It's not as well-built as other versions of the game, but for $5, it's a decent Bat-romp.
I'll be honest, adding more characters to the mix is just what Lego Batman 2 needed. The first game wasn't too shabby, but lacked diversity, even with the ability to play as bad guys. Here, you're open to several new abilities, all of which come in handy for solving puzzles and eventually serving up justice to those nasty Gotham criminals. What's more, you don't have to wait to unlock them all through gameplay if you don't want to, as you can buy them through microtransactions as well. It's optional, however.
The main hiccup that comes with this edition of Lego Batman 2 is with controls. On the one hand, you can play traditionally, with a virtual analog stick and buttons, and on the other, you can tap on targets and move around by touching on the screen. Both of these styles are a bit troublesome to get used to at first, especially when you're thrown right into a fight with Joker's men. However, after some getting used to, you'll see that they're acceptable, if not as precise as what you played on 3DS or Vita. A fraction of the price, a fraction of the offerings, I assume.
At least the rest of the game is perfectly intact. Lego Batman 2 looks very good on an iPhone/iPad screen, with plenty of Lego-style animations, beautiful Gotham surroundings, and humorous cut-scenes (albeit lacking in HD quality) to gaze upon. It's not the greatest Batman effort we've seen on mobile (that honor would belong to more serious releases), but it's good enough that adults and kids will like what they see. The audio's not bad, and even though the game doesn't have the full amount of dialogue as the console version, the effects and small pieces of voicework are still worthy of the DC Comics brand.
Though more functionality could've been given to the game's control, and something could've been done with online functionality (you're on your own here), Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is still one of the better $5 investments you'll make for your iPad and iPhone. With a mostly great presentation, plenty of characters to unlock (one way or another) and a fun amount of stuff for all ages to consider, it's not bad for a lengthy car trip, even if it still doesn't quite topple the other versions of the game.
Score: 7.5 / 10
