’s Flash was changed from Wally West to Barry Allen at the last minute.

Jay Courtney portrays Boomerang, and he looks like an excellent choice to that role.

Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) First game: Lego Batman: The Videogame (2008), Best game: Batman Arkham Asylum (2009)

Killer Croc appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame as a playable character with vocal effects provided by Steven Blum. This incarnation of the character is in the employ of Penguin and possesses super strength, immunity to toxins and can dive underwater.

However, his most impressive appearance is in Batman: Arkham Asylum, where Croc is portrayed as physically larger than most of his comic book counterparts, standing at a colossal eleven feet. He is interred at Arkham Asylum as a cannibalistic murderer, although his many other crimes include racketeering and the smuggling of illegal drugs.

The asylum staff, who hate and fear the aptly dubbed “monster,” only feed Killer Croc with animal carcasses once a week and confine him to an unused sewer, with an electrifying shock collar to discourage troublemaking.

This solitary confinement has only succeeded in magnifying Croc’s intense hatred of humanity; a psychiatrist believes he now views people as nothing more than potential food. In addition to hating Batman, Croc holds a grudge with Aaron Cash, having tried to eat the guard during a breakout attempt, but only managing to devour Cash’s left hand. This resulted in a constant craving to eat the rest of Cash. He appears early on in the game when he is taken to the sewers and passes Batman escorting a recently captured Joker. He vows to kill and devour Batman before he receives a shock and is taken away.

Later in the story, Batman infiltrates Arkham’s old sewer network in search of rare Venom roots for an antidote for the Titan drug that Joker has created, only to find The Scarecrow threatening to unleash his fear gas into Gotham’s water supply by dumping it into the sewers. Killer Croc emerges from the water and attacks Scarecrow, then falls back when Batman activates his shock collar via Batarang, taking Scarecrow with him. While searching Croc’s lair for the roots, Killer Croc ambushes the player repeatedly, only to be easily stunned into retreat each time by hitting his shock collar with batarangs. He is defeated for the final time while charging over an unstable floor, which Batman destroys with explosives, sending Croc plunging down.

After Batman leaves his lair, Croc shouts up saying that he will find him. Killer Croc‘s hand is one of those that will appear at the end of the game (sometimes it is his hand or Bane’s hand or Scarecrows hand) grabbing the Titan box out in the bay.

In the prequel Batman: Arkham Origins, he appears as one of the assassins hired by The Joker (posing as Black Mask). He first appears at Blackgate Penitentiary, helping the crime lord break out his imprisoned men and murder Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb. While escaping, he is confronted by Batman and the two fight on the rooftops of the prison. Batman defeats Killer Croc and interrogates him, learning about the other assassins sent to kill him. He later runs into Batman during the second attack on the prison, only to flee at the arrival of the GCPD and be taken back into custody.

This younger Croc is significantly smaller than his portrayal in the other games and more or less resembles a human (an uncertain Batman even refers to him as a “human-shaped crocodile”). His desire for the fame and fortune of being Batman’s killer imply his mutation has not yet spread to the point where he is more monster than man.

The character played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje in Suicide Squad is a mixture between Croc in Origins and Croc in Arkham Asylum.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) First game: DC Universe Online (2011), Best game: Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)

Amanda Waller appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Debra Cole. In the Bludhaven Alert, Major Force mentioned to the players that Waller has sent him to Bludhaven to gather samples of Chemo and to test out the Chemoids. Amanda Waller also provides the intro message to PVP missions when the option for “Suicide Squad” is turned on.

Amanda Waller appears in Batman: Arkham Origins, voiced once again by C.C.H. Pounder. In the post-credits scene, she approaches Deathstroke at a prison cell and offers a spot in her Suicide Squad in exchange for commuted prison sentence to which Deadshot is left considering. Amanda Waller appears again in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.

She is heavily implied to be the true mastermind behind the prison uprising, having orchestrated the events and manipulated both the criminals and the agents to find the best candidates for the Suicide Squad. She purposely hired Catwoman to break Bane out of Blackgate, though the mission was a failure due to Batman’s involvement. However, Waller picked out Deadshot and Bronze Tiger as two new candidates for the Suicide Squad.

Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad. Davis has revealed that she has signed for three films.

Are you prepared?

So are you ready for the Suicide Squad movie? Played all the games, read as much comic books as possible? Remember: only a few days and Suicide Squad is there for you!

-BadSector-