Batman Forever Walkthrought
Let’s get this out of the way: Batman Forever on cartridge is obsessed with crafty rooms and hidden routes. Stay on course: the first stage drops you into a bank. In the lobby, smash counters and terminals—some spit out batarangs and those screen-clearing test tubes. In the far corner there’s a panel with a red light: toss an electric batarang to kill the alarm beams. Right by the entrance, look up: time a grapnel shot to the balcony; above the sign there’s a vent—your first 1‑Up sits there plus a secret room with a health pack. Stuck at the locked “Vault” door? Check nearby offices: one monitor hides a switch you must hit, not just run past. After the safe, keep your ears up: there’s a gray ceiling hatch in the corridor—unmarked, but your hook latches to it. It’s a shortcut to the head of security and the stage password.
Bank: the vault, elevators, and “where do I go?”
In the elevator zone, don’t mash everything at once. The door on the left opens via a floor plate in another room. First, enter the office with two terminals and break the right one—the plate triggers; run back and slip through before the timer relocks it. In the basement there’s a long hallway with beams: throw a regular batarang at the high sensor above the archway or you’ll get shaved down. Inside the vault, note the beams in the background: in this tie-in you often grapple not straight up but into the depth—aim for the back crossbeam and Batman shifts to the rear layer. Do that here—up top is a chest with a test tube and another switch. Before facing Two-Face, save at least one tube—this equalizer helps when a pack of goons blocks your view.
Streets and the circus: rooftops, trapezes, and doors with “?” signs
After the bank, the city goes vertical. On rooftops, use drainpipes and dark girders as landmarks. Where a lamp pools light on a ledge, the grapnel usually sticks. Pro tip: see a poster with a “?”—check the wall next to it with a punch or batarang; it’s often fake brick hiding a secret. In the circus district, hug the right side of the big top. First, drop the two clowns on the rope with electric batarangs—they fall and open the trapeze route. Next is a big arena with a catapult: flip the lever by the booth, the shot knocks a spotlight loose and opens a ladder to the underground halls. You’ll also find doors that won’t budge until you “calm” the whole wave—don’t run laps; camp near the entrance to control spawns and scoop health packs. The section ends with a mini-bout versus Two-Face’s enforcers: they chuck dynamite. Catch the gaps between throws, roll through the blast, and answer with short strings—two or three clean hits, then a batarang as you back out.
Wayne Manor and NygmaTech offices: panels, beams, and the horizontal line
In Batman Forever the mansion maps love “doors from nowhere.” Portraits aren’t just set dressing—hit a frame a couple times, a hidden panel clicks, and a grate below retracts. Head into the library, then through the upper opening into the service shaft. In laser corridors, don’t jump head-on—a switch is tucked on the ceiling near the center; it’s safer to tag with a batarang than risk your health. A bit later you’ll need a horizontal line: there’s a narrow chemical spill you can’t clear with a normal jump. Fire the line to the opposite wall and ride the zip—let go near the end so you don’t slam a breaker box. At Edward Nygma’s plant, memorize the color pairs: green terminal opens green door, red toggles red. Often one opens as the other shuts. The clean route: hit the green terminal in the right room, take the upper detour to the red one, then drop to the central shaft. It’s easy to miss—the shaft blends into shadow. Check the floor: the tile’s darker than the rest; that’s where you grapple down.
There’s a big secret 1‑Up in the office with the “R&D” marquee. As soon as you enter, skip the fight—go straight up to the bright beam, then higher into an invisible crawlspace above the sign. There’s a crate with a big cross. Grab it—because the next section tosses two armored bruisers at once. Smoke bombs work best: toss—step back—short combo—step out—repeat. Don’t get greedy, and save a test tube for the room where multiple turrets wake up together: in this game a full-screen wipe saves more health than a medkit after the fact.
Claw Island: Riddler’s traps and the last showdowns
Before Nygma’s lair, the game throws corridors with trick platforms. Floor tiles marked with “?” vanish when you land. Don’t step on them—jump past onto the metal decking. In the hall with the brain-wave boxes, don’t rush the boss: first, smash the three amplifiers in the corners. Tag them with a batarang, duck behind a column, and go around in a loop. The fewer amps are active, the weaker the energy streams in the middle. Two-Face shows up flipping a coin and loves to grab. When he winds up for a charge, watch his hand: coin up—he goes straight; coin down—he arcs around. Nail the timing, sidestep, and punish his back. An electric batarang reliably interrupts him, but spend them one at a time so you’re not empty for phase two.
The Riddler finale is easier if you clock that the three projector turrets up top can be “blinded” with precise throws. When the room goes dim, he misjudges range and whiffs more with his orbs. Hold a diagonal and poke—don’t overcommit to long strings. In co‑op, have Player Two lock down the right side and clip his casts with batarangs—keeps Riddler from stacking effects. After the win, don’t forget to jot the password—Batman Forever on SNES hands them out after big sections, saving your nerves on retries.
A couple of quick “how to pass” notes that save chunks of time. Whenever it feels like you’re “stuck forever,” there’s almost always a vertical exit: up to an invisible beam or down through a barely seen hatch. See a blinking monitor? Hit it, don’t “use” it. Alarm beams are almost always disabled from range, not with your face. And above all, secret rooms are usually above lit signage or behind “?” posters. This is one Batman game that trains you to look up. We’ve already broken down the rest—moves and control quirks—in /gameplay/, and /history/ brings the vibe and context—why Batman Forever packs in so many ladders, elevators, and Riddler puzzles. Here you’ve got the route and little tricks to finish without wandering or wasting health.